Great organizations employ many different types of people.

Each employee, from the analytic thinker in accounting to the extroverted do-er in sales, plays a role in the success of your business.

And each type of employee needs to be managed and motivated differently.

The creative is another type of employee that is integral to the success of many organizations.

From writers to web designers to advertisers, creative employees fill many roles – and they’re often excellent workers and high producers.

However, they are often motivated by different things and prefer different work environments or cultures than other types of employees.

Creative employees are a valuable resource, but in order to get the most out of them, you need to ensure that they’re motivated to create.

Below are 4 tips for effectively motivating creative employees:

1. Let them know they matter

One of the most important parts of motivating a creative employee? Letting them know that they matter to you. Most creative thinkers want to know that their work is making a difference in the organization. That can only happen if you tell them.

Giving a creative thinker positive feedback on a regular basis is a great way to keep them motivated to perform at a high level. This also encourages them to provide frequent feedback about your management and the organization as a whole. Since creative people tend to see the world a bit differently from the rest of us, their feedback can provide a unique viewpoint and even alert you to things others might have overlooked.

2. Give them room for flexibility

Another important thing to remember when it comes to creative employees is that they need room to be flexible. If you try to put them in corners or box them into roles, you run the risk of your best employees getting bored or shutting down.

Instead, motivate creative employees to be more productive and more focused by allowing them to be flexible in how they work. If it helps one employee to walk around the office while gathering ideas, or another to work from home now and then, allow them to do so (provided that it doesn’t create a distraction to others). If it helps creative thinkers stay productive, it should be seen as a good thing for your business.

3. Provide time to daydream

Some managers look down on daydreaming at work as a distraction or a waste of time. But for creative thinkers, daydreaming is an opportunity to think big thoughts and develop big ideas. Don’t frown upon daydreaming – use it to take your business to the next level.

Daydreaming and unstructured thinking allows creative to see big pictures, gain important insights, and produce innovative solutions to problems. So the next time you see your creative employees staring into space, allow them to do it for a few minutes. Even encourage daily or weekly periods of brainstorming, daydreaming or unstructured thinking. You never know what ideas could be forming.

4. Switch things up frequently

Creative people love jumping into new projects – especially those that challenge their creative processes. If creative employees get stuck in a rut and are expected to work on the same things day in and day out, you’ll likely see their productivity drop.

You’ll be able to keep creative employees better motivated for the long haul if you give them new projects or encourage them to come up with new ideas to change the way you do things. Often, it’s the creative thinker who comes up with the best ideas to make your business and your employees more effective and productive in the workplace.

Creative employees are immensely valuable to organizations. Motivating them effectively can increase their productivity and their job satisfaction. How do you motivate and manage creative employees?

Abby Perkins is Editor in Chief at Talent Tribune, a data-driven HR blog powered by Software Providers.