Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Creativity Module - Assignment 1
When it comes to business creation, I find myself pretty ambitious about it. But, there is a difference between being ambitious and having capability. I am not the one who has a business idea.
As every individual I want to start a business of my own. We have a transportation business. Its a family business. Since my father is in charge of this, I dont even think to get involve in it. My father thinks he knows everything about the business, so, no donuts for me !
I do not know what business will be okay for me but I have somehow planned my journey to become a businessman. Since businesses share some core principles, therefore, I want to know the principles first. And when the time comes to start a business, I shall use my knowledge to get it started.
Jumping into the river without knowing how to swim is suicidal and I am pretty sure that I shall make a mess if I started outright with a business. The first thing that comes in to mind is to learn business first ! For this purpose, I have come to JIBS. (I hope JIBS will live upto the expectations). What I need to do at JIBS is to find a mentor, who can guide me in a right way. When I feel that I have some knowledge, I shall preferably contact Science Park where I can put my theory to test. I plan to do this by volunteering with other entrepreneurs. Being an assistant and being directed helps me alot most of the time. I am flexible and positive all the time so I dont mind if some one is directing me. This will help me alot in understand the core of businesses and the problems of start-ups.
Next thing that I should do is to join a company. This will be very good for me if I get into company as Management trainee. I shall get much of the business knowledge and ettiquets during the training. Management trainees are also paid so it will be a bonus that I skip some years of schooling and still learning management.
With 3-4 years of experience, I will have enough knowledge and most importantly, the networking, to think of a business and start it.
Though, it is long route but since I am flexible so any time I felt that I am ripe to start a business, I shall waste no time about it.
As every individual I want to start a business of my own. We have a transportation business. Its a family business. Since my father is in charge of this, I dont even think to get involve in it. My father thinks he knows everything about the business, so, no donuts for me !
I do not know what business will be okay for me but I have somehow planned my journey to become a businessman. Since businesses share some core principles, therefore, I want to know the principles first. And when the time comes to start a business, I shall use my knowledge to get it started.
Jumping into the river without knowing how to swim is suicidal and I am pretty sure that I shall make a mess if I started outright with a business. The first thing that comes in to mind is to learn business first ! For this purpose, I have come to JIBS. (I hope JIBS will live upto the expectations). What I need to do at JIBS is to find a mentor, who can guide me in a right way. When I feel that I have some knowledge, I shall preferably contact Science Park where I can put my theory to test. I plan to do this by volunteering with other entrepreneurs. Being an assistant and being directed helps me alot most of the time. I am flexible and positive all the time so I dont mind if some one is directing me. This will help me alot in understand the core of businesses and the problems of start-ups.
Next thing that I should do is to join a company. This will be very good for me if I get into company as Management trainee. I shall get much of the business knowledge and ettiquets during the training. Management trainees are also paid so it will be a bonus that I skip some years of schooling and still learning management.
With 3-4 years of experience, I will have enough knowledge and most importantly, the networking, to think of a business and start it.
Though, it is long route but since I am flexible so any time I felt that I am ripe to start a business, I shall waste no time about it.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Definition of an Entrepreneur
The concept of entrepreneurship has a wide range of meanings. On the one extreme an entrepreneur is a person of very high aptitude who pioneers change, possessing characteristics found in only a very small fraction of the population. On the other extreme of definitions, anyone who wants to work for himself or herself is considered to be an entrepreneur.
The word entrepreneur originates from the French word, entreprendre, which means "to undertake." In a business context, it means to start a business. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary presents the definition of an entrepreneur as one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.
Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes. (Napolean Hill)
Innovation and Creativity has been linked with entrepreneurs. Though, these words are thought to be same but, Theodore Levitt made some interesting differentiation between the two words. According to him, Creativity is thinking up new things, whereas Innovation is doing new things. The difference between an entrepreneur and a manager is that, managers keep things in order. He hardly thinks out of the box whereas, entrepreneurs is some one who practices new things and always thinks differnetly. "Mangers succeed by following the rules. Innovators succeed by breaking the rules." – Vadim Kotelnikov
As a student of Innovation and Business creation, I am always in search of exploring my knowledge. Mostly, I use internet as it is an easy approach to the seas of knowledge. I also read some books and magazines from Harvard, Rotman, MIT Sloan, and last but not the least, www.entrepreneur.com. Today, I explored www.1000ventures.com for the first time and read an appealing article about Creativity. The article follows as:
Creativity - How to be more Creative: The art, Science and Pratice
Creativity Defined
A "new" idea is a combination of old elements. Being able to devise new combinations depend on your ability to discern relationships between seemingly disparate items.8
'Creativity is the juxtaposition of ideas which were previously thought to be unrelated.' It is your ability to combine ideas in a unique way or to make useful associations among ideas.
"There is virtually no problem you cannot solve, no goal you cannot achieve, no obstacle you cannot overcome if you know how to apply the creative powers of your mind, like a laser beam, to cut through every difficulty in your life and your work."
6 Barriers To Creative Thinking and Innovation:
1- Negative Attitude.
2- Fear of failure.
3- Excessive Stress. ( The over-stressed person finds it difficult to think objectively at all. Unwanted stress reduces the quality of mental processes.)
4- Following Rules. (Some rules are necessary, but others encourage mental laziness. "Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction." – Pablo Picasso)
5- Making Assumptions.
6- Over-reliance of Logic. (Investing all your intellectual capital into logical or analytical thinking – the step-by-step approach – excludes imagination, intuition, feeling or humor.)
You Are Creative!
Creativity is not about inventing something totally new, it is about making new – synergistic! – connections. You don't have to be a special kind of person to be creative – everyone can do it. It's not about who you are, it's about what you do. You just need to start looking for multiple solutions rather than settling for just one, and give yourself permission to be playful and inquisitive, flexible and versatile.
Psychologists call the activities associated with idea generation "loose associative thinking" processes. Associative thinking is not linear or sequential. It is jumpy. To invent new connections, the maintenance of uncertainty is important for a time. "Closure is a killer; it strangles associative thinking, in favor of arriving at "an answer". Early in the process, leveraging uncertainty, riding it, and valuing it are critical to developing robust ideas).
An Important Pre-Condition:
Although creative people come from varied backgrounds, they all seem to have one thing in common – they love what they are doing.
Practice Every Day:
How often should you practice if you wish to win the World Tennis Cup: once a month? once a week? every day?
How often should you exercise your right brain's creative muscles if you wish to master your creative skills: once a month? once a week? every day?
Learn and Develop Creativity:
"The good news is that creativity is a skill and a talent that can be learned and developed through practice. With this skill, you can dramatically accelerate your personal and professional growth. By sharpening your thinking skills and exercising your natural creative powers, you can multiply the value of your efforts and rapidly increase the quantity and quality of your rewards."
Take a Different View:
It was by taking a different view of a traditional business that major innovations were achieved. To find a better creative solution to the current practice, force yourself to reframe the problem, to break down its components and assemble them in a different way.
Ask Searching Questions:
Creativity requires an inquisitive mind. Unless you ask lots of "Why?" and "What If"? questions, you won't generate creative insights. "To avoid this most common of creative errors, be sure to peek under all carpets, including your own. Don't take anything for granted. Especially success. Try looking at the world through more inquisitive eyes; try getting ideas in motion; try asking the all-important: "Why?" See what happens!"
My view about innovation and creation:
One thing that I have learnt throught my first month at JIBS is that, "You need to be an entrepreneur habitualy" You should look at every aspect of your daily life and try to manage and at the same time innovate in your daily routine. You should make this your habit so that you specialize in your approach to see things differently.
The word entrepreneur originates from the French word, entreprendre, which means "to undertake." In a business context, it means to start a business. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary presents the definition of an entrepreneur as one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.
Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes. (Napolean Hill)
Innovation and Creativity has been linked with entrepreneurs. Though, these words are thought to be same but, Theodore Levitt made some interesting differentiation between the two words. According to him, Creativity is thinking up new things, whereas Innovation is doing new things. The difference between an entrepreneur and a manager is that, managers keep things in order. He hardly thinks out of the box whereas, entrepreneurs is some one who practices new things and always thinks differnetly. "Mangers succeed by following the rules. Innovators succeed by breaking the rules." – Vadim Kotelnikov
As a student of Innovation and Business creation, I am always in search of exploring my knowledge. Mostly, I use internet as it is an easy approach to the seas of knowledge. I also read some books and magazines from Harvard, Rotman, MIT Sloan, and last but not the least, www.entrepreneur.com. Today, I explored www.1000ventures.com for the first time and read an appealing article about Creativity. The article follows as:
Creativity - How to be more Creative: The art, Science and Pratice
Creativity Defined
A "new" idea is a combination of old elements. Being able to devise new combinations depend on your ability to discern relationships between seemingly disparate items.8
'Creativity is the juxtaposition of ideas which were previously thought to be unrelated.' It is your ability to combine ideas in a unique way or to make useful associations among ideas.
"There is virtually no problem you cannot solve, no goal you cannot achieve, no obstacle you cannot overcome if you know how to apply the creative powers of your mind, like a laser beam, to cut through every difficulty in your life and your work."
6 Barriers To Creative Thinking and Innovation:
1- Negative Attitude.
2- Fear of failure.
3- Excessive Stress. ( The over-stressed person finds it difficult to think objectively at all. Unwanted stress reduces the quality of mental processes.)
4- Following Rules. (Some rules are necessary, but others encourage mental laziness. "Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction." – Pablo Picasso)
5- Making Assumptions.
6- Over-reliance of Logic. (Investing all your intellectual capital into logical or analytical thinking – the step-by-step approach – excludes imagination, intuition, feeling or humor.)
You Are Creative!
Creativity is not about inventing something totally new, it is about making new – synergistic! – connections. You don't have to be a special kind of person to be creative – everyone can do it. It's not about who you are, it's about what you do. You just need to start looking for multiple solutions rather than settling for just one, and give yourself permission to be playful and inquisitive, flexible and versatile.
Psychologists call the activities associated with idea generation "loose associative thinking" processes. Associative thinking is not linear or sequential. It is jumpy. To invent new connections, the maintenance of uncertainty is important for a time. "Closure is a killer; it strangles associative thinking, in favor of arriving at "an answer". Early in the process, leveraging uncertainty, riding it, and valuing it are critical to developing robust ideas).
An Important Pre-Condition:
Although creative people come from varied backgrounds, they all seem to have one thing in common – they love what they are doing.
Practice Every Day:
How often should you practice if you wish to win the World Tennis Cup: once a month? once a week? every day?
How often should you exercise your right brain's creative muscles if you wish to master your creative skills: once a month? once a week? every day?
Learn and Develop Creativity:
"The good news is that creativity is a skill and a talent that can be learned and developed through practice. With this skill, you can dramatically accelerate your personal and professional growth. By sharpening your thinking skills and exercising your natural creative powers, you can multiply the value of your efforts and rapidly increase the quantity and quality of your rewards."
Take a Different View:
It was by taking a different view of a traditional business that major innovations were achieved. To find a better creative solution to the current practice, force yourself to reframe the problem, to break down its components and assemble them in a different way.
Ask Searching Questions:
Creativity requires an inquisitive mind. Unless you ask lots of "Why?" and "What If"? questions, you won't generate creative insights. "To avoid this most common of creative errors, be sure to peek under all carpets, including your own. Don't take anything for granted. Especially success. Try looking at the world through more inquisitive eyes; try getting ideas in motion; try asking the all-important: "Why?" See what happens!"
My view about innovation and creation:
One thing that I have learnt throught my first month at JIBS is that, "You need to be an entrepreneur habitualy" You should look at every aspect of your daily life and try to manage and at the same time innovate in your daily routine. You should make this your habit so that you specialize in your approach to see things differently.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
