Where does the successful performance of businesses and organizations mostly stem from? Is it from engagement in work or an effort undergoing imposed expectations? The latter has been a matter of much controversy. Proposals for participation in the workplace were a target of much criticism by Castoriadis and Tragtemberg. Without intending to answer such a predicament, this paper discusses points that seek to contribute to the debate. It analyzes the experience of air traffic controllers, which may be approached not as much as an effort in itself, but as the result of a collective creative process. It is based on research data collected from the past fifteen years from aviation workers, above all from air traffic control centers in S?o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.