Archive for August 24th, 2014

Few things in life resonate so powerfully.

My curiosity started out from the luminous talent I observed on the Korean tv drama “Boys Over Flowers” – not just acting, but also other remarkable talents, skills and traits that I could see – it drew my attention to actress Ku Hye-sun (구혜선) whereupon I learned of her record of creative skills and accomplishments. From this, I also am sensing her high emotional intelligence that has led to her continuing leadership experience and growth (e.g., sign language, music and art abilities). What setting and circumstance gives rise to such a meaningful personal philosophy and mindset? Most relevant to YCISL, she appears to be a person who is highly attuned to the “Your Personal Story” concept which serves as an exceptional example for our students.

The following is the information I found on the web that to me demonstrates her youthful growth-driven and intrinsically-motivated mindset.

1. Quoted from the Wikipedia entry for Ku Hye-sun (August 24, 2014):

“What is most important is to become the winner at the end/ultimately/finally. Right now is not the time to feel accomplished for what project is doing well or making that as a life’s goal. To me, what is more important is what kind of person I will live as and remembered. In my 20’s, a big hit came my way through BOF. But, I cannot be just stuck there. I felt that I need to mold/make myself even better and live my life even better. That is my life’s goal.”

She truly embraces the idea that success is a continuous journey (credit to Richard St. John for this idea). Her growth mindset is particularly clear and impressive. And she masterfully does it through intrinsic motivation.

2. Quoted from an article titled “More Than Just a Pretty Face” written by Claire Lee on WSJ.com (http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2012/12/28/more-than-just-a-pretty-face/) based on an interview with Ku Hye-sun:

“I’m obsessed with documenting my ideas—all of my ideas. Whenever I get ideas for my art works, I either have to write them down or draw something right away. When I think of random melodies, I have to write a score on the spot. Otherwise I’d soon forget, and that’s the last thing that I want.”

“Everything that I do aside from acting and directing—painting, composing, singing and writing—is in fact what I’ve been doing all my life, ever since I was a kid. I started painting lessons when I was 6. Throughout my childhood I thought I’d become an artist one day. When I was in high school, I’d send scores of my own music to entertainment agencies in the hopes of becoming a singer. I had about 100 songs written when I turned 20. One of the reasons why I enjoy filmmaking is because I get to incorporate all of these things, music, art and writing, into one piece of work.”

She is a skilled practitioner in creativity and reflection, and her advantage is that she started from young and has managed uncertainty very well.

3. I listened to some of her musical composition from her Sketchbook “Breath” release – particularly the instrumental piano piece “The Sound of Rain at Night” which to me is an interesting aural parallel to the (visual) photo essay activity that we do in YCISL workshops. [I have also now listened to her “Happy” song many times too]. The focus that comes with her emotional artistry is remarkable. She shows mastery at the integration level of the YCISL leadership stage model.

To date, this is the first person I have found to embody the personal strengths discussed in YCISL. I hope to find more instances of people so exemplary in the YCISL ideals, especially those who possess youthful optimism like Ku Hye-sun. Having references such as this will be very beneficial to our young students.

4. [Added October 16, 2014] More of Ku Hye-sun’s positive and growth mindset is evident in an interview for Woman Chosun (original Korean source: http://woman.chosun.com/magazine/viewArticle.do?atCode=1650; English translation available at http://loveghs.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/interview-woman-chosun-interview-with-ku-hye-sun/). Several of her thoughts stand out:

“I don’t think I get special inspiration. I just get it through my daily life.” Ideas come to us often times when we’re not focused on a particular problem and are more involved in routine activities. I get ideas when driving on the freeway. From this, we understand that inspiration is accessible by all.

“But, since I was able to tell my story, I felt I should take some losses.” Being able to share your personal story is an opportunity and victory in itself. Whether the storytelling influences the person hearing the story is not the only measure of success.

“But, for me, just the fact that something that I made came out to the world feels successful.” Simply going through the creativity and innovation process can yield the intrinsic motivation to continue. Valuable lessons in leadership can be added to the personal story.

“I am just going on my own path.” One’s personal story is like walking a path. There may be company along parts of the way while some parts might be travelled alone. What is observed or experienced is deeply personal, and a mindset that accepts that yields the positivity and growth one needs to feel intrinsically motivated.

“I give myself chances and I forgive myself.” Make the choices with confidence and feel that you are your own best leader understanding that mistakes can happen along the way.

From the above (translated) quotes, it is clear that she is intrinsically motivated to develop her personal story. What a remarkable role model for youth.

Opinions about anything (people, places and products in the broadest sense) are formed quickly and the most influence on that opinion occurs on the order of seconds to minutes. It’s part of our rapid filtering process because there are so many things being sensed. And that initial opinion (bias) can never be completely erased. One of the things that goes on during product development is OOBE (out-of-box experience) design which is intended to craft the customer/user experience from the initial contact with the product until it is in basic operation mode. Apple is the best known in OOBE design especially from package opening to activation. Perhaps one of the most famous OOBE features is in the original Macintosh computer with its power-on sound. It gently provided the user assurance that the system was receiving power (the unplugged cable was a huge technical support issue back then) and that the user-friendly experience was about to begin (too bad for the Sad Macs). I learned about and worked on OOBE for a little while at Handspring. Before that, I had to be familiar with BOMs and the marketing requirements that went along with it. A Product Marketing Manager with an MBA qualification was the OOBE Lead but really it required a scientific approach to determine and achieve optimum OOBE. Careful research is required. We were focused on both external and internal factors but usually ended up being most selective with just a top few factors of what we thought would be the most influential. Funny story: I remember when a sticker would get attached to the product when a serious OOBE flaw was discovered after production. OOBE is more so important in product innovation because users will generally be having a first-time experience with the truly innovative feature and OOBE frustration could quickly become negative opinion. So in YCISL, where we take a guerrilla approach to innovation, OOBE design is a skill that should be coached to youth in order to optimize the minimum cost-maximum impact as well as competitive advantage. And since YCISL is a small group, we may be able to collectively analyze OOBE and practice it as a skill relevant to creativity, innovation and leadership. Even moreover, it would seem that excellent OOBE design could change the perception of sustainability as sacrificial as opposed to sensible organic growth.

Basic Introduction to OOBE (practice for YCISL activity mentors):
1. Choose a product.
2. Simulate user experience, taking photos at every step.
3. Evaluate each step with respect to visual, tactile and interaction experience. Also evaluate waste impression.

Outline of OOBE Evaluation Activity for YCISL:
1. Choose a product. Product should include packaging and collateral as well as the product itself.
2. Simulate user experience for 5 to 15 minutes (longer may be needed for multi-step set-up).
3. Evaluate visual, tactile and interaction experience and impressions of all materials. Were any sustainability features part of the OOBE experience?
4. Rate the overall OOBE experience including non-critical materials.
5. Repeat with a competing product. Compare.

Outline of OOBE Design Activity for YCISL:
1. Choose a product. Remove packaging and collateral, keeping only the main product and any required accessories.
2. Examine the product’s form and function.
3. Design packaging and collateral for the product. Add a sustainability highlight to the OOBE, if possible.
4. Evaluate the features of the OOBE design.
5. Have someone else evaluate and provide feedback on your OOBE design.