With each new project that an architect undertakes, he has to put himself in a new step. Weigh and evaluate the project based on new criteria, nýju umhverfi, nýjum verkkaupa, jafnvel nýrri starfsemi.
Skilgreining á frumkvöðli er sá sem kynnir til sögunnar nýja hugmynd, a breakthrough product or solution. Now, it is not a given that everything an architect does is beneficial, though of course that would be preferable. Nevertheless, it must be the goal of all of us who work in this profession.
Það er ljóst að fólk með skapandi hugsun og frjóa nálgun á verkefnum hlýtur að vera hverri arkitektastofu gíflurlega mikilvægt.
Surveys show that creative thinking is not only an intellectual phenomenon, but also the result of behavior. As soon as we accept that idea, the possibility opens up for us to cultivate this quality and cultivate behavioral patterns that make us more powerful creative individuals..
Í hnotskurn snýst þetta um að til þess að fá hausinn til að spinna á nýjan máta þarf maður að fást við eitthvað nýtt, sjá nýja hluti, hitta nýtt fólk o.s.frv.
Margar kenningar hafa verið settar fram um hvað það er í umhverfinu sem hvetur til frjórrar hugsunar.
Hvernig getum við ræktað með okkur þessa eiginleika og skapað vinnuumhverfi þar sem þessir þættir njóta sín?
One important factor must be present in the environment for creativity to thrive. It is a license to fail. A good example of this is the story of the dad who started learning to inline skate with his daughters. He bought skates for both of them and himself. Allan öryggisbúnað svo sem hjálma, hnjáhlífar, elbow pads and hand pads for the daughters. He himself was going to be careful and avoid falling. The daughters set off fearlessly, duttu, stóðu upp aftur, duttu aftur o.s.frv . They achieved surprisingly good results in a short time. Dad hasn't fallen, take care and be careful. He, on the other hand, is still hanging from a lamppost and has a long way to go to master the sport.
How does this apply to us architects? Mistakes in our profession can have serious consequences, even enormous financial losses. But the scope should be there in the work process. There needs to be room for ideas that, on closer inspection, may be bad. Namely, better ones can emerge from them.
Two main factors influence how people rate their jobs. Another is about basic needs such as workplace amenities, vinnuuöryggi, salary etc. If these conditions are not met, it creates job dissatisfaction. If these material facilities are available, it does not necessarily lead to job satisfaction.
Til þess þarf að koma annar þáttur sem snýr að óefnislegri þörf eins og verðug viðfangsefni, recognition and opportunity to thrive. These are the things that really affect job satisfaction and productivity, so company managers should be vigilant that these needs are met.. Þannig má færa rök fyrir því að gæði og árangur náist frekar með því að leggja áherslu á gefandi verkefni en mælanlegum hlunnindum svo sem bónusgreiðslur og stöðuhækkanir.
However, this varies depending on the job. The "candle experiment" is a good example of this. Psychologist Karl Duncker introduced this puzzle 1930 og hefur hún verið mikið notuð síðan í rannsóknum á atferlisfræði.
You are sitting at a table against a wall. On the table is a box with drawing bubbles, kerti og eldspýtum.
The task is to attach the candle to the wall so that the wax does not spill onto the table. Many people try to attach the candle with the drawing bubbles or melt the side of the candle and attach it to the wall. Most people focus on the role of each part separately. The candle is for lighting, eldspýtur eru til að kveikja á kertinu, the box is for storing the drawing bubbles and the drawing bubbles are for fixing. After 5 til 10 mínútur komast flestir að lausninni og það er þegar menn sjá fyrir sér nýtt hlutverk fyrir kassann.
Lausnin felst því ekki í því að fylgja fyrirfram ákveðnu ferli heldur að brjótast út úr því og sjá hlutna í nýju ljósi.
Hefðbundnar aðferðir til að ná fram meiri afköstum eins og akkorðs greiðslur geta virkað við störf sem notast við vinstra heilahvelið þ.e. eru rútíneruð og einhæf. Um leið og vinnan felst i því að einstaklingurinn eigi sjálfur að finna lausnina, hugsa sjáfstætt og ekki síst í verkefnum sem krefjast þess að maður sé skapandi, þá getur umbun sem skilyrt er árangri haft truflandi áhrif.
Kerta þrautin var lögð fyrir þátttakendur í rannsókn sem gerð var í Princeton háskóla 1960 af sálfræðingnum Sam Glucksberg. He presented the puzzle to two groups of participants and measured the time. The other group was told that the time was being measured only to find out the average time it would take to find the solution. The other group was promised payment if they were included 25% the first to solve the task. And even better; sá sem fyrstur fyndi lausnina fengi sérstakan bónus.
Í stuttu máli þá varð niðurstaðan úr rannsókninni sú að hópurinn sem átti í vændum verðlaun var u.þ.b. 50% lengur að finna lausnina.
Rewards can thus have the opposite effect and stifle imagination. They can be motivating when the task is well defined, rútínerað og afmarkað en þegar það krefst þess að hugurinn fái að fljúga þá geta þau haft heftandi áhrif.
But it is possible to do a lot so that the work environment becomes more creative and the satisfaction of individuals at work is at a maximum. As mentioned before, these basic material needs must first be satisfied. Wages are such that people can live a decent life, aðbúnaður og tæki svo hægt sé að sinna starfinu og atvinnuöryggi sé þokkalegt.
But to take it a step further, other factors need to be nurtured. A workplace where creativity can be enjoyed is a place of tolerance. You can experiment there, leyfi er til að mistakast án þess að vera dæmdur, there is room for play and communication between people is open and unrestricted. Employees have control over their work environment, hvernig það leysir verkefnin sín og jafnvel hvaða verkefni er verið að fást við.
Some progressive companies have a way of allowing employees to spend part of their working hours on projects they are interested in and believe in. A kind of start-up within the company. Þannig geta orðið til nýjar hugmyndir, ný vara eða þjónusta og tækifæri fyrir fyrirtækið til að vaxa og dafna.
In creative industries, the staff is the most important resource. It is therefore important that company managers create conditions for employees to cultivate these qualities.
A methodology has been presented based on studies of both companies and managers known for their entrepreneurial activities and achieving great success. More than five thousand entrepreneurs and managers in seventy-five countries were approached. The victims were given a pre-determined questionnaire that covered aspects such as the ability to weave together different elements, þörfina fyrir að efast, spyrja, kanna, mynda tengsl við ólíka hluti og fólk og gera tilraunir.
Aðferðafræðin kallast The Innovator´s DNA eða erfðaefni frumkvöðla og hægt er að nálgast verkfæri og upplýsingar um hana á vefsíðunni: http://innovatorsdna.com/
These tools can possibly help to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and the group as a whole and even to see what qualities are missing and how an individual would be best employed in addition to the group and how individuals within the group can improve. At worst, this kind of survey can be a fun party game and create discussion in the workplace.
Góða skemmtun.
Heba Hertervig
Heimildir:
Daniel H. Pink (2011) Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. NY Penguin Group.
Franz Johansson (2012) The Click Moment:Seizing opportunity in an Unpredictable World. Portfolio Penguin
Henry Stewart () The Happy Manifesto: Make Your Organization a Great Workplace
Dyer J, Gregersen H, & Christensen CM (2011) The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators. Boston, BUT: Harvard Business Review Press.
Writing articles that were partially funded by the Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways program of the European Union. Verkefnisnúmer 324448.