Here's my business idea towards an IT corporate in India which would have an USP for itself.
-A corporate thats actually an institution that integrates into its culture- the fine arts from India.
-Laid out on a nature-filled campus, virtually every other known art form in India must be taught and practised here.
-Talented artists from across the country are contractors/employees who belong to a support function just like HR/finance/admin.
-The regular software employees get to learn arts of their choice. They are recruited after an aptitude test for art as well.
-Both employees and artists stay on campus and function in a gurukul-like system.
-The best of facilities in terms of food, infrastructure, accomodation with family etc. must also be available to all.
-This would also give a great fillip to many greatly talented but underpaid artists all over India.
Firstly, why this idea only for IT?
-Because thats where you have knowledge workers, and you need to keep the brains well oiled to be creative and innovative. Art can greatly propel lateral thinking.
-Stress levels in this industry are high and the quality of life is fairly low, which can also be addressed through art for relaxation and an enriched quality of life.
-Being part of an exclusive institution like this could also arrest attrition and the proposal made attractive even with less pay. Most techies prefer a campus like lifestyle and value belonging to a reputed institution.
Sasken would have been one company who might have readily embraced some such idea. But unfortunately I think the timing of this idea may be wrong, as we are now a growing company having its own drivers.
Further thoughts...(after discussions with Chippu 'n' Dippie, 12-Nov)
-How could both art and business combine into a single company vision? (Remember theory of constraints, there is only one goal and the rest are constraints :-( ) So how would one guarantee that neither art or business gives way to the other at some point of time.
-Why restrict such an idea to a single company, why not expand the idea to an industry wide thing that many companies can benefit from?
-Art is only one aspect of life. Companies like google provide a multidimensional approach to work-life balance. Doesn't that have a greater USP?
-How many people would really be interested this? What if I'm a brilliant programmer and poor at aptitude for art? Can I get employed here?
-What kind of an existing organisation can morph into this? Perhaps not a startup as it requires huge investment and no assurance of returns, perhaps not a Microsoft as they already have their USP.
-Why would art necessarily contribute to better business results?
Any further thoughts to strengthen this idea are welcome.
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5 comments:
I used to think often about mixing business and art. Reading “The age of turbulence” by Alan Greenspan recently alerted me to a key difference between the two.
The two greek philosophers, Parmenides and Heraclitus had differing world views. Parmenides felt that the key point to the world was permanence. That there were universal truths. On the other hand, Heraclitus felt that the world was ever changing, that new replaces the old.
The key to business is “Creative Destruction”, new and better ideas, replace old ideas. But the key to art is permanence. It is one of the reasons why we still appreciate Renaissance art, but have forgotten the Medicis who have helped fund them. Parmenides rules art, and Heraclitus business.
Trying to create something which can synthesize these different world views is very difficult and very creative. Good luck.
Great thought. The question is how many IT employees will buy this idea. I doubt whether it will still solve problems like attrition. If you are an art loving person, no matter where you are and what your work schedule is - you will be in search of entertainment through art forms.
Keep posting more such thoughts. It is very interesting.
If companies can have gyms and pool rooms for people to unwind, why not painting classes and dance classes? Its a good idea..
but it being one of the primary goals of the organization along with the business objective? that's where i think it would not work...even the google kind of culture will work with an organization like google only..will it work in TCS where a bulk of the work is mundane and repetitive and creativity is not the primary concern..efficiency is..
but its a good idea for companies to look at...they can have dance sessions, music sessions..so people who are interested can go and unwind there..just like an employee who goes to the company gym and unwind.. but making it the primary aim of the concern is not workable in all companies..
maybe a company which is aimed at creating innovative products alone can look at that option.
Hi Ramya,
Just happened to see your blog and this article seems interesting.
I dont know if you gave any thought of what the company you describe 'produces'.
The unfortunate fact is that most of the 'consumers' of products/services dont care much if the object was made out of employees sitting in a gym or in a cubicle.
Employees in the hypothetical system you describe may well have a better frame of mind which in turns delivers the incremental higher value (compared to ones that were produced by employees in some competitor without being in the proposed system) that compensates the investment into arts.
You are a true Keralite!. Your views are very close to the value system in Kerala. It has relevance surely. Beyond a point, it will have drawbacks, like the status of the economic development in Kerala.
This is the concept of "GURUKUL SYSTEM" of Learning and working. Hope you remember this and implement when you join in Corporates. We will invite as a Guest speaker in our organisations, to impart some gyan to employees.
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