Creative Reaction

This is a perfect follow up to yesterday’s post, Connectivity Sabbath. In it I focused on being able to break from being connected (cell phone, smart phone, e-mail, Chat, etc.) for periods of time, though the post I discussed also had links to articles involving breaks from all forms of technology; essentially any device with a screen.

In each case, the subject had his or her own rules. Ariel Meadow Stallings, who is unplugging one night each week for a year, allows herself the use of a digital camera, her iPod, and incoming phone calls, for example. Noelle Sadler, an American who works at an ad agency in Barcelona, says she will leave town with “the phone, laptop, etc., at home and disconnect. Even my watch sometimes”. Paul Wiggins, also profiled in the article, spends an enormous time in front of a computer as part of his job; assistant editor and web producer for Fairfax Community Newspapers in Sydney, Australia. Yet he goes “completely without computers and his smartphone from the close of business Friday until Monday morning’s commute”.

In another profile, way back in 2001, students at the Christian liberal-arts university Seattle Pacific University, declared a one-week “Technology Sabbath“, “swearing off all things technological so they can concentrate on friendships and faith. About 300 students… volunteered to use technology only for classwork and to spend their free time the old-fashioned way - talking with friends or attending worship services.”

Oddly, my favorite link in the article isn’t even explored. In I Need a Virtual Break. No, Really. author Mark Bittman realized that he was a true technology addict and forced himself to take a 24 hour break. “I eagerly shut it all down on Friday night, then went to bed to read… I woke up nervous, eager for my laptop. That forbidden, I reached for the phone. No, not that either. Send a text message? No. I quickly realized that I was feeling the same way I do when the electricity goes out and, finding one appliance nonfunctional, I go immediately to the next. I was jumpy, twitchy, uneven… I managed. I read the whole paper… I tried to let myself do nothing, which led to a long, MP3-free walk, a nap and some more reading, an actual novel. I drank herb tea… and stared out the window. I tried to allow myself to be less purposeful, not to care what was piling up in my personal cyberspace, and not to think about how busy I was going to be the next morning. I cooked, then went to bed, and read some more.” (Very worthwhile. If you follow one link, let this be the one.)

One of the major points of all this is that we are being mindful of our choices, both at work and at home. We don’t have to use computers for everything; writing and/or sketching by hand use different parts of the brain, which can be useful for any creative process. There are times when e-mail is a good choice and there are times when a phone call or speaking in person is a better choice. And certainly there are times when shutting off the constant droning of CNN or news radio brings instant calm. Be the master of technology. Success depends upon quiet times of reflection.

In this MediaShift post, Mark Glaser explains his methods and motivations for deliberately going off-line for 24 hours once each week. 

More often than not, external forces are at play when we are away from the technologies we are (overly) dependent upon; the theft of a CrackBerry, a power outage, or a natural disaster. As one of the subjects of the post puts it, “the truth is that we don’t want to be disconnected, though we desperately need the break”.

The article profiles both those who purposely disconnect, and those who feel they are unable to do so. Very thought-provoking.

Technology is neither inherently good nor bad; we simply need reminders to keep it’s usage in perspective. There are times where connectivity enhances relationships, and times where connectivity distracts us from focusing on friends and family in our midst. Connectivity allows us to work from home, though it can also bring work into any environment at any hour, leading to workweek creep. 

As business owners and managers the example we set for our co-workers and employees sends a powerful message. We need to show that we have clear boundaries between work life and personal life, while enabling and encouraging our employees to have the same. It’ll do us all some good. (See here and here.)

Second Wind has an article this week on collaborative workspaces within ad agencies designed specifically for brainstorming, which apparently some have dubbed “think pods”. 

“They needn’t be small enclosed cubbyholes; you simply need to carve out a corner where thinkers can retreat”, says the writer. “Help your creatives think by offering them objects, music and images that create visual, tactile, aural, olfactory and taste sensations” and then describes in great detail what these items might be. Read it yourself. For some reason it reminds me of a movie star’s green room requirements.

Personally, I’d like to see a set of Oblique Strategy cards included as well. What else should be included?

As information aggregator Kosmix grew to thirty employees, its team started suffering from e-mail overload and workweek creep; it was time to rethink its communications. Stop Email Overload and Break Silos Using Wikis, Blogs, and IM details their efforts.

It seems Kosmix was relying primarily on e-mail, even for things which e-mail is not well-suited for. (For a primer, look here.) This is sort of thing is often the case with startup companies, where, in my experience, off-the-shelf Macs, procedures and free services “work” without design or strategy, then suddenly buckle under the load as the company grows.

Now at Kosmix, Blogs and RSS feeds are being used for status updates (making many meetings unnecessary!), Wikis are being used for “persistent information”, and IM is being used for live communications from diverse locations.

My second favorite thing is that employees are allowed to set their IM “status” to “Do Not Disturb” when interruptions are especially unwelcome. My favorite thing is that technology being used smartly and is aligned with business needs.

(My only concern as an IT professional is that they are using Yahoo for IM, which is likely not the most secure choice, and there’s no mention of using a VPN to connect to the office.)

I like that there’s a healthy realization that “Kosmix is certainly not the first company to use internal blogs, wikis, and IM for corporate communication” and that “as Kosmix grows further, even this model will break down at some point and (they) will have to look for new communication models.”

The results “have been immediate and very visible. They include a lot less email and almost none on weekends; better communication among people; and 360 degree visibility for every member of the Kosmix team. After we instituted these changes, everyone on the team feels more productive, more knowledgeable about the company, has more spare time to spend on things outside of work.”

Now who wouldn’t want that?!

Yesterday we looked at Google’s Our Googley advice to students: Major in learning, where we got a good look at what Google looks for in its employees. Today we look at how Google attracts its talent and we need to look no further than Google’s Top 10 Reasons to Work at Google. (Go read it.)

How many of you have articulated your own company’s vision so well? How many of you are challenged to make your own departments or workplaces just as inspiring? How many of you want to work for Google now? What if they promise never to use the word “googley” again? Well, that’s what they want; they want people to desire to work there. And they get 100,000 job applications each month!

Of course, they are not simply looking for people who want to work there; they are looking for people who deserve to work there. And it’s getting harder and harder as they have doubled in size in each of the last three years.

Google is known for measuring and tweaking pretty much everything, and even its procedures for finding qualified employees are starting to implement statistics, formulas, and automation as detailed in this NYT article. (free subscription required.)

As I’ve said many times, Google’s efforts and money are proportional and make good business sense for Google; likewise, our company’s efforts must make business sense for us.

“Management guru Peter Drucker noted that companies attracting the best knowledge workers will ’secure the single biggest factor for competitive advantage’”.  Drucker’s quote appears on The Official Google Blog; clearly Google recognizes this fact. You don’t have to be Google to appreciate this fact for yourselves; all of us need a competitive advantage.

On The Official Google Blog last week, there was a post entitled Our Googley advice to students: Major in learning, where Google outlined what it looks for in its employees. (The post was written by Jonathan Rosenberg, Senior VP, Product Management.)

I found this line intriguing; “At the highest level, we are looking for non-routine problem-solving skills. We expect applicants to be able to solve routine problems as a matter of course. After all, that’s what most education is concerned with.” (Emphasis mine.) In other words, Rosenberg is saying that Google is looking for problem solving skills beyond what most education provides.

After reading the ChangeThis manifesto Turning Learning Right Side Up I imagine its authors would agree; “traditional education is about teaching, not learning” they say. 

Both Google’s blog post and the Turning Learning manifesto dovetail nicely; Rosenberg’s post is about the lifelong process of learning, and not simply earning a degree; “keep on challenging yourself, because learning doesn’t end with graduation… success is inexorably determined by the lessons you glean from the free market. Learning, it turns out, is a lifelong major.”

(I won’t summarize the manifesto’s content. I’ll only say that after reading it, managers will realize they will need to focus their training on the educational system’s gaps!)

So finally, what is Google looking for aside from problem-solving skills?

1. communication skills
2. a willingness to experiment
3. team players, and
4. passion and leadership.

I would argue that the very same skills should be sought by every creative company; after all, being creative within a business setting is largely about working within numerous constraints.

This boston.com article largely covers ground we’ve covered here at CR before, even quoting a few experts we’ve already mentioned; yet we need to remind ourselves and our employees that constant interruptions by e-mail, IM, meetings, conference calls and text messages get in the way of getting actual work done.

According to the article, “workers get an average 156 e-mails a day… they switch tasks every three minutes on average… spending more than a quarter of the workday… dealing with interruptions and their needed recovery time”

Furthermore, “there’s a strong connection between trying to do lots of different things at the same time, and feeling overwhelmed,” says Ellen Galinsky, of the Families and Work Institute. There’s no need to explain that constant interruptions are stressful, and therefore unhealthy.

Are we fostering creativity in our workplaces? We need to allow ourselves and others to disconnect for blocks of time to do what we are paid to do, especially if that means being creative.

This fascinating “infographic” from boston.com contains a wealth of information on power napping.

A number of recent studies have concluded that napping “boosts alertness, creativity, mood, and productivity”.

It also includes a few tidbits on the benefits of napping, which are both short-term and long-term. So aside from literally preventing a wasted afternoon, napping “reduces stress and lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke, diabetes, and excessive weight gain.”

So with the productivity, creativity and health benefits, we need to give serious consideration to how we can accommodate napping in our workplaces.

A follow up on Stephen Shapiro, an author and keynote speaker who while in Asia had his BlackBerry stolen and whom I wrote about on Tuesday. In a post today, he describes his newfound freedom. He checks his e-mail once or twice a day, and leaves the cheap cell phone he bought behind when he goes out. “I’m getting more work done in less time, because I can stay focused on the task at hand, rather than reading and responding to emails every 5 seconds.” Freedom indeed.

Pure schadenfreude. This tale of a well-meant, but poorly implemented idea is equally delightful and cringe-worthy. Paint Chips tells the story of the Esquire, “a building of high-end duplexes and spacious lofts”, where the “building’s board decreed that each floor would be allowed to choose the exterior colors of their doors, as well as each door’s jambs, lintel and sill.”

The building’s tenants are largely creative & intellectual types and no framework for the decision was mandated. At the time of writing, 16 months later, only one of the seven condo floors had reached consensus.

This well-written account has so many lessons, it’s simply too hard to pick one, though if I have to, it would be that constraints are a necessary and healthy component of creativity. Add your own in the comments.

*if you are to deliver a breakthrough product or service.

I am not talking about a culture of sloppiness or irresponsibility, but one of difference, change, and creativity. Our society, our educational systems and our workplaces stress rewarding what we do correctly, yet it is experience, and, yes, making mistakes, which allow for the biggest opportunities for personal growth and innovation.

Two items I recently read support the above statements. The first is a ChangeThis manifesto, Turning Learning Right Side Up, a free .pdf report and an excellent read for “students” of any age. The second is an NYT article (free subscription required) explaining the importance of being “growth-minded”; the mindset of lifelong learners and entrepreneurs. If You’re Open to Growth, You Tend to Grow, talks of managers who hire the “best & brightest”, only to hamstring them by placing them in an environment of high expectations and fear (of failure).

The best part of the article details how Scott Forstall, an SVP at Apple, put together the team which developed the iPhone’s software. First, Forstall “identified a number of superstars within various departments at Apple and asked them in for a chat.” During the subsequent interview he explained that though he could not reveal the details of the project, he said to each recruit, “(we may) make mistakes and struggle, but eventually we may do something that we’ll remember the rest of our lives”. It is important to note that these people would be walking away from their previous successes and positions. Those who jumped at the opportunity made the team; Forstall was looking for people willing to stretch themselves, rather than rest on previous successes.

A post I wrote about Google back in September ‘06 also addresses this way of thinking. And 10 Ways to Foster Innovation in Your Company ties the room together.

So… Be great! Encourage greatness!

Author and keynote speaker Stephen Shapiro had his BlackBerry stolen in Malaysia at the beginning of a three week trip and has been detailing his “withdrawal”. In Stay Connected by Disconnecting he explains the difficulties involved and in CrackBerry Addiction he has had 24 hours to contemplate his dilemma, and decided that periods of “disconnection” are healthy, as they “should improve your productivity, increase your ability to stay focused, enhance your relationships, and reduce your stress”.

Really, you should think before any form of communication, as to whether it’s the best way to convey your message, though Voice Mail has its own particular challenges. Increasingly, many people are avoiding it altogether, especially in corporate settings, as Michael Arrington explains in Think Before You Voicemail. In fact, he declares it DEAD. (Definitely worth reading.)

The biggest issues are Voice Mail’s “linear” nature (unless your have an iPhone) and that it is simply not part of most people’s workflows - it’s easy for Voice Mail messages to fall though the cracks.

A while back, I found some tips on how to leave a perfect Voice Mail message:

1. State your name & company.

2. State your phone number s-l-o-w-l-y.

3. State the date & time (& time zone if different).

4. Make your point across in one sentence.

5. Indicate if the call needs to be returned. If it’s an FYI, say so.

6. Explain when you are available for a callback.

7. Phone number s-l-o-w-l-y again.

8. Consider leaving your e-mail address. If you do, spell it slowly, especially if it does not contain your name.

Considering all the necessary information needed to make Voice Mail work, you’ll have to weigh its efficiency, or lack thereof, for yourself. Most of this information is built into or is simply unnecessary if you instead choose to use e-mail.

In September ‘07 I blogged about which technology is best for various communication needs, which linked to this excellent article. Perhaps today is a good time to review it.

A few days ago in Workweek Creep, I made the statement that “having evenings and weekends to spend time with our friends and loved ones, and to take care of our responsibilities is what’s best for all and what’s best for our businesses” and HR World, substantiates that statement for me. “Studies have shown that too much work can lead to a variety of stress-related illnesses that sap workers’ vitality, making them more prone to errors on the job, absenteeism, burnout and turnover.” 16 Ways to Encourage Work/Life Balance in Employees offers advice to help us keep our employees happy, healthy and productive.

While all of the tips are worthwhile, I’m sure they listed this one first for a reason: “Management support for work/life balance is critical, and it must come from the top. Too often, the perception that hard work is the only way to rise in a company keeps employees at the grindstone, working themselves into illness. Top executives can set examples of good work/life balances”.

Read the rest for yourselves, and see if there’s something you could implement to better the lives of your employees.

USA Today had an article Monday on Utah’s efforts to transition its state employees to a four-day work week. Utah has numerous reasons for doing this, largely centered on the state saving money. While the governor says it will also improve customer service, he admits state residents will have to adjust to the Monday through Thursday schedule, albeit with longer hours, and while the employees will soon have Fridays off, little is said about the impact this will have on working parents, who likely will see even less of their children on workdays. I’m not sure the trade-off is a good one as a longer work day may be less productive.

Contrast this to 37Signals’ four-day work week, which I blogged about here, which endeavors to not only allow employees to have Fridays off, but also be more productive within the shortened work week. Now that’s ideal. Of course, we’ll have to decide for ourselves what’s best for our departments and businesses.