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What do you value? – Message from Finland

Nordic studies 2nd day was held with guest Saana ja Olli and Viivi Laine. Saana san & Olli san are designers and a couple. Viivi san is an interior architect and designer. The theme of this session was TAUKO, that is one of the Finnish words, meaning “break”. They told about what do they find value in their life and work. I consider these are simple and natural, however these must be sources of happiness. I would like to think how they connect creativity.

What elements are needed to cultivate sustainability and creativity?

Saana ja Olli produce their own 100% hemp textile collection manufactured transparently and locally in Finland (JFDA website, 2018). They live in Turku which is the port city in the southwest of Finland. They renovated their home which was established as a school 100 years ago. They feel importance on food and penetrate vegan. On the weekend they help their grandfather’s farm and get their firewood or meditate in nature. They are designing together and make products using natural and recycled materials. Their trusted friend takes pictures and they use SNS to publicize economically and efficiently. I gathered some pieces what they find value in their life and work (Fig 1). I am especially inspired these three elements. They are learning by doing, for example when they renovated their house or started a business. They have a spirit help each other with their family and friends. They considered all these values are interconnected. Overall, I believe their way of living gives us a hint to be sustainable both in life and work.

Fig 1. What do you value? – Some pieces of Saana ja Olli

What things/experiences in daily life are useful for creativity?

Viivi Laine are living in Helsinki, Finland. Her approach is holistic in which architecture, interior and furniture come together. She strives for simple, functional and ecological solution. Modern heritage describes her work best (JFDA website, 2018). She worked at big architectural firm and engaged in the big projects. As the client’s work style has changed, her project designed the office where employees are free to change space. I considered this was one of the power of design influenced the work style. Now she is a freelance interior architect and designer. She works with two architectural firms and performs high quality work. I feel she has huge responsibility to effect and enlighten people putting her philosophy practice. Interestingly, on the vacation she enjoys hunting with her dog. Her way of spending vacation taught me that it was important to have an original place to return wild. Fig 2 shows some of pieces what she is inspired and finds value.


Fig 2. What do you value? – Some pieces of Viivi san

I recognized that their stories commonly mentioned these following things.

  • They thank to nature and food.
  • They have a place to return themselves.
  • They merge modern and tradition or update modernly.
  • They have philosophy in themselves and their products.
  • They notice the truly valuable ways and pursue them.
  • They don’t force themselves.

After this session, I cleaned up my home because it is thankful space for my family. Can I feel any timeless spirit or traditional culture in my daily life? Do I have any original places that I can find myself? Am I living in a hurry? I would like to interact these precious ideas into my life and work. I believe some seeds which I plant produce creativity.

Photography: invisible-hand

References

  • JFDA. (2018). Saana ja Olli. Japan Finland Design Association. Retrieved from https://www.japanfinland.com/kipp-harbor-times/
  • JFDA. (2018). Viivi Laine. Japan Finland Design Association. Retrieved from https://www.japanfinland.com/vanguard-bureaucratic-suspense/

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Where does the creativity come from?

I am studying Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) at Freedom University. I joined the first session on Wednesday and I learned about the outline of creativity and three viewpoints to know Nordic countries. A lecturer Yuriko Shibayama and a curator Kensuke Iwai instructed to our twenty attendees. This time, I would like to write about the Global Creativity Index 2015 which is one of the impressive theme in the session that the lecturer introduced.

The Global Creativity Index, or GCI
GCI is a broad-based measure for advanced economic growth and sustainable prosperity based on economic development – talent, technology, and tolerance (Florida, Mellander, & King, 2015). Regarding the overall ranking, Australia takes the number one ranking, United States is second, New Zealand is third, Canada fourth and five Nordic counties rank all by 11th. However, Japan is 24th. It seems technology is high but talent and tolerance are challenging.


Fig 1. Top 25 Countries on the Global Creativity Index

Global Creative Class
The creative class includes workers in science and technology and engineering; arts, culture, entertainment, and the media; business and management; and education, healthcare, and law (Florida, Mellander, & King, 2015). Luxembourg has the largest share of the creative class (54%), Bermuda is second (48%), Singapore third (47%). Nordic countries are also ranked high, but Japan is 64th (19%). I think there is a possibility to boost up economic production and wage in Japanese creative class and to interact between Japanese creative classes.


Fig 2. The global creative class map

Creativity, Competitiveness and Prosperity
Global creativity, as measured by the GCI, is closely connected to the economic development, competitiveness, and prosperity of nations (Florida, Mellander, & King, 2015). The scatter graph (Fig 3) shows how individual nations lineup in terms of the connection between the GCI and GDP per capita.


Fig 3. The GCI and economic output

Fig 4 shows the relationship between the GCI and economic competitiveness. The measure of competitiveness is based on the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index. The line slopes steeply upward showing the close connection between the two. In the upper right hand corner of the graph, we find Singapore, the United States, Canada, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, and Australia.


Fig 4. The GCI and global competitiveness

Entrepreneurship is a key factor in competitiveness. The measure of entrepreneurship is based on the Global Entrepreneurship Index.


Fig 5. The GCI and global entrepreneurship

Japan has high GDP per capita and competitiveness, however its relationship with GCI tends to somewhat weak and entrepreneurship also tends to be inferior compared with the upper right hand corner countries, like United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. Along with economic growth, I would like to think about how to make my daily life more creative.

References

  • Florida, R., Mellander, C., & King, K. (2015). The Global Creativity Index 2015. Retrieved from http://martinprosperity.org/content/the-global-creativity-index-2015/
  • Florida, R., Mellander, C., & King, K. (2015). The Global Creativity Index 2015. p14, p25-27, p58-60. Retrieved from http://martinprosperity.org/media/Global-Creativity-Index-2015.pdf
  • Shibayama, Y. (2018). Creative City Nordic Studies at Freedom University. https://freedom-univ.com/lecture/nordic.html/

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Laissez-Faire or abdication?

Laissez-Faire leaders have a policy of non-interference and let the group run itself. Leaders empower others by creating a sense of ownership in the task (Dwyer, 2012). However there are lots of situations that the leader keeping neglect while the trouble is born and the trust relationship among the group collapses. Leaders said that it was easy to control but I selected the laissez-Faire leadership style and I trusted the members’ responsibility. I point out it is not real laissez-Fair leadership style and there are some issues that individual problem, communication problem and the problem that Laissez-Faire leadership style is incompatible with the group.

The individual problem is the leader mistaken the leadership and abdicate without empowering. An effective laissez-fair leader may coordinates and supports their activities. The members are expected to make decisions, while the leader coordinates and supports their activities (Dwyer, 2012). As a result, members are more involved and engaged. They are able to see the reasons for what happens at work and the way in which things happen. In contrast, ineffective laissez-fair leaders abdicate of responsibility on the part of the leader; leaders withdraw from followers and offer little guidance or support (Hackman & Johnson, 2009). As a result, the group suffers from productivity, cohesiveness, and satisfaction.

Communication between the leader and members in a laissez-faire group is sometimes unclear and limited. A more positive form of the laissez-faire leadership communication style affords followers a high degree of autonomy and self-rule while, at the same time, offering guidance and support when asked (Hackman & Johnson, 2009). Members are required to actively see the reasons and the way, at the same time, they actively seek advice from leaders when necessary. Leaders support for their self-management.

Laissez-faire leadership style can be effective when it represents guided freedom or when group members have high knowledge, motivation, and experience. However, it is not ideal in situations where group members lack the knowledge, motivation or experience they need to complete tasks and make decisions (Verywell.com Home Page, 2017). If the group members feel the leader abdicates his/her role, laissez-fair leadership style does not suit the situation. Lewin, Lippit, and White (1939) studied the impact of authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-fair leadership communication styles on group outcomes. Each of these styles of communication has unique features that affect how leaders interact with members. The authoritarian leader maintains strict control over members by directly regulating policy, procedures, and behaviour. Democratic leaders engage in supportive communication that facilitates interaction between leaders and members. Leaders should deliberately and creatively use a range of leadership style to suit the particular situation.

Whether the leader chooses any leadership style, leader should not neglect when members seek advice or support. Laissez-fair leadership style is attractive at the point of group’s self-management. Empowerment is the key factor in the way of group works. The five keys to empowerment are sharing information, creating autonomy, allowing team members to become more self-directed, ensuring teams have explicit objectives, and identifying and communicating the team’s accountabilities (Dwyer, 2012). Mintzberg (1999) presents the view that ‘Quiet managers don’t empower their people – “Empowerment” is taken for granted’. They trust members to take responsibility for ensuring serious changes take hold.

Mintzberg identifies the ‘quiet words’ of managing as:

  • ‘Inspiring’, by creating the conditions that foster openness and release energy
  • ‘caring’, by not slicing away problems, by preventing and fixing problems, and by knowing how and when to intervene
  • ‘Infusing’, by changing things slowly, steadily and profoundly, rather than thrusting change upon followers dramatically and in superficial episodes
  • ‘initiating’, by finding out what is going on in the organization, and connecting with those at the base and all levels, rather than parachuting directions down from the top levels.

Empowering groups strengthens the cohesiveness and respect each other. When group members are struggling, leaders should not ignore but grant and empower secretly so that the team can self-manage. Laissez-fair leadership can be utilized by empowerment and revitalized communication.

References

Dwyer, J. 2012. Communication for business and the profession: Strategies and Skills, 5th edition. Australia: Pearson. p220.

Hackman, M.Z & Johnson, C. E. 2009. Leadership (5th ed). USA: Waveland Press, Inc. p42.

Lewin, K., Lippitt, R., & White, R.K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behaviour in experimentally created “social climates.” Journal of Social Psychology, 10, 271-299.

Mintzberg, H. 1999. “Managing quietly”, Leader to Leader. Vol. 12, Spring, pp.224-30.

Verywell home page Retrieved 23 Sep, from https://www.verywell.com/what-is-laissez-faire-leadership-2795316

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Paperless offices

My boss said our company promotes paperless offices and removes needless cabinets as a New Year’s resolution. He also said there are another two aims behind promoting these plans.
First, he hopes change the way employees works “work style reforms”. Careful considering and ingenious attempt must bring the better way.
Secondly, he pointed out these plans improves the personnel system.
 – cross over the branch
 – take a comprehensive  and panoramic view
 – secure talented new recruits as Japan faces the reduction of working-age population
These are definitely innovative and transformational approach however achieve or not depends on our willingness.