On Being Creative

 The typical artist/painter is supposed to be poor, unkempt and not adept with the ways of the (rest of the) world. Though that may be an exaggeration, there is an element of truth in the image. S(he) may be less concerned with the world than a person in a 'normal' profession. The primary reason, of course, is love for what she is doing.

Very few jobs offer the luxury of doing what you love (teaching may be one). Mostly, they are bread-earners for an employee, however much we may try and match the employee's strengths with the job on hand. Yes, it's possible to motivate through incentives, but that motivation may end when the tap of incentives closes.

Being creative (if allowed to) may be a way out. It seeks to motivate an employee by being creative, or innovative. For example, there is a dancing traffic policeman (saw a video of him), and a cricket umpire who used variations of the sign for declaring a batsman 'out' in cricket.

Lots of creative ways of doing things can be explored, as I have found out in teaching. And observing people in 'boring' jobs doing things differently. Conversations can be creative too, with co-workers, or subordinates.. and dare I say it, with bosses. 

Of course, one can pursue creative pursuits outside of the job, like photography, painting, writing or travel.

People and Workplaces

 My learning, if you will...

At any workplace, people are always good..at least a majority. It's the organisation that sometimes is unable to leverage their enthusiasm, through faulty policies, or systems, or wrong priorities.

I have worked in a large array of organisations, and learnt this over and over again. Saw a few bad leaders spoil things too. But of course, they were appointed by someone. By and large, I found very nice co-workers every place I worked. KIAMS was probably like a close-knit family with thirty students, a dozen staff and six faculty when we started PGDM in 1998.

Does this apply to students and the classroom? I think it does. A bulk of the students in a class are ready to be motivated, if you give them goals that are smart.. achievable, interesting, and perhaps fun. For instance, group work in class (or outside if designed right) can be all of these. 

So organisational design (or in a class, pedagogy) can play a big role in a set of people who will excel, or otherwise. Pay attention to what is the mood around you, and why.

Drive

Where do we get the drive to do anything from? Some major motivation theorists say- affiliation, achievement and power are the three major drivers-motivators. But what does it mean in real terms? For instance, what power can one have in real life? When even a five-year-old refuses to listen to what you have to say,  teenagers think you are a fossil, spouses have their own viewpoint on every point, and subordinates (assuming you have some) are more into insubordination than obeying orders (that old-fashioned quality sometimes found in the military), what is power but maya (illusion)?

Affiliation could be a need. I understand facebook is built around this need. The need to gossip is fundamentally the same need. With some narcissism added, it becomes your facebook activity driver.

Achievement can be tangible or not. You may achieve a landmark, like a degree, or a salary level, or a designation that you covet. But still be driven to get more. Like Sachin and runs in cricket. I don't know if chilling out can be counted as an achievement, but I can see it motivates a lot of people.

By the way, 'drive' reminds me of a good PJ someone forwarded-
Math and Alcohol don't mix, so... PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND DERIVE

Motivation Theories

Motivation is a much-used word with theories galore about it, in management. I would like to add my two bits to the subject. Incidentally, this is triggered by a talk I sat through at IMT last week, by Sharu Rangnekar, one of the earliest management consultants that India saw. I first heard him in 1982 during my MBA orientation at IIMB. He was in his elements, and had his own take on Motivation. This is mine.

We all have motivation, or else we wouldn't be living. Even to eat, one requires motivation. But beyond the basics, what motivates someone to try and excel at his work, or hobby, or something else? Is it a quest for money? Yes, to an extent. But what after you reach your level of incompetence at earning it?

My theory is that leisure is a great motivator for some. Remember school days when we yearned for holidays? Probably that idea never gets out of our minds even after we grow up. We are always on the look out for something other than what we are doing/supposed to be doing.

New experiences are a great motivator, and the travel and tourism industry is based on that. I remember that the urge to travel westwards motivated me to apply for a PhD program in the US in the eighties.

Meeting friends is the third big motivator, I think. Of late, due to advancing age, I have been attending silver jubilee alumni get-togethers galore. But I find it is a great motivator, and I try and go out of my way to attend these, compared to marriages and the like.

Sport is a big motivator. I started playing golf at Kirloskar Institute, Harihar, because 'it was there'- an 18 hole wonder. I went last year to my first amateur tournament in Pattaya. I also managed to build a green at the IMT Nagpur campus so we could play a bit now and then, and teach students who were interested. That brings me to the last factor, in my reckoning. Teaching.

Teaching someone and seeing them use it (the second part is very important) is a big motivator, and keeps most teachers in the business of teaching. Amen.