Generating ideas is easy. It’s running them once they’re exposed, that’s a challenge. For six years, creative industry guru and entrepreneur Scott Belsky studied prolific creative professionals. He found that those who were most successful followed similar procedures. The use of formulas seems counterproductive to the freestyle image of the creatives. Belsky details his findings in his new book titled, “Making Ideas Real: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality”.
Belsky says that three elements are needed to realize his ideas: 1. Organization and execution. 2. Involve the community. 3. Develop your Leadership Skills.
In an ongoing series of articles highlighting Belsky’s message, the following are initial leadership needs. To qualify and scale your creative efforts depends on your ability to lead. Start by examining the reward system that governs your creative pursuits, and keep in mind that taking the long view is not enough.
The way we spend our energy is greatly influenced by our need for quick gratification and the demands of our circle of influence.
The drive to pursue long-term creative goals challenges the stream of short-term rewards meant to maintain the status quo. To realize our ideas, we must repeatedly find ways to master our basic tendencies for short-term gratification. The following are three key points to achieve long-term goals:
Short circuit the reward system. From an early age, formal education entrenches a short-term reward system that impedes our ability to make things happen. We study for tests to get an “A,” rarely taking the time to review wrong answers. In the workforce, the good grade became your paycheck, recognition, and the possibility of a raise or bonus.
These tendencies turn destructive when you pursue long-term goals or attempt something extraordinary. It’s challenging to pursue bold ideas against the odds and build a system of incremental rewards to make them happen.
No matter how spectacular our ideas may be, short-term rewards—keeping our job, recognition, or getting a raise—draw our energy.
As humans, we are motivated by novelty. The honeymoon stage of any idea is the easy part. But when execution is needed, the harsh reality of bringing ideas to life is the need for long-term commitment. Without incremental rewards to guide us, we begin to question our progress and potential for success.
To lead your team (and yourself) through bold creative projects, you need to short-circuit your short-term focus. To do this, you need to keep two competing concepts in mind at once:
- Disconnect from the traditional reward system. To entertain yourself with short-term rewards, you must be willing to go without “hit” as defined by others. It is imperative to be successful in the long term. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time sustaining your projects long-term amid the desire to be validated by others.
- Stay engaged by setting up an incremental rewards system. If you can’t completely get over your obsession with short-term rewards, use it to your advantage and set up a series of short-term rewards (psychologically similar to grades, paychecks, and affirmations). This could be appreciating the value of lessons learned, incorporating games into your creative process, or earning free gifts for reaching certain milestones. Know what motivates you, and then modify your incentives to maintain your long-term goals.
- Happiness is its own reward.. Zappos.com, the largest online shoe store, reveres customer service. The commitment and satisfaction of your employees is extremely important. CEO Tony Hsieh believes that happiness can serve as an alternative form of compensation without limits or tangible costs. Company training programs, internal recognition award programs, other benefits and initiatives are all designed to promote happiness. Use alternative rewards that keep you and your team engaged while you pursue long-term goals and promote your ideas. During the early stages of bringing ideas to life, you are unlikely to have the traditional methods of recognizing progress (ie financial rewards, celebrity). Emphasizing happiness changes the type of goals you pursue and how you hire and manage people along the way.
The motivational reward of the game. Belsky points to Project Bubble, in which blank thought bubble stickers were placed on street advertisements in New York City. Pedestrians were invited to complete them. The project transformed the boring corporate monologue into a public dialogue. It became a playful method of providing guerrilla commentary. The WTC Logo Preservation Project attempted to capture New York City photographs and signs depicting the city’s pre-9/11 skyline. Creative director Ji Lee designed both projects. “Games keep things simple and keep people interested,” he says. Games promote learning, creativity and motivation. By valuing play and enjoyment, Lee can constantly come up with ideas; and stay engaged long enough to move on.
The reward of recognition. Belsky singles out company leaders who subscribe to the “us, not me” mentality, an atypical philosophy of the credit-hogging executive. Often in organizations, when great ideas come about, the CEO exudes pride. In tough times, it becomes a blame game. Recognition of successfully completed projects is most powerful when distributed. “Success is a valuable currency that can be distributed to the team. The only bank account that depletes shared credit is the leader’s ego,” says Belsky.
To bring your ideas to life, harness the power of short-circuiting your reward system in the short term to make your wishes come true in the long term.
To join the conversation with other creative professionals, visit the online think tank, The 99 Percent: Http://www.the99percent.com.