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Business Innovation
12/07/2011
10/10/2011
Giving Thanks to the Original Innovators of The Americas
I am no fan of the Columbus Day holiday that is still unfortunately observed in the U.S. My hope is that in time this day will instead honor the 2.5 million Native Americans or American Indians who are all who remain in the U.S. of the 50-100 million inhabitants of the Americas who were here when the European invasion and genocide began.
And so today, on this Columbus Day, in recognition that he did not "discover" America, I choose to honor a some of the countless, little known innovations made by the wonderfully creative indigenous Americans that have ultimately benefitted the entire planet.
- Almanacs: Containing meteorological and astronomical information, these were invented by the Mayans around 3,500 years ago.
- Calendars: Developed throughout N. America, Mesoamerica, and S. America, used since 600 BCE. So precise that by the 5th century BCE they were only 19 minutes off!
- Chewing gum: Made from the spruce tree in New England. The Mayans were the first people to make it from latex gum.
- Long-fiber cotton: Its export helped to fuel much of the Industrial Revolution throughout the world.
- Embalming: Egyptians began their mummification around 2000 BCE, 3000 years after the Chinchoro of S. America began the practice.
- Foods, Glorious Foods!
Approximately 60% of the food upon which the world’s population depends was developed centuries ago by American Indian agrarians who domesticated crops including: six species of maize/corn (150 varieties), five major species of beans, hundreds of varieties of potatoes, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, a range of nuts, avocado, wild rice, and more.
Popular snack foods derived from American Indian agriculture include potato chips, french fries, and popcorn.
And where oh where would humanity be without chocolate (Mayan and Aztec) and
vanilla?!
- Gold plating - The Moche (Peru) dissolved gold using an Alum/Saltpetre/Salt mixture which was then deposited onto copper vessels.
- The Incan highway system with roads and bridges all up and down South America and foot messengers who would have put the Greek marathon runners to shame.
- Medicine: Aztecs far surpassed simply knowing which bark made good aspirin or could be used to for quinine to treat malaria, or which berries treated scurvy. Using their sophisticated obsidian knives, Azteks knew how to perform a variety of surgeries, from the mundane to brain surgery.
Anesthetics: American Indians used coca, peyote, datura and other plants for partial or total loss of sensation or consciousness during surgery, whereas non-Indian doctors didn’t have effective anesthetics until after the mid-19th century. Other medicines include Novacaine, syrup of ipecac, and astringents.
- Political theory: The Iroquois Confederacy of upstate New York represented a union of six tribes. Benjamin Franklin and other founding fathers borrowed heavily from the democratic Iroquois “federal system” of government when they planned the union that became the United States. The U.S. Constitution bears more resemblance
to the model of the League of the Iroquois than the Greek Senate or English House of Lords. The whole idea of abalance of powers, of electing representatives, of governing by consensus all came from the Indians who were generally ruled, not by a “Big Chief,” but rather by a council of elders.
- Rubber products: Rubber balls, rubber balloons: The Olmec (Mexico) produced rubber balls by mixing rubber tree sap and latex around 1700 BCE. Along with the Maya, they discovered the process of vulcanization in waterproofing such items as capes, shoes, bottles, tarpaulins, ponchos, and baskets.
- Sports: Field and ice hockey and lacrosse (Canadian First Nations). Basketball was played by the Olmec over 3,000 years ago following their invention of the rubber ball.
- Sciences: The science of ecology as well as the American Indian belief system teaches that all life is interrelated and interdependent. This relationship is expressed in American Indian oral traditions and conservation practices.
American Indian mathematic achievements include the development of highly accurate calendars and place value arithmetic. The Mayans of southern Mexico and Central America were the first people to use the concept of zero in mathematical calculations.
Also:
- Diapers, asphalt, megaphones, hair conditioner, hammocks, the spinning top, sunscreen, syringe needles, petroleum jelly, and freeze-drying foods such as meat jerky.
Much is owed the the indigenous peoples of the Americas. This includes acknowledgement for their creative and innovative genius. Speaking of which, I want to thank my friend, Northern Cheyenne artist Christopher Rowland for use of his wonderful paintings, titles listed in order, below. To see more of his work, go to http://www.facebook.com/media/set/set=a.56597471651.78999.570531651&type=3.
And for those who would like to support their legal and economic rights, the following organizations work diligently on their behalf, and need our support:
- Native American Rights Fund: http://www.narf.org
- National Congress of American Indians: http://www.ncai.org
- Native Web which lists multiple organizations: http://www.nativeweb.org/resources/organizations/human_rights_organizations/
And one organization that supports American Indian innovation initiatitives:
- The American Indian Institute for Innovation: http://www.theaiii.com/index.php?page=home
"Gifts" 70"x40" oil on canvas (1991).
"Little Man" 48"x36" oil on canvas (1997). Son of Scalp Cane, Northern Cheyenne.
"Blessings" 28"x22" oil on canvas (2005). Buffalo Calf Trail Woman, a warrior woman of the Northern Cheyenne.
10/05/2011
Steve Jobs: Thank you, Dreamer Extraordinaire
I am sad to have just learned of Steve Jobs' passing. The news arrived via a friend's email that I received on my wonderful MacBook.
To watch this tribute: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/10/jobs/
He was the epitome of one who ceaselessly asked, "What if?" and "Why not?" I find the quote of his below to be inspiring and moving.
At a 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, Jobs shared the philosophy that drove him.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life,” Jobs said. “Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
Sweet dreams, Steve. And thank you.
10/01/2011
Kowabunga! Moving Notice & Repost: Got Ideas? Collaborators & YOUR creative brilliance sought for Kowabunga!
Kowabunga! will be moving to a new blog hosting service very soon! If you are a subscriber or I have your email address, you will receive the new site address in the next few days. (Many subscribers were dropped by the current subscription service, so please write me at my email address below if you have been a subscriber or want to be one so you don't get left behind!)
In the meantime -- we're still looking for your ideas for blog posts and interactivity, so here is a repost on our contest, below. Win Langdon Morris' great new book, The Innovation Master Plan or your own special interview on Kowabunga!
Dear readers,
I hope that you have been gleaning some value and reading pleasure from this blog, as well as enjoying some of our fabulous photos! We're off to a good start exploring different facets of creative thinking and how to cultivate it in organizations, and I'm pleased to see that we have readers from around the world!
With your help, I’d like to "take it up a notch” soon and make Kowabunga! more a more interactive and creative forum. The timing of my invitation is appropriate, as my next post will be on collaboration!
You can either respond on the blog site comment section, or write me directly at adams at ridingthewave dot net.
- Please send me your ideas for posts, contests, interactivity, podcasts, interviews, videos… Whatever you can dream of…
- Let me know if you’d be interested in writing a guest post or collaborating with me on a post or related project.
Keep in mind that if you post your ideas in the comments section for everyone to see, those may inspire other people's ideas -- That's the beauty of brainstorming, or "what iffing."
PRIZES! In return for those who provide the most and best ideas*, I'm offering some added incentive:
- One winner will receive Langdon Morris' new book, hot off the press and signed by the author: The Innovation Master Plan. You'll be invited to share a review, if you like.
- Another grand prize: We'll create a post or fun podcast featuring YOU and your creative and innovative work and/or related topic of your choice.
I would like to think that we've only just begun with what Kowabunga! can become, and that your support and creativity may play a role!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Veronica Adams
Riding the Wave Training & Development
adams at ridingthewave dot net
* Disclaimer: The contest judges offer no objective criteria whatsoever for what will be deemed the "best" ideas. Just ones we think that we all might enjoy! ;-)
09/05/2011
Get Smart -- Like Einstein!
Dear Readers,
I promised that our next post was to be on ideas on how to foster the creative collaboration that is foundational to innovation in organizations. I also had some other posts lined up for some logical progression.
However, my time will be very limited for the next several weeks because a U.S. government training project for our returning military personnel is calling upon my creative skills. Imagine that! ;-) -- Did I mention that I design and deliver training programs?
In the meantime, I will share a couple of articles that I find of interest that tie directly into what we're exploring together in this forum, which, in simple mathematical formulation can be summarized as:
(Innate) Curiosity + (Innate) Creativity x Good Management (Respect + Freedom + Support) = GENIUS!
(Yes, I actually made that up on the spot, and math isn't even my strong suit. ;-) )
Look for themes below that tie back to previous posts. Again, it can all tie back to our earlier posts on the 2010 IBM CEO report on best practices for organizations that want to thrive and key points we reviewed from How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci:
- Einstein never squelched the innate curiosity that we all were born with. He just loved to learn and explore; that was his primary drive.
- He wasn't didn't grow up in a family who's main preoccupation in life was looking good and fitting in. Modus operandi such as that does not generally foster original thinking. Integrity does.
- He wasn't afraid to experiment and (gasp!) fail as a means of learning what didn't work, so he could ultimately uncover what did.
- He used "whole brain thinking" with the music; let his mind wander with daydreaming and unrelated things while his subconscious continued to problem solve; he was suspicious of the convergent "single answer" thinking encouraged in many of our schools and organizations; and, I like this one, he believed we could learn about the spiritual realities (or, for those who prefer, God) by paying attention to the world around us. -- A very worthwhile pursuit.
Namaste! EnJOY!
| How Einstein Got So Smart - 10 Learning Hacks |
|
How would you feel if many people thought you were the smartest person in history? How might your life be different if you actually were that intelligent? Although we often think of Albert Einstein as one of the smartest people ever, we don’t investigate what it was that made him so. People who speak highly of him often attribute his genius to some mysterious gift. They don’t believe his smarts came from a certain attitude about learning. I believe you can recreate some of his habits to get smarter and find more rewarding work. Einstein…the Failure?Before you get the list of Einstein’s learning habits, consider some interesting facts about his early life. These things set the stage for appreciating his educational philosophy a little more.
These things represent just a taste of the irony about his early life. Looking back – in light of his eventually recognized genius – these facts even seem humorous. 10 Things Einstein Did to Get So SmartFrom what I can find, no one has compiled details about how Einstein actually studied. I doubt that his true genius was even observable to the eye anyhow. The real accomplishments went on inside his mind. I suspect his brain looked no different than ours; and genetically, nothing seemed remarkable. So, to benefit from his example, we need to look as much at his character and philosophy about learning.
|
08/15/2011
"Namaste" - Truly seeing and honoring our colleagues
The next post will look at collaboration, which, as has been previously stated, is lifeblood to creative problem-solving and innovation in organizations. Fruitful collaboration can only be built on a foundation of trust, and that, only from authentic relationships.
To the latter point, I want to start by sharing some poetry and prose by two writers which speaks to the humanity that connects us in our day-to-day working relationships, and the need to affirm this. For me, as for many, I believe that connection is related to spirit or spirituality, which I define as: that which is invisible to the eye, but which binds us to life, to our creative spirit, and to one another.
In Indian culture, "namaste" means, "I honor the divinity within you."
The Hindus greet one another by bowing with folded hand against the breastbone. This miniceremony means: “I salute the divinity within you.”
No workplace can be truly alive until we see the divinity within one another, until we experience behind the breastbone the breath of life, until we insist that our work will not be the humdrum product of a sleeping spirit but a glorious monument to who we really are.
John Cowan
from The Common Table
Threads
Sometimes you just connect,
like that,
no big thing maybe
but something beyond the usual business stuff.
It come and goes quickly
so you have to pay attention,
a change in the eyes
when you ask about the family,
a pain flickering behind the statistics
about a boy and a girl in school,
or about seeing them every other Sunday.
An older guy talks about his bride,
a little affectation after twenty-five years.
A hot-eyed achiever laughs before you want him to.
Someone tells about his wife’s job
or why she quit working to stay home.
An older joker needs another laugh on the way
to retirement.
A woman says she spends a lot of her salary
on an au pair
and a good one is hard to find
but worth it because there’s nothing more important
than the baby.
Listen.
In every office
you hear the threads of love and joy and fear and guilt,
the cries for celebration and reassurance,
and somehow you know that connecting those threads
is what you are supposed to do
and business takes care of itself.
Jame A. Autry
from Love & Profit
08/03/2011
What Does "Innovation" Mean? Many Things.
A friend recently said he didn’t know that when I talk about innovation I am referring to improvements in processes, workflows, and efficiency, in addition to new product and service development. So, let me set the record straight.
According to The American Heritage Dictionary (2006), “innovation” is defined as:
n. 1. The act of introducing something new. 2. Something newly introduced.
In Oxford American, it’s:
Change, alteration, revolution, upheaval, transformation, metamorphosis, breakthrough; new measures, new methods, modernization, creativity, ingenuity, inspiration....
So, as the terms "new methods" and “new measures" don’t exactly indicate radical marketing breakthroughs or revolutionary unique products, being innovative can simply mean applying ideas to doing routine procedures in somewhat more efficient or more effective ways.
Making Improvements in Processes vs. "Process Improvement":
The term "process improvement," for some, brings a system like “Six Sigma”* to mind. Although there is resounding evidence that formal programs such as Sigma have made significant contributions toward achieving greater efficiency and eliminating waste, this sort of system has been found to be detrimental to the creative process in research and development departments, such as the one at innovative 3M, as reviewed in an interesting Business Week article.
Many of us would agree that it's a matter of balance, and one solution certainly does not fit all situations. Of course, R&D programs should discipline themselves to be as efficient as possible in their planning, collaboration and communication processes, in vetting ideas, and rapid prototyping, without being hindered by some of the Six Sigma-type constraints.
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Silly!): For some of us, the term “process improvement” simply means what it always has: modest improvements in how we do things. Such as, “Let’s start writing the dates completed on the boxes that we’ve sorted through so no one wastes time going back through them.” It can be any “new method” that’s never been done before that helps us to achieve greater efficiency in our workflows or improve quality – like the 100+ ideas that each Toyota employee is encouraged to contribute to their company every year.
Most of us have numerous process and work-flow improvement ideas pop into our heads at work all the time. As Langdon Morris has written, part of innovation involves the creative tension of “seeing things as they are and things as they could be.” Unfortunately, many people are not empowered by their employers to share their suggestions, let alone see them discussed or implemented. This all too common situation is a tremendous waste of brainpower and resources, frustrates employees, and contributes to low moral and higher turnover.
Many Forms of Innovation:
At a conference on innovation, Brownell Langdrum of Draw Success (www.DrawSuccess.com) supplemented her own list of types of innovation with ideas generated by a group of chief innovation officers from companies such as Google, Mattel, and Hewlett-Packard. A few of these are included below. If you go to her full document, you will find that some of the descriptions are, fittingly, quite original. Actually, the list itself could be a very useful tool for generating ideas!!
First, let’s look at some of forms which are perhaps less recognized as “innovation, but which relate to
Improvements in internal operations:
Efficiency Innovation:
Efficiency innovation delivers ways to improve efficiency and the speed of effectiveness. It can include internal systems and processes or ways to expedite the customer/client experience.
Financial Innovation:
This form of innovation conveys ways to increase sales, reduce costs, improve tracking of expenses, and reduce accounts receivable, along with other ways of managing finances to enhance profitability. It also includes ideas to improve tax/audit compliance.
Process Innovation:
Process Innovation encompasses the implementation of a new or significantly improved production or delivery method.
Note: I’m a big fan of efficiency, so I believed that process improvements imply greater efficiency. But, it was pointed out to me that changes that improve quality do not always result in greater “efficiency,” in that these can slow speed of operations down. I think the argument can be made that improvements in quality are ultimately more efficient uses of time and effort, but for now, I yield to these as being two distinct forms of innovation.
Systems Innovations:
This form of innovation includes introducing a new infrastructure or system, which could produce new sectors, and induce major change across several areas of business.
And now for some of the more
Flashy Definitions of Innovation:
Breakthrough, disruptive or radical innovation:
These forms of innovation involve launching entirely novel products or services rather than providing improved products and services along the same lines as currently marketed. Breakthrough innovations are rare because of the risk and uncertainty, but they can deliver tremendous rewards. They require large leaps of thought and a high-risk tolerance.
Business Model Innovation:
Business model innovation involves changing the way business is done, whether in terms of sales and distribution, marketing, pricing or any other core business strategy.
Incremental Innovation:
This is when one adds something extra to a product or service that the competition doesn't have or isn't doing. Or, when one makes something last longer, more convenient or faster.
Marketing Innovation:
This involves development of new marketing methods with improvement in product design or packaging, product promotion, communication or advertising, pricing or distribution.
Product Innovation:
Product innovation is the introduction of a good or service that is new or substantially improved, which may include improvements in functional characteristics, technical abilities, ease of use, or any other dimension.
Service Innovation:
Service Innovation, compared to goods or product innovation or process innovation, delivers ways to improve the delivery of a service or expertise and is both interactive and information-intensive.
Technological Innovation:
This may include coming up with new technologies to solve a problem or new uses for existing technologies. Solutions may be high-tech (i.e. computer systems) or low-tech (a better mouse trap).
In summary, when I use the term “innovation,” I mean a range of ways of putting good, new ideas into action within operations, workflows, and processes as well as in the marketplace and in solving social, environmental, and economic issues. The organizations that will survive and thrive in this rapidly changing environment welcome and apply ideas on a wide range of topics – the more the merrier!
* Wikipedia: Six Sigma is a business mangement strategy originally developed by Motorola, USA in 1986. As of 2010, it is widely used in many sectors of industry, although its use is not without controversy. It seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes.
07/26/2011
What Role Does Leadership Play in Innovation? -- Every Great Show Needs Great Directors & Producers!
I recently posted about the “Creative Geniuses” that are found throughout organizations. Again, each of us carries creativity within us. Some of us may need coaxing in order for our creativity to reemerge. For all, a certain amount of support and structures are needed in order for our ideas to manifest.
In the recent "Leader as Conductor," post, I outlined some specific ways that managers can foster innovation in organizations. But in what capacities? In his terrific white paper, “Creating the Innovative Culture: Geniuses, Champions, & Leaders,” Langdon Morris of InnovationLabs outlines two other essential types of roles necessary to create an innovative culture: “Innovation Champions” and “Innovation Leaders.”
Innovation Champions: They support innovation by helping creative people overcome the obstacles that otherwise inevitably impede their innovation efforts.
Innovation Leaders: They define firms’ expectations and policies to favor innovation.
Working in partnership, these two distinct role models set the stage for creating the environment to grow, direct, and apply the creative genius within an organization. As Mr. Morris writes, “The genius of firms like Apple, Cisco, and Toyota… [is that] their leaders seem to have found a way to standardize the process of innovation.”
INNOVATION CHAMPIONS build the practical means for effective innovation by:
- “Finding creative thinkers and encouraging them [often through coaching and mentoring] to think and work in new ways” or to "seek new experiences that spark new ideas;“ and
- “They create a regular operations context in which sharing and developing new ideas is the norm.”
Champions might have any title in the organization, from that of senior manager to front line operations staff. Regardless of title, they “provide the bridge between the strategic directives of senior managers and the day-to-day focus of front line workers.”
“Hewlett Packard’s MBWA (mgt.-by-walking-around) was a great innovation champion technique for learning about innovation efforts and supporting them.”
Innovation champions “are usually persistent networkers… [who] know what’s going on many levels.” They know who has the skills, talents, and resources; who needs what; what’s not working, and what can be done to move the process forward.
In his best-seller book The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell outlines three roles he sees as key to the success of ideas taking hold in organizations. As Mr. Morris sees it, all three of these mantles are embodied in effective innovation champions:
- Mavens who have deep knowledge that they are keen to share.
- Salesmen who like to influence others to take action.
- Connectors who have strong relationships with many people.
Collaboration & Trust:
Champions forge collaboration and trust while also helping to develop infrastructures that support innovation. This includes creating environments that allow for the face-to-face partnering that is indispensable. “They build collaboration, and they build the trust upon which effective collaboration occurs. Innovation is a collaborative endeavor… There is little innovation without collaboration, and there is no collaboration without trust.”
All the World's a Stage...
My undergraduate degree was in theater (Go, University of Detroit!). As one whose right brain is well developed and who naturally thinks in terms of connections and similarities, I'll share how I see the roles of champions and leaders in terms of the parts they would play in artistic productions, as in theater or film.
I envision the role of champions as similar to that of theater or film directors. Collaboratively honing the production vision, they take the various tools and perimeters; the scripts and story-lines; the stage/sets, budgets, and timelines given to them by the producers; the talents, experience, strengths, weaknesses, and personalities of the actors, design and crews -- and they orchestrate all of these.
Sometimes, depending on the size and budget of the production, the role of director is shared and divided among various people who serve as executive director, art director, assistant director, etc. Similarly, there is (or should be) more than one champion within an organization.
Champions and directors work with "the talent" to create a shared, organic vision and then to manifest it. While keeping their focus on the progress of the various production teams, they also work closely with the individuals. They coach the actors to explore and hone their roles and to interact in the most effective ways with the other cast members. They work similarly with the design and set crews.
Key to the success of many directors is that they develop trusting relationships with the various individual artists in order to bring out the best in their talents, while building the collaboration and high trust that is needed for great ensemble productions and (what is called in the non-theater world) high-functioning teams.
Enter the other indispensable player...
INNOVATION LEADERS influence the core structures and the basic operations of an organization in order to support innovation. Such core structures include:
- The design of the organization
- Policies and underlying principles – “The Rules of the Game”
- Metrics and rewards.
In keeping with my theater arts metaphor, I think of innovation leaders as the "producers." Without a producer’s backing, there will be no show. Producers don't have to be particularly creative themselves, and they don't need to be involved in a hands-on manner. Nonetheless, they either "set the stage," or else they sabotage the production by the resources they provide (or fail to) and the perimeters they establish. Some leaders are creative themselves and will be involved artistically, just as some producers are. (Examples of top leaders with a hands-on approach: Immelt at GE and Iger at Disney, who has helped to design games himself.)
Given that innovation needs to be treated as a strategic concern, “innovation leaders are typically, though not exclusively, senior managers” who have the authority to make key decisions, related to questions such as:
- Do budgets include a line item such as “investment in innovation”?
- Are there seed funds to invest in promising new ideas, or teams of people to manage ideas that do not fit inside existing business units?
-- If not, then innovation isn’t likely to happen.
In his book, Permanent Innovation, Mr. Morris asserts, “There is no innovation without leadership... Top managers can be powerful champions of innovation, or dark clouds of suppression…. They [need to] work diligently to eliminate the many obstacles that otherwise impede or even crush both creativity and innovation.”
In closing, dear audience...
Hat’s off to those Champions and Leaders who orchestrate creative genius and make the great innovations that move us all forward possible!
(Blog author, on another stage, long ago... )
Click on the link to download a free copy of Langdon Morris' excellent book: Permanent Innovation: The Essential Guide to the Strategies, Principles, and Practices of Successful Innovators
And for his white paper: "Creating the Innovative Culture: Geniuses, Champions, & Leaders"
06/22/2011
More YouTube Brilliance & Inspiration!
The next couple of posts will contain more words on the forms of leadership needed to champion innovation, and on collaboration, which is lifeblood for innovation. But first, here are some additional videos hosted through YouTube exploring creative thinking that will be sure to inspire and tickle:
- Think Again (ABC Training Video) (4:09): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NPL2f0WVEM&playnext=1&list=PL16FEE0B9133286CC
- Be infectious (3:05): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63onoo6JURg
- Using the stairs (1:48): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRmifpeZO18
And finally, as much as I am an evangelist on behalf of creative thinking and innovation, I’ve got to hand it to IBM which hired some very creative talent to produce these lovable videos poking fun at the innovation movement. Well done!
- IBM Innovation Man (:31): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MudaxA80eI4&NR=1
- Innovation Man Drill Sergeant (:29): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXrIoF-sVi8&feature=related
- Buzzword Bingo (:31): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgeLY7CL5IE&feature=related
- IBM Innovation Station (:33): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wqclq0dx3U&feature=related
- Ideating (:29): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziOG_GHNVq0&feature=related
EnJOY!!
06/09/2011
Leader as Conductor: Orchestrating the Creative Genius Throughout the Organization
As discussed in previous posts, it is commonly held that there is creative genius in each of us. But, along with our innate curiosity (creativity’s inextricable partner) most of us found our creativity repressed by the tender age of thirteen by the pressure to “fit in,” not be seen as “weird,” [i] not ask too many questions, and as we got older, to go by “The Rules,” and do as we’re told if we want to succeed. I wholeheartedly agree with Langdon Morris of InnovationLabs who wrote that “It may only take only the right mix of context, curiosity, support, and environment for it come abundantly forth.” [ii]
And so, smart managers understand that good ideas come from everywhere in organizations. “Hence, the average Toyota worker, including those on the assembly lines, is said to contribute on average more than one hundred ideas each year.” Despite some of its recent troubles (and current tragedies in its homeland), Toyota is universally recognized as the most efficient auto manufacturer on the planet.[iii]
Gathering and Channeling the Collective Genius:
Referring back to the top layer of the cake as described in “Let Them Eat Cake!” a couple of posts ago, below are some suggestions I have found for creating an entrepreneurial environment throughout the organization, as recommended by the innovation leaders surveyed in the 2010 IBM CEO report. [iv]
Create and Communicate a Shared Vision of What Innovation Looks Like in Your Organization:
Use cross-departmental input to create a shared language and lexicon. (Jorge Barba) [v]
Go beyond the mission and vision to make innovation the responsibility of each and every employee (“50 Ways…”) [vi]
Involve as many people as you can at the beginning to get upfront buy-in. (“50 Ways...)
Co-create A Vision for Innovation with Everyone in Your Organization:
Help employees to present their ideas and make their cases:
- Establish an Entrepreneurial Environment: Ideas come from everywhere. Give every “intrepreneur’s” idea an objective hearing. Provide management support in building the business case* in presenting the idea. (“10 Crucial Elements…,” Jim Miller) [vii]
* I discussed this point in my 2/12/11 post on "A Shared Failure to Communicate".
- Ask employees what gets in the way of their ability to offer contribute creative solutions and innovation, and work to remove those blocks.
Create Efficient Systems for Collecting Ideas:
- Create formal opportunities for offering ideas: Intranet repositories using an idea
management software, internal conferences, etc. (“10 Crucial Elements of Building an Innovative Company,” Jim Miller & “”50 Ideas…, “)
Embrace the Numbers Game:
- “…Harness everyone’s creativity by involving them in the ideation process; generate lots of ideas, for only a few winners will result, and then broadening your view of innovation to not just technological, products, or services, but also innovate the business model.” (Jorge Barba)
- Have a number of ideas in the works. Short and long-term, incremental, and discontinuous.
- “The main difference between companies who succeed at innovation and those who don’t isn’t their rate of success – it’s the fact that successful companies have a LOT of ideas, pilots, and product innovations in the pipeline.” (“50 Ways…”)
Create Efficient Systems for Low-Cost, Rapid Prototyping:
- “Fail often to succeed sooner.” Tom Kelley, GM IDEO.
- Prototype using videos and models or other quick and cheap methods early on to visualize which projects to further develop and which to discard. (“Get Creative,” Bloomberg Businessweek [viii] and “50 Ways…”)
Support Cross-departmental Collaboration:
- Reroute reporting lines and create physical spaces for collaboration. …collaboration requires more than lip-service to breaking down silos… team up people from across the org chart.
- ‘You have to…get down into the plumbing of the organization and align the nervous system of the company.” (J. Andrew, BCG) [ix]
- Provide “Skunkwork” spaces with visual tools like white boards everywhere, even on ceilings and floors. (“50 Ways…”)
- Encourage informal, cross-functional networking and exchange of ideas through shared space, social activities, etc. (“10 Crucial Elements…,” Jim Miller)
A nd ... Let Go!
- “Innovation requires no fixed rules or templates – only guiding principles. Creating a more innovative culture is an organic and creative act… Don’t make your innovation processes so rigid that they get in the way of informal and spontaneous innovation efforts.” (“50 Ways…”)
I’ve only scratched the surface here regarding employee partnership in innovation. Please, share your ideas, experiences, and success stories!
[i] Get Weird! 101 Innovative Ways to Make Your Company a Great Place to Work, John Putzier. AMACOM, 2001.
[ii] Langdon Morris, “Creating the Innovative Culture: Geniuses, Champions, & Leaders,” InnovationLabs. (2007).
[iii] “The World’s Most Innovative Companies,” Bloomberg Business Week. (April 24, 2007).
[v] Jorge Barba, http://www.game-changer.net/
[vi] “50 Ways to Foster a Culture of Innovation,” The Heart of Innovation. Idea Champions
[vii] Jim Miller, “Ten Crucial Elements of Building an Innovative Company”
[viii] “Get Creative,” Bloomberg Businessweek
[ix] Boston Consulting Group, “Innovation 2010: A Return to Prominence and the Emergence of a New World Order”
Veronica F. Adams
Trainer, Instructional Designer, Organizational Development Consultant, Do-gooder
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