Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories: Creativity Unlimited (Creativity Unleashed)

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Creativity Unlimited: Creativity Unleashed

In some of our management case studies authored by us, we have reported some specific instances of significant benefits the participants of our training programs and mentoring sessions derived from what we shared with them in these sessions.

If you feel interested in them, we request you to refer the following links:

1. Management Anecdotes http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
2. Training Works http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/01/15/training-works/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/01/15/training-works/
3. Johari Window in Action http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/01/23/johari-window-in-action/ or http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/johari-window-in-action.html
4. Leadership Means Making Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/02/03/leadership-means-making-ordinary-people-do-extraordinary-things/ or http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/leadership-means-making-ordinary-people.html

This particular case study belongs to the similar genre.

You may recall a few things about the concept called “Johari Window” propounded by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham. My wife and I were explaining this very concept in a six days long executive development training program in one of the units of one huge conglomerate. We are management consultants of pretty decent repute and therefore, often called upon to conduct various training programs for the executives of a large number of corporations. That keeps us pretty busy.

So, in one of such sessions, my wife whose treatment of “Johari Window” is excellent, explained as to how a human mind is described in “Johari Window” as a window with four types of compartments. She mentioned that these compartments are termed as:

• Open self (or arena)
• Hidden self (or facade)
• Blind self (or blind spot)
• Dark self (or unknown)

While these four compartments of the mind present a very potent aspect of creativity of human mind which in a way is “unlimited”, the pity is that average human beings do not use even 2% to 3% of the capabilities of the mind. And it is true that either you use it or lose it. So, most of the people lose it. It is often quoted that creativity of seminal order gets unleashed from the human mind, at just about 15% to 16% usage of the human mind.

In order to increase the usage of human capabilities and creativity, we, in our training seminars, advise the participants to open up their hidden talents (those that are kept hidden in the hidden compartment of the mind and never used). We advise them to explore within themselves their hidden talents and scoop them out into the open compartment of the mind where they can then be used. This process is called “disclosure” of the hidden talents to the entire world.

We also advise them to constantly get the feedback of their talents and creativity from other people. Often times, the person himself may not be aware of many of his talents, in a way he is blind towards them. Many a time, these talents lying dormant in you are seen easily by the on-lookers. So, through a process of explicit and implicit “feedback” from others, you are likely to identify your talents towards which you were blind earlier. Now, having got them from the other persons, you can bring such talents in the open compartment of mind and start using them.

These explanations are quite revealing and create a positive stir and tension in the minds of the participants of our training seminars. They trigger their adrenaline flow and suddenly they feel motivated to embark on something that they never did before.

This is what exactly happened to Vishnu Jadhav who was sitting right in the front row in the seminar hall.

At the conclusion of the session, he met my wife and me privately and made an unusual request, “I am enlightened by what madam explained. As a result, I was introspecting myself throughout your lecture, particularly about my hidden talents. I think that I can become a very good artist. Like, I know how to sing, do a one act play, can be a good standing comedian. I think that given an opportunity, I can be a good entertainer. But till date, it has all been about only bath room singing. I never came out in the open to display these talents of mine. Madam mentioned that one should start using one’s talents soon after he realizes their existence within. And to start with, you advised that one should test these talents preferably in front of the known devils. Even if you make mistakes, the known audience will understand you better and good humouredly laugh it out. I, therefore, request you to give me about half an hour of your seminar time tomorrow morning. I wish to present a variety entertainment program tomorrow morning in this same conference room and experience for myself as to how it feels like coming out into the open.”

My wife and I looked at each other. It was quite an unusual request. We were retained by our client to run a training seminar and not organize an entertainment event. Initially we thought that it might not look professionally appropriate to allow Vishnu Jadhav to carry out this kind of entertainment program. Then both of us conferred with each other and came to the conclusion that if we denied this opportunity to Vishnu Jadhav, the spark that was created in him due to our coaching might die out. Why not take a bit of risk and allow Jadhav to present his entertainment program? We gave our positive nod to him. He was highly thankful to us.

We came to know later on that Jadhav took it very seriously as if it was a matter of life and death for him. He did rehearsals and even dress rehearsal throughout that night so as to present an impeccable entertainment program. And he did so. He gave a flaw less variety entertainment and kept the audience enthralled- to the extent that he got a standing ovation from the audience who spoke out saying that they never knew this hidden talent of Jadhav. They knew him as a diploma engineer of the organization and not an artist of such high caliber.

And that proved to be the starting point of the long journey Vishnu Jadhav embarked on as a first class entertainer. From time to time, he reports his progress to us by making it a point to meet us whenever we visit this client company. Also, we get the reports of his progress from other participants.

At this stage, he has organized his entertainment group on a professional footing. He advertises in the newspapers and gets invited to present his variety entertainment programs in different towns and cities. He and his group are becoming increasingly popular. He has started writing lyrics of his own songs. He has also become a news reader on one of the local television channels of the city where he lives. And he told us in his last meeting with us that he had many more things up his sleeves.

The stories being published on these pages here are available in the form of a book: eBook version titled "Funny (and Not So Funny Short Stories" from Nuubuu http://nbuu.co/1 and Printed book from Amazon.

For everything you wanted to know on building leadership and management, refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s website: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/


(Also, refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

For “out of box thinking” articles by Shyam Bhatawdekar, refer: (Out of Box Ideas) http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/

Read other blogs of Shyam Bhatawdekar at: (Home Page for Writings of Shyam Bhatawdekar) http://writings-of-shyam.blogspot.com/