Beyond Creativity

Strategic Intuition by William Duggan - A Positive Reading Experience

Intuition? Nonsense!

First I was really sceptical about the whole concept. 

But after reading some pages of 'Strategic Intuition' I was forced to change my mind (which is always ... tough).

Duggan illustrates human achievements across time (Kopernikus, Napoleon, Buddha etc.). His introduction of history of science is thoroughly and interestingly written. Additionally, his brain research chapter explained me many cognition and learning related open topics.

All is centered around the concept of Coup d'oeil. It is like strike of the eye: a glance. This consists of 4 phases:

1. Intelligent memory. Expert intuition relies on your own experience, while strategic intuition draws on the experience of everyone else in the world as well. You don't just search the shelves of your own experience - you search out examples from history far and wide.
2. Presence of mind. You clear your mind of all expectations and previous ideas of what you might do or even what your goal is.
3. Flash of insight. In a free mind selected elements from various past examples come together in a new combination.
4. Resolution. This means resolve, determination, will.

After introducing these steps, Duggan goes to the world of business. With examples from Google and Microsoft he shows how strategic intuition works in commercial settings.

So far, a fascinating book. I need to digest a bit more ;-)

To be continued...

Breaking Boundaries - Participating a Pilates Class

When you learn to laugh at yourself, there is no limit in entertainment :-)

A year ago I got interested in Pilates. It all started when I received an Inch-Loss Pilates DVD as a Little-Christmas present. I adore you, Lucy Knight :-) Ever since I have been a living room practitioner (only). Pilates seems to be advantageous for my breathing and body.

In April 2007  I had a research trip to Berkeley. There were too many meetings and too much sitting in the Innovation in Services -conference. So, I made a brave move and participated a  r-e-a-l Pilates class in the fabulous Claremont Resort hotel. There I was, the only man in a company of 8 amazingly talented women. Uhh, how gawky and uncordinated I was compared to them!  Somehow I felt like Wally in the Dilbert cartoon, but the reality was so different ;-) I am not so sure if I will participate public Pilates classes in the future *:o)

Meditation and Creative Thinking Skills

So, what is the link between creativity and meditation? Some hunches:

- Meditation can be seen as one way of reflection. As Dawson (2003) in Reflective Practice, Vol. 4, No. 1 writes about meditation: "..while educational discourse pays considerable theoretical attention to critical reflection and creativity, the working reality of everyday life in many educational settings seldom affords the kind of ‘space for silence’ that allows them to be nourished or extended.". So, how much 'space' do you have in your work place for silence? Are techniques and thinking processes that support reflection really valued?

- Amabile (1983) has seen Creative Thinking Skills as one of three components of creativity. Could meditation be included in those Creative Thinking Skills?

- I personally have experienced that with meditation you are able to get an open, positive attitude towards yourself and other people and this in turn may help you to get better connections to the Field (In terms of Csikszentmihalyi's Systems Model of Creativity). However, this process is not immediate, it takes many years.

- Emotions are related to the theme. Lex(is) Higgins, Sara Qualls and J. Daniel Couger wrote in 1992 an article " The Role of Emotions in Employee Creativity" for The Journal of Creative Behaviour. (Good work, Lex! Happy to continue in the future about this topic!). Their findigs were : "Emotional states with influence creativity at work may be stimulated by the immediate work environment (proximal causes) or by events, relationships or thoughts in non-work contexts (distal causes) ... Managers will also need to develop skills to address proximal causes of disruptive emotions as well as distally-caused emotional distress". Their article was not about meditation, but the topic: 'handling your and your colleagues emotions' may be closely linked to mediation?!

- Managers need to understand better and better human needs and respond in a proper way. There are some interesting new management & leadership programs like Intelligent Leadership from Pertti Sydänmaanlakka, Pertec Consulting Ltd. Meditation itself is not integrated in them, but some ideas of it may be?!

- See the excellent Meditation Blog and some critical views (including my comment ;-) about mixing belief systems and meditation techniques.

- Is meditation just self-suggestion? This question has come up to my mind many times ;-)

I am still wondering how meditation could be included in creativity and innovativeness training programs in a proper way. As a technique, not as weird all-solving-mumbo-jumbo :-)

How to Experience Flow In Golf When a Helicopter Is Falling Down Next To You?

A strange thing happened me on Friday, 2nd of September: I was playing golf on the fabulous Paltamo golf course   (designed by Ronald Fream) next to lake Oulujärvi. I was on my way to the first tee when a helicopter with a film crew flew over me. Quite low, I thought. After few minutes I heard sounds of ambulances and fire vehicles. And guess what…the helicopter was upside down in a pond next to green 4! Fortunately, the crew was saved, only one man was slightly injured. (In news,  sorry, only in Finnish)

In such an occasion, it is very difficult to concentrate on your game. Therefore, I started to think about flow and how I see it connected to a mind game, like golf.

Below are Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1996) 9 elements of an enjoyable experience aka flow + my comments:

1.    There are clear goals ever step on the way: In golf there are visible goals (get a par or a birdie or an eagle) and clear targets (the green and the flag). However, not all targets are easily recognizable; the skill to read terrain needs a lot of practice!

2.    There is immediate feedback to one’s action: Indeed, after you hit the ball, it will be on a fairway (in play) or in rough or out-of-bounds. When you hit the ball well, you can feel it in your club and in your body. The amateur is often so keen to watch the ball flying that ‘turning-head-too-early’ is one of the most typical errors in golf. I guess this is also some sort of feedback :-\

3.    There is a balance between challenges and skills: The handicap (HCP) is a great system, even an amateur can participate and do great results in competitions. However, when I started playing golf I found the game very frustrating and too challenging, only now, after 4 years, I feel like playing on a confident level to be able to enjoy it ;-)

4.    Action and awareness are merged: In a golf competition you need to keep your mind focused on the game for 5 hours. This requires good condition, proper kind of nutrinition (Wee, Is flow a drink?) and good concentration skills. I feel that techniques like meditation help you achieve awareness.

5.    Distractions are excluded from consciousness: It is an important in golf to concentrate on essential things and maintain your rhythm. I always marvel golf professionals who can play in front of thousands of people. (Still, you can not easily exclude helicopters, at least those falling ones;-)

6.    There is no worry of failure: I find this the most important element in Hole-In-Ones. However, it is terrible when the Holie happens when you are playing by yourself (this happened to me a year ago!).

7.    Self-conscious disappears. We are often worried, how we appear to other people. As Csikszentmihalyi points out, this awareness of self is a burden. Normally, it is easier to achieve flow in a company of your trusted and relaxed friends. The most irritating thing in golf is when there is an odd person in a group who is hurrying up others all the time or whose mobile phone is ringing continuously …

8.    The sense of time becomes distorted: This is v-e-r-y typical in golf. Actually, you always hear that you spend too much time playing golf. Therefore, how about playing just 9 holes instead of 18 holes?

9.    The activity becomes autotelic. Yes, golf could be something that has an end in itself. You start enjoying it so much that you want to spend all your time on a golf course. (Strangely, outdoor winter swimming makes me feel the same way;-). My tip: get your family and friends and colleagues involved, otherwise there may be quarrel ;-) There is also a related, international work productivity question : how many work hours are wasted in a year because workers escape to golf courses and give all kind of false explanations to their behaviour. We golfers really need to behave ourselves and make our actions more explicit :-)

By the way, what does creativity mean in golf? I have no answer. Maybe it’s a problem solving strategy: when you are in the bushes in a hopeless situation and you still manage to get the ball to the green , against all expectations?!

Hey, you Pros and non-golfers alike, please, comment this flow theme!