People management strategy and reward

If you are feeling that the innovation team is not doing anything worthwhile to contribute to the company’s bottom line, and then start looking for some answers. For innovative ideas to progress and prosper there should be effective people management strategies in place. People inside the company should acknowledge that there exists a good people management strategy. Many times people are not even aware that there exists a strategy and at the next level even if it exists they are not sure how it helps them. People should be rewarded justly for their creative juices to be flowing. Remember one good innovative idea can change the fortunes of the company.

Characterizing the creative class (Excerpts from “Creativity” by Mihaly)

Continued from Feb 09 blog…
If that person is so taken with his domain that he fails to take our wishes into account we call him “insensitive” or “selfish” even though such attitudes are far from his mind. Similarly, if he pursues his work regardless of other people’s plans, we call him “ruthless.” Yet a change in it without dedicating all of one’s attention to it and thereby appearing to be arrogant, selfish, and ruthless to those who believe they have a right to the creative person’s attention.
Creative people are neither single-minded, specialized, nor selfish. Indeed, they seem to be the opposite: They love to make connections with adjacent areas of knowledge. They tend to be – in principle caring and sensitive. Yet the demands of their role inevitably push them toward specialization and selfishness. Of the many paradoxes of creativity, this is perhaps the most difficult to avoid.

Understanding the creative class (Excerpts from “Creativity” by Mihaly)

Understanding the characteristics of creative people is an important topic that one needs to recognize and consider. Many misunderstanding are sorted out by understanding some of these behaviors.
Creative individuals are often considered odd – or even arrogant, selfish and ruthless. It is important to keep in mind that these are not traits of creative people, but traits that the rest of us attribute to them on the basis of our perceptions. When we meet a person who focuses all of his attention on physics or music and ignores us and forgets our names, we call that person “arrogant” even though he may be extremely humble and friendly if he could only spare attention from his pursuit.

Managing remote teams

Some of the aspects that need special attention in managing remote teams
• Acknowledge cultural differences
• Time perception
• Flexible or solid agreements
• Indirect communication versus ‘say it as it is’
• Bosses need to agree versus delegated individual responsibility
• Written conformation versus telephone agreements
• Start with building a relationship versus start to define tasks
• Level of access to information held by higher levels
• Local versus global interests
• Language capabilities of team members

The people I come across in my work environment

I classify them into 3-types-
1. Move fast and capture- Won't stop until the work is completed. Highly motivated.
2. Eyes open but not willing- Don't see that the work needs to be done. Attitude is to do something and while away the time, just do enough. Lethargic and unmotivated.
3. Move in the opposite direction- They see the work coming and knows that it needs to be done, however find ways to avoid it. Shunning responsibilities.
People in categories 2 and 3 needs to be constantly monitored. They need attention and/or disciplinary action to get them to deliver.
Like to know how you deal with category 2 and 3 people ?