Re:Rules for Managing Creative People
by chrisbennet on Sunday April 07, 2013 @11:55AM
(#5507580)
This article was obviously not written by a creative person. I can't wait for their article on how to manage "nerds".
"Surround them by semi-boring people"
This might be true if your define "creative" as "primadonna who can't handle being challenged". I think there is a real synergistic effect when creative people collaborate.
"Pay them poorly."
Low pay will motivate them alright- to find another job.
I believe those studies found that if you started paying someone for something they were already doing for free (i.e. they didn't consider it work), you reduced their motivation. I don't think those studies can be construed to mean that paying someone below market will make them more motivated.
Re:Rules for Managing Creative People
by namank on Sunday April 07, 2013 @12:30PM
(#5507681)
This is how NOT to manage creative people.
The guys took characterizations of a creative person and applied the norms of traditional hierarchical management to them. It's like when you patch a bug..he patched everything about the creative person without actually looking at the big picture. I cannot believe this is on a normative source like HBR.
"Surround them by semi-boring people"
This might be true if your define "creative" as "primadonna who can't handle being challenged". I think there is a real synergistic effect when creative people collaborate.
"Pay them poorly."
Low pay will motivate them alright- to find another job.
I believe those studies found that if you started paying someone for something they were already doing for free (i.e. they didn't consider it work), you reduced their motivation. I don't think those studies can be construed to mean that paying someone below market will make them more motivated.
The guys took characterizations of a creative person and applied the norms of traditional hierarchical management to them. It's like when you patch a bug..he patched everything about the creative person without actually looking at the big picture. I cannot believe this is on a normative source like HBR.
I was with them until this. There's no reason to treat a valuable person as a throwaway, and poor pay does that.