Passion, motivation, creativity, and innovation

It's been a while since I've touched on the whole passion in the workplace idea. Here's an excellent article on Creating a Climate for Innovation (from the Leadership Advantage website). The author has some interesting things to say linking passion and creativity:

People will be most creative when they feel motivated by the work itself. When people are engaged because of their own natural interest and satisfaction in their work, they will be challenged to be creative through their own intrinsic motivation. External pressures or rewards are never as effective as internal motivation. In order to tap into that resource, people must be matched to jobs that tap into underlying values that motivate and excite them. [note from Curt: That's exactly what my work is about!]

In addition to intrinsic motivation, two other components are necessary within an individual for creative resourcefulness, according to Theresa Amabile.

1. Expertise: a person must have the necessary technical, procedural and intellectual knowledge.

2. Creative-thinking skills: a person must be able to use their thinking in flexible and imaginative ways.

Trying to develop someone’s expertise and creative-thinking skills can be time-consuming. It is far easier to enhance and tap into someone’s internal motivation.

The article goes on to delve into the sources of creativity and innovation, and what organizations can do to foster that. In the September/October issue of the Harvard Business Review, Theresa Amabile pointed to six managerial practices that enhance creativity which, "emerged from more than two decades of research that focused on the links between environment and creativity."

The categories are:

* Challenge
* Freedom
* Resources
* Work group features
* Supervisor encouragement
* Organizational support

Curt Rosengren
Passion Catalyst ^SM