Generators of Support

The Social Dimension

Using Willpower and Gaining Supportrepresented by the Triads in the Structural Hierarchy of Creativity in Work.

Prior to this point, not much has happened externally. You have released energies for your challenge (RsH-G1). And you have involved yourself mentally in ways that allow you to feel confident (RsH-G2) about the way forward. However, there has been no focus on the many activities that you must launch and sustain if your project is to succeed.

All creative activities are social. Progress normally depends on your willingness to do otherwise disliked tasks, and a readiness of others to assist in minor and major ways. As long as you proceed shrewdly, your enthusiasm-RG3 will encourage others to put in their time, ideas, resources or efforts for your project. To participate, they also need to feel enthusiastic, at least temporarily. Fortunately, genuine enthusiasm is infectious. There is a virtuous circle: their enthusiasm, even with limited involvement, feeds back to sustain yours.

There are 5 generators of support as shown in this Table.

Group Use of Enthusiasm Type of
Support
RG35 To Activate Transpersonal
RG34 To Appreciate Interpersonal
RG33 To Share Intrapersonal
RG32 To Interest Contributory
RG31 To Engage Functional

More details of focusing enthusiasm emerge from the internal structure of each Triad. Support needs to be provided as follows:

g3 Top internal Level Handle yourself and others shrewdly: i.e. your enthusiasm must focus to suit your effort & the situation.
g2 Middle internal Level Handle yourself and others sensibly: i.e. your enthusiasm must be intelligible and reasonable.
g1 Lowest internal Level Handle yourself and others meaningfully i.e. your enthusiasm must have relevance and significance.

Depending on the challenge and the moment, the focus for enthusiasm may be on yourself or on someone else. Certainly, at different times, you need to activateyourself, appreciateyourself, share your experiences with yourself, interestyourself and engageyourself.

The Five Generators

Activation: RG35

You must activate yourself and become energized with an intense desire to proceed in whatever manner is possible. Your own visible enthusiasm-based activation carries weight. Others will be able to experience it directly via a spontaneous identification with you. If you can also activate others in relation to your project, which is never easy, you can build a network who will endorse what you are doing, and back you in public.

Shows of enthusiasm may be suppressed in business circles, either as part of maintaining a rational orientation, or establishing a stronger negotiating position.

To activate: you must meaningfully explain the project (RL5:g1), sensibly identify core ideals or goals (RL6:g2) and be willing (RL7:g3) shrewdly to do some things and avoid others.

ClosedSee the Picture & More

Appreciation: RG34

From time to time, you have to appreciate yourself. It is essential to recognize an achievement, even a small one, as this supports your continuing efforts. If you can appreciate others, even someone only peripherally involved, then you enable reciprocal recognition that boosts self-esteem further. In a group, enthusiastic appreciation maintains morale and fosters mutual encouragement and assistance. A powerful clique may then gather around your project.

Imagining that you are self-sufficient and multi-talented will lead you to neglect others and suffer accordingly.

To appreciate: you must meaningfully experience the importance of a specific person (RL4:g1), affirm this to that personin a sensible way (RL5:g2), and shrewdly select values and goals (RL6:g3). This person must be yourself, and it can and should be others too.

ClosedSee the Picture & More

Sharing: RG33

Re-playing in your head the highlights of your day or week, whether a triumph or a defeat, is a way to balance yourself and re-charge your enthusiasm. You will find yourself encouraged and energized by imagining various future scenarios. If you can also share your highlights with others in a genuine way, they are likely to offer back thoughts that feed your creativity. Productive friendships can develop around sharing.

Leaving others out in the cold by retiring behind a wall of invulnerability cuts you off from both practical input and the emotional nourishment that friends provide.

To share: you must reflect on meaningful targeted change (RL3:g1), be sensiblein the experiences you activate (RL4:g2), and be shrewd in the way you communicate intensely (RL5:g1).

ClosedSee the Picture & More

Interest: RG32

You must find your challenge interesting or enthusiasm is impossible. Usually interest is natural because the challenge emerges from previous experiences and current ambitions. If you lose interest in your own challenge, then it is dead—or soon will be.

If you can interest others in your project by arousing their curiosity about aspects of the creative effort, then you may get them contributing as well. Ideally, you both discover that your own pre-existing interests and ambitions mesh with the other's. Over time, you can use interest to build a circle of affiliates and associates who will provide valuable information, suggestions and contacts.

Others usually want to see practical results before giving attention. So you may have to work at the challenge for a long time before others show any interest.

To interest: you must meaningfullyfocus inquiry (RL2:g1) into what moves and motivates; sensiblytarget changes (RL3:g2) that are relevant; and shrewdlyintensify inner experiences (RL4:g3) in regard to specific interests.

ClosedSee the Picture & More

Engagement: RG31

Your engagement with practicalities of the project should be enthusiastic, even if they are mundane or routine. The most tangible and practical form of support from others occurs when they carry responsibility and perform a function within your project. Inducing such engagement may or may not involve payment.

Although a team of competent people sharing goals and aspirations is a powerful force, you must recognize that the transcendental creative input, if not absent, is then partly out of your hands.

To engage: you must meaningfullytake action (RL1:g1), sensiblyfocus inquiry (RL2:g2) on what needs to be done and on what can be done by yourself or another and shrewdlytarget changes in accord with the situation (RL3:g3).

ClosedSee the Picture & More

ClosedShrewd?  What if you are just a Supporter?

You will be a happy supporter (participator, funder, contributor &c.) of a creative project if, and only if, the enthusiast you are facing is handling you shrewdly. There is no trickery here. You want to be handled shrewdly because you must be looking to participate, or fund, or contribute, or work on a suitable project or no-one would approach you at all. If you are approached, you want it to make sense in your own terms. It won't unless the other person is shrewd enough.


Next

However much enthusiasm you generate, and however much support you gain, your challenging project needs more. It needs your full personal commitment: even more so if others have become involved. They expect great things of you—and that raises the question of whether you really have what it takes.

Originally posted: 31-Jan-2012; Last updated: 10-Jul-2013.