If we just want something, and it is hard to have it, at the first obstacle, we prefer to have something else we will never achieve anything in life. We have to want something a lot and work hard to have it. The determination is a great weapon. It takes courage, to try again and again, no matter how many times. When we have a goal on the horizon, it starts seeming that the more we walked towards it, the more it stayed on the horizon and did not get closer. It will always be like that. We get closer and have a better and clearer vision, but we never reach the goal. It is the determination to get close that enables us to unleash the full potential within us.
Personally, I find that by being determined, I learn more so from life than when I am idly sitting filled with doubt, fear, and hesitation. For someone, to unleash their creative confidence fully, they must first learn the proper methods of determination, discipline, and patience. Authors David & Tom Kelley mention that “passion demands effort.” (p.158) These methods eventually lead the person to acquire a creative mindset – enabling them to gain an understanding of the three factors for remarkable innovation in any respective field, which are feasibility, desirability, and viability. As soon as that mindset is acquired, which I refer to as the state of being passionate about life, innovation starts coming naturally.
The development of successful communication between people, who have to cooperate and create a mutual project, is not an easy task. It may happen that one group of people has a divergent type of thinking, and another group supports convergent thinking. It means that the students, who cannot imagine their lives without an order and the power of facts that have to be brought to create a solution, have to understand how they have to work with the students, who likes to elaborate the ideas in the most creative way.
Despite being different and having various attitudes to the completion of the same projects, people have to find out the balance to stay passionate about their lives. There are three main factors that have to be considered. Feasibility is the required combination of technical factors that create a basis for a new successful project. Viability is the element that consists of a number of business factors that help to comprehend how it is necessary to start working on a project. Desirability is one of the main factors because it touches upon all human factors and needs that may affect the project. As soon as people realize the worth of these factors, they can benefit from the fact that some of them think convergently, and some of them think divergently.
However, there are also the situations when people do not care about what they have to learn and miss many issues that may define the quality of the work that has to be done. Besides, there is a threat that personal uncertainty and doubts may influence people’s self-worth. According to Tom Kelley and David Kelley (2013), human self-worth may not be on the line when people “are far more willing to be courageous and risk sharing… raw talents and gifts” (p. 57).
It means that people start taking doubtful steps and make poorly weighted decisions. They become passionate about becoming better than they are at the moment. Unfortunately, such intentions can be reflected on other people, who are in the same group. The group has to deal with unreasonable self-promotion of people, who are not confident in what they are doing and cannot compare what they have to and can do in a team project.
There are many ways of how it is possible to change such situations and offer the adjustments that can influence the quality of the work. For example, people may develop the ability to ask questions. Still, questions may be of different types and posed by people, who speak English as a secondary language or are native speakers. Many things depend on how clear all tasks and missions in the project are. It is not enough to create a question and ask it.
It is more important to be sure that the question contains all-important issues for considerations, and the answer that can be offered will be clear and comprehensible. As soon as people start working together, they can hardly understand what level of education and readiness to the project other members possess. Some people may not read the book required. Some people may not understand all words in the task. And some people may know too much information. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that there is a stable flow of information. Such practices as thinking aloud or asking “why” questions can be offered to a team.
In addition, it is possible to pay more attention to a “do something” mindset practice. If people are self-confident and believe that they can do something better than other people, they are eager to take the actions without proper planning or forecasting to make a positive difference. In fact, I believe that people should not stay passive observers of what is happening around. They have to try something new or offer their ideas and share their visions. The life is short indeed, and if people spend it observing instead of doing something, they may be deprived of all those happy moments and personal satisfaction.
Kelley and Kelley (2013) teach to make use of creative confidence and live in the active voice that can be used to destroy doubts and eliminate concerns. In the team project, students have to be determined by the standards of their institutions, the requirements given by tutors and supervisors, and the expectations cherished by other team members. There are many restrictions that promote the determination of moving forwards. Still, it may happen that the determination in academic projects is the requirement that helps and guide students. With time, students learn how to overcome the restrictions, use their creativity as a chance to be recognized and respected, and rely on passion as an effort that has to be made.
Kelly and Kelly (2013) underline that “passion demand effort” (p. 158). It means that it does not matter if the thoughts made are right or wrong. It is necessary to pay more attention to personal needs and demands. It is normal to stay passionate with all activities chosen. The example of Erik Moga, a well-known design researcher, proves that even if some attempts can be crushed, they still may be a good lesson for other people.
Some people are afraid to suggest something because they are afraid to make mistakes. Still, if they do nothing, they may regret about their inabilities to try. The main difference between what has been done and led to a mistake and what has not been done at all is the impression and regrets. In the first case, the regrets may end or can be replaced. In the second case, a person may never forget about the opportunities that have not been used and does not get rid of the feeling of incompleteness.
At the same time, it is also risky to take the steps that do not have a reason or a certain ground. Therefore, Kelley and Kelly (2013) offer to find out the sweet spot between human passion and actual possibilities. In the group project, it is necessary to keep trying and overcome the language and cultural barriers. In other words, it is better to spend some time and clarify all aspects of the work before making some decisions.
If some challenges or misunderstandings take place, it is not enough to neglect them. Though it is one of the easiest ways to continue working, still, some outcomes may stay and influence the further completion of the work. It is more effective to understand the roots of problems and search for a solution. Such search may be difficult, but the work in groups aims at dealing with different task together using a common potential. To succeed in a team project, it is enough to follow five simple roots.
First, the identification of each other’s strengths and weaknesses should be made to explain why some people need more attention and explanations. Second, the consideration of diversity is important because the abilities to combine different points of view may create the best solutions. Third, people should consider their personal experience to find out the thoughts that are more creative. Then, working relations should be developed between the members of a team. Finally, crafting and planning are the steps that cannot be ignored because they help to identify and understand the worth of four points mentioned before. Besides, it is never too late to add more fun to the work.
In general, the attention to all these concepts and suggestions help to improve the required design criteria and concept assessment. The evaluation of this material facilitates such activities as the definition of problems, the search for solutions, and the identification of each other’s role in the project. People’s tasks may vary considerably. One day, it is necessary to organize a project in a college. With time, the same people have to develop their graduation projects.
In several years, they face the necessity to create their first professional projects that can be paid. People cannot know for sure what kind of work they have to deal with in several days or even minutes. Still, if they learn the basis of group projects, realize how to find the balance between feasibility, viability, and desirability, and identify their strength and weakness in time, they can have all chances to succeed in their projects and help other team members to enjoy the work that has to be done.
Reference
Kelley, T. & Kelley, D. (2013). Creative confidence: Unleashing the creative potential within us all. New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group.