HOW recently published a feature article, Rewarding Creatives, which looked at the various methods employed by owners of creative firms to motivate their staffs. It was interesting to see in its selection of examples just how many of the rewards not only did not have anything to do with money or object gifts but that actually had very little to do with the job at all. In fact, the rewards cited tended to be time off to rest, play, read, visit inspiring places like museums, or put some thought to that screenplay in the desk drawer or the painting in the back studio. It's the paradox of office life: that a breadth of outside interests as well as "breathing time" within or between work projects can, in motivated creative talent [PDF] at least, actually improve performance and enthusiasm rather than distract from it.
(via Cup of Java)