As companies try to stay afloat in a choppy economy, employees are being pushed for new ideas. However, managers should note and consider the studies conducted by Teresa Amabile, professor at Harvard Business School and head of its Entrepreneurial Management Unit. She has explored creativity for nearly 30 years and her comprehensive research has uncovered some myths:

• Money and rewards does not inspire creativity
• Tight deadlines and pressure to produce don’t foster innovation
• Competition does not induce creativity
• Fear does not fuel creative breakthroughs

In order bring creativity to fruition, people must  be deeply engaged in and with their projects and skilled enough to accomplish the project without:

• unnecessary distractions
• office (or any) politics
• resource roadblocks
• unwarranted critical feedback

Teresa Amabile is the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.