Getting Unstuck: A Guide to Discovering Your Next Career Path by Timothy Butler

Author:Timothy Butler [Butler, Timothy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Published: 2010-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

The Artist:

An Interest in Creative Production

People with high scores in this function often see themselves, and are usually seen by others, as “creatives.” (The Creative Production core function is often correlated to the Influence Through Language and Ideas function, but the two are distinct: While the Creative Production function underlies creative pursuits in general, the Influence Through Language and Ideas function represents the creative use of language to influence and persuade.)

The Creative Production core function represents “blank-page” creativity. If we have a high score on this dimension, we love the “dreaming up” work projects. We are not afraid of ambiguity or the lack of models from which to work. The challenge of “nothing being there yet” is the point. We see an unmet need and ask, “What product or service would address this problem? Is there a business opportunity here?” Or, when someone shows us an idea, we imagine the most effective way it could be packaged. Outside of work, we find fulfillment in the arts, creative projects at home, travel, and taking new classes. Our friends probably see us as prone to a certain restlessness; we want to be involved in something “new” whenever possible. Activities or lifestyles that are routine will be difficult; we will seek ways to break out of “steady states.” Our friends might call on us to consult on an interior decorating project or to help plan the itinerary of a special vacation.

In the business realm, this core function is tapped through creative activities such as writing a new business plan, new product design, the development of marketing concepts, the development of advertising ideas, the generation of new business ideas, the development of innovative approaches to business service delivery, event planning, entrepreneurship, corporate training and organizational development, marketing, marketing management, and public relations. It also includes working in the fine and applied arts: imagining a fashionable line of clothing, conceiving a movie, or designing a medical testing device.

It is not uncommon for people with this core interest to be ambivalent about entering the field of business per se. In counseling interviews, many business professionals who have a high need for creativity talk about having considered careers in journalism, creative writing, art, fashion, or architecture. Some have wanted to be inventors or entrepreneurs. During school they often have difficulty deciding on internships and focusing on post-graduation employment. These people are not inherently indecisive, but they are wary of being trapped in routine.

An added challenge is that work opportunities allowing for expression of the Artist core function can be ephemeral. Launching a new project may be creative but can become routine over time. Thus, the job that was a good match becomes less and less satisfying. (My experience suggests that Artists change jobs more frequently than average during the course of their careers. Their search for creative opportunity pushes them on. Those of us who thrive on such creative challenge need to realize that this employment pattern may be a consequence of our innate interest structure, and not necessarily a problem with perseverance.

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