Lets talk eggs!
There's been much talk lately in quite a few different circles I've found myself in, about putting all our eggs in the mining basket. At the Create and Innovate workshop at Kurri Kurri a couple of weeks ago, people were conscious of not putting all their eggs in the one basket post Hydro. Very sage thinking...
That's where innovative practise and creativity can come in - in developing quality eggs and putting them in fewer baskets. If I'm going to write about this though I can't help but have an all roads lead back to Apple moment - sorry - except I'm not really!
Steve Jobs put a few quality eggs in a few quality baskets. To take Apple out of a death spiral, Jobs outlined his strategy like this:
When we got to the company a year ago, there were fifteen product platforms and a zillion variants of each one...So we went back to business school 101 and asked, "What do people want?" Well they want two kinds of products: consumer and professional. In each of those two categories we need desktop and portable models...That's what we decided to do, to focus on four great products.
The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo
Imagine if businesses and organisations created four quality products based on strengths that were internal to their organisation (and there are some businesses and organisations that do do this) and marketed those four quality products. Not only would we have less of the same old same old competing for the same share of the market, but the organisation could concentrate on what it was best at. Remarkable concept isn't it!
I picked up a good book at a book sale not long ago - Go Put Your Strengths To Work by Marcus Buckingham and there are some great exercises on how to find, grow and utilise those strengths in the book. Another recommendation from my Create and Innovate colleague Kevin Coffey is Little Bets, by Peter Sims. I've only had a chance to read the jacket and skim through the book at this point of time but it's all about how breakthrough ideas emerge from small discoveries. The theme running through here, how to get that quality egg, is to take strategically placed small steps and experiment with small incentives as opposed to starting with the big idea. In other words - make Little Bets to get you from A to B.
If you really take this on you need to be free from conventional planning and analytical thinking to do it properly.
Examples of successful uses of this theory exist! Hewlett Packard accidentally discovered the first hand held calculator using this strategy - what a golden egg that was! And Pixar films, according to Sims, have had so very many box office hits only because of their ingenious story boarding process!
Maybe those golden eggs aren't that hard to find after all...it might be just a mix of strengths, perseverance and a lot of love!
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Trust Your Gut
Finally - research to back up what we already know from the University of Newcastle - your gut instinct is right! Reminds me of the time I read the study on Camomile - scientists discovered what herbalists and my grandmother knew all along - camomile calms the nerves and soothes the stomach...
What a shame we have let fear and doubt get in the way of what our ancestors took for granted and utilised all the time...
One theory around gut instinct is that our brains access all our accumulated experiences and this allows us to make judgements and to take actions based on those judgements. A process of logical, conscience consideration has not taken place. On this intellectual level, the brain unconsciously organises the patterns of information it has been fed into blocks - this process has been called chunking.
Reminds me of when my children were babies and I was more in tune with my gut instinct. I knew the difference between a pained cry, a helpless cry, a tired cry, a no particular purpose cry, an attention cry - I was tuned in.
In ancient times it is thought that we had an inbuilt radar that would alert us to danger. We used our senses to pick up signals and signs of impending danger, or to read signs to make decisions about actions and/or reactions.
On a spiritual level, it has been noted that our gut feelings (and our butterflies) occur in the gut (obviously) and that this is the exact centre point our body - a point of perfect balance. Interesting....
What a shame we have let fear and doubt get in the way of what our ancestors took for granted and utilised all the time...
One theory around gut instinct is that our brains access all our accumulated experiences and this allows us to make judgements and to take actions based on those judgements. A process of logical, conscience consideration has not taken place. On this intellectual level, the brain unconsciously organises the patterns of information it has been fed into blocks - this process has been called chunking.
Reminds me of when my children were babies and I was more in tune with my gut instinct. I knew the difference between a pained cry, a helpless cry, a tired cry, a no particular purpose cry, an attention cry - I was tuned in.
In ancient times it is thought that we had an inbuilt radar that would alert us to danger. We used our senses to pick up signals and signs of impending danger, or to read signs to make decisions about actions and/or reactions.
On a spiritual level, it has been noted that our gut feelings (and our butterflies) occur in the gut (obviously) and that this is the exact centre point our body - a point of perfect balance. Interesting....
To Brain Storm or to Shift Your Thinking?
I am borrowing again from Amantha Imber at Inventium because I actually tried this in a Create and Innovate workshop and it worked beautifully!
How many times have you been in a meeting and someone has piped up and said, we are going to brainstorm, and you either think oh no not again or right, I have to turn on the brainstorming part of my brain and hope it works...
There is a chapter in one of Dr Amantha Imber's books titled Brainstorming is Bollocks. It's based on the idea that if you don't have a great idea or at least think you have a great idea, you will be more inclined to keep your mouth shut at any brain storming session! What if you sound stupid, or sound like you have no idea, or worse still - make a mistake!! Shudder! Dread! Cringe!
Or - what if what you are feeling is inhibited or pressured? Haven't we already established several times over that we get our greatest inspirations or best ideas when we are in a relatively neutral, even quiet thinking space - you know - shower, just before we nod off, riding a bike, on a walk etc. etc. etc.
Let's face it - some people don't generate their best ideas in a group scenario.
That's where Shifting comes in.
This was apparently developed by Robert Epstein from Harvard University (want a great resource - go to http://drrobertepstein.com/downloads/CREATIVITY_FOR_CRISES-e-booklet-c_2009-Dr._Robert_Epstein.pdf). Shifting combines individual AND group idea development and goes like this...
1. Work on the idea/problem individually
2. Work in a group building on the individually generated ideas
3. Work again generating individual ideas
4. Build on these new individually generated ideas
If you want a bit more detail you'll have to get the book by Dr Imber -http://www.thecreativityformula.com/author.html
So in a controlled study, with a traditional brain storming control group and a shifting group, Epstein found that the shifting group generated more ideas and broader ideas.
The shifting concept encourages continued discussion around the ideas generated. These discussions can take place with friends or colleagues or both, and actually give permission for the ideas to grow. You aren't locked into an answer. The idea is fluid. The idea continues to morph into a solution - and after all, isn't that what we are after from Brain Storming Sessions?
As I said, I tried it in a workshop! Instead of coming away with a list of mediocre ideas and solutions - we came up with a series of actions. I'll let you know how things develop...
How many times have you been in a meeting and someone has piped up and said, we are going to brainstorm, and you either think oh no not again or right, I have to turn on the brainstorming part of my brain and hope it works...
There is a chapter in one of Dr Amantha Imber's books titled Brainstorming is Bollocks. It's based on the idea that if you don't have a great idea or at least think you have a great idea, you will be more inclined to keep your mouth shut at any brain storming session! What if you sound stupid, or sound like you have no idea, or worse still - make a mistake!! Shudder! Dread! Cringe!
Or - what if what you are feeling is inhibited or pressured? Haven't we already established several times over that we get our greatest inspirations or best ideas when we are in a relatively neutral, even quiet thinking space - you know - shower, just before we nod off, riding a bike, on a walk etc. etc. etc.
Let's face it - some people don't generate their best ideas in a group scenario.
That's where Shifting comes in.
This was apparently developed by Robert Epstein from Harvard University (want a great resource - go to http://drrobertepstein.com/downloads/CREATIVITY_FOR_CRISES-e-booklet-c_2009-Dr._Robert_Epstein.pdf). Shifting combines individual AND group idea development and goes like this...
1. Work on the idea/problem individually
2. Work in a group building on the individually generated ideas
3. Work again generating individual ideas
4. Build on these new individually generated ideas
If you want a bit more detail you'll have to get the book by Dr Imber -http://www.thecreativityformula.com/author.html
So in a controlled study, with a traditional brain storming control group and a shifting group, Epstein found that the shifting group generated more ideas and broader ideas.
The shifting concept encourages continued discussion around the ideas generated. These discussions can take place with friends or colleagues or both, and actually give permission for the ideas to grow. You aren't locked into an answer. The idea is fluid. The idea continues to morph into a solution - and after all, isn't that what we are after from Brain Storming Sessions?
As I said, I tried it in a workshop! Instead of coming away with a list of mediocre ideas and solutions - we came up with a series of actions. I'll let you know how things develop...
Friday, 3 August 2012
How Effective is Micro Management
Well I had a little chuckle to myself as I headed to Wikipedia for a definition of micromanagement. Chuckle soon turned to choke as I read it, eyes widening and mouth gaping! I shuddered...it was spot on...see for yourself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromanagement). And here is another comment those who have been micromanaged will certainly relate to...micromanagers risk disempowering their colleagues. They ruin their colleagues' confidence, hurt their performance, and frustrate them to the point where they quit... resonating with anyone?
There has been plenty written about micromanagement and still I can't seem to find much on any benefits! The benefit of micromanagement most written about is advice to a micromanager to micromanage themselves out of micromanaging everyone else! I think for me the m word just replaced the f word!
So how does it feel to be on the receiving end of micromanagement? Frustrating, annoying, debilitating, exhausting, inhibiting, suffocating, strangulating....And what effect does it have on productivity? It's stifles all creativity and innovation, promotes tentative behaviour, encourages lack lustre performance, disengages employees, destroys confidence, splits teams, promotes an environment of anger and distrust - need I go on?
Why would you micromanage if these are results of micromanagement? If you are Richard Branson or Steve Jobs and you have the ability to see both the big picture (otherwise known as macro management) and take notes to improve the detail but get the balance of delivery right and therefore your employees don't feel like you are hovering over their every call, their every email, their every move - then it might be OK to micromanage. And unless you want to go from Productive to Disempowering in 5 seconds - make sure you can do both!
Innovation requires risk taking! It means taking an existing rule and bending it to create a new one. It means support and trust and empowerment and fun and achievement and nurturing. It's a no brainer that this won't happen under micromanagement.
To those of you who experience positives at work - go forth and innovate and make sensational contributions to your world. To those at the mercy of micromanagers - somethings gotta give - make sure it's not your sanity or your health...
There has been plenty written about micromanagement and still I can't seem to find much on any benefits! The benefit of micromanagement most written about is advice to a micromanager to micromanage themselves out of micromanaging everyone else! I think for me the m word just replaced the f word!
So how does it feel to be on the receiving end of micromanagement? Frustrating, annoying, debilitating, exhausting, inhibiting, suffocating, strangulating....And what effect does it have on productivity? It's stifles all creativity and innovation, promotes tentative behaviour, encourages lack lustre performance, disengages employees, destroys confidence, splits teams, promotes an environment of anger and distrust - need I go on?
Why would you micromanage if these are results of micromanagement? If you are Richard Branson or Steve Jobs and you have the ability to see both the big picture (otherwise known as macro management) and take notes to improve the detail but get the balance of delivery right and therefore your employees don't feel like you are hovering over their every call, their every email, their every move - then it might be OK to micromanage. And unless you want to go from Productive to Disempowering in 5 seconds - make sure you can do both!
Innovation requires risk taking! It means taking an existing rule and bending it to create a new one. It means support and trust and empowerment and fun and achievement and nurturing. It's a no brainer that this won't happen under micromanagement.
To those of you who experience positives at work - go forth and innovate and make sensational contributions to your world. To those at the mercy of micromanagers - somethings gotta give - make sure it's not your sanity or your health...
Friday, 20 July 2012
Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
Bread has been a staple part of the human diet since the Neolithic era...so it's been around for a long time. Bread has been used in religious ceremonies and festivals and culturally, countries can be identified by the type of bread they serve. And once bartering and then monetary exchange began - bread was baked, sold and served in loaves. This continued for many many years until...
In the 1900's an inventor and jeweller (you need to be creative in order to be innovative), Otto Frederick Rohwedder, started toying with the idea of a bread slicing machine. Up until this time, bread was sometimes sliced at the place of purchase, but usually by the lady of the house when the bread made it home. Actually it was also very common for bread to baked by the lady of the house in the house!
Back to the jeweller - Rohwedder owned three jewellery stores, which he sold to raise the capitol to develop his idea of a bread slicer. According to sources, his first prototype failed - it may have had something to do with the fact that the bread was held together by metal pins!
In 1917 he had another set back - the factory that was to produce the first bread slicing machine was burnt down along with the blue prints and the prototype. For the next ten years Otto worked as an investment agent and gathered a few of his own investors along the way.
By 1927 Rohwedder had developed a prototype that not only sliced bread but wrapped it as well, ensuring the bread was kept fresh. He managed to convince a baker friend of his to use the machine and on July 7 1928 bread was sliced and wrapped commercially for the first time. By the way - it was called Sliced Kleen Maid Bread...
I must admit to quietly giggling when I read some of the promotion used at the time;
the housewife can well experience a thrill of pleasure when she first sees a loaf of this bread, with each slice the exact couterpart of its fellows
Priceless! Of course sliced bread then gave a much needed boost to the sales of the pop up toaster which had been invented a couple of years earlier by Charles Strite. I suppose that could be described as the best thing since sliced bread...
In the 1900's an inventor and jeweller (you need to be creative in order to be innovative), Otto Frederick Rohwedder, started toying with the idea of a bread slicing machine. Up until this time, bread was sometimes sliced at the place of purchase, but usually by the lady of the house when the bread made it home. Actually it was also very common for bread to baked by the lady of the house in the house!
Back to the jeweller - Rohwedder owned three jewellery stores, which he sold to raise the capitol to develop his idea of a bread slicer. According to sources, his first prototype failed - it may have had something to do with the fact that the bread was held together by metal pins!
In 1917 he had another set back - the factory that was to produce the first bread slicing machine was burnt down along with the blue prints and the prototype. For the next ten years Otto worked as an investment agent and gathered a few of his own investors along the way.
By 1927 Rohwedder had developed a prototype that not only sliced bread but wrapped it as well, ensuring the bread was kept fresh. He managed to convince a baker friend of his to use the machine and on July 7 1928 bread was sliced and wrapped commercially for the first time. By the way - it was called Sliced Kleen Maid Bread...
I must admit to quietly giggling when I read some of the promotion used at the time;
the housewife can well experience a thrill of pleasure when she first sees a loaf of this bread, with each slice the exact couterpart of its fellows
Priceless! Of course sliced bread then gave a much needed boost to the sales of the pop up toaster which had been invented a couple of years earlier by Charles Strite. I suppose that could be described as the best thing since sliced bread...
The Root of the Problem
It's a no brainer really - isn't this what we all want - to get to the root of a problem? Makes me wonder why then, there is such avoidance at times to doing just that. Amantha Imber from Inventium spoke about this during a webinar a couple of weeks ago. LOVED her examples so I am going to share one of them here - but all credit there - to Amantha. Check out the Inventium Website - they are doing awesome work in the creativity arena. They are after all based in Melbourne!!!
So take the Washington Monument. It's the world's tallest obelisk, built to commemorate General George Washington. It also lines up with the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol and the Whitehouse...
Problem: The Washington Memorial was attracting too many pigeons, who were pooping too much on the monument which meant that harsh chemicals were needed to clean the monument because you can't have a US monument with poop all over it! Instead of investigating another, less abrasive cleaner, someone had a light bulb moment and decided to investigate what it was that attracted the pigeons to the monument in the first place. Imagine an obelisk, a really tall needle type structure...not exactly an ideal place for a pigeon to rest or nest - not when compared with an abandoned building or even a used one for that matter.
The root problem investigators discovered the birds were in fact attracted by spiders - lots of spiders - that also liked to chill around the Washington Monument. But why I hear you ask were there lots of spiders there? Because of the moths of course - a gourmet dining delicacy (to a spider at least) that turned up every evening when the monument was lit up for the benefit of all the tourists. SO - at the root of the problem were the lights!
Solution: Turn the lights on a few hours later. Benefits: Less attracting light = less moths = less spiders = les pigeons = less poop! Reminds of the old lady who swallowed the bird to catch the spider to catch the fly...
This theory can be applied to all aspects of life - workplace scenarios, relationships and health - as a matter of fact, there are many people now who believe in treating the root of the health problem and not just the symptom...
So take the Washington Monument. It's the world's tallest obelisk, built to commemorate General George Washington. It also lines up with the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol and the Whitehouse...
Problem: The Washington Memorial was attracting too many pigeons, who were pooping too much on the monument which meant that harsh chemicals were needed to clean the monument because you can't have a US monument with poop all over it! Instead of investigating another, less abrasive cleaner, someone had a light bulb moment and decided to investigate what it was that attracted the pigeons to the monument in the first place. Imagine an obelisk, a really tall needle type structure...not exactly an ideal place for a pigeon to rest or nest - not when compared with an abandoned building or even a used one for that matter.
The root problem investigators discovered the birds were in fact attracted by spiders - lots of spiders - that also liked to chill around the Washington Monument. But why I hear you ask were there lots of spiders there? Because of the moths of course - a gourmet dining delicacy (to a spider at least) that turned up every evening when the monument was lit up for the benefit of all the tourists. SO - at the root of the problem were the lights!
Solution: Turn the lights on a few hours later. Benefits: Less attracting light = less moths = less spiders = les pigeons = less poop! Reminds of the old lady who swallowed the bird to catch the spider to catch the fly...
This theory can be applied to all aspects of life - workplace scenarios, relationships and health - as a matter of fact, there are many people now who believe in treating the root of the health problem and not just the symptom...
Monday, 16 July 2012
The consumption of assumptions
Creativity can be consumed by assumptions.
Took part in a great webinar a week or so ago. Amantha Imber from Melbourne based company Inventium was talking about innovation and the topic swung around to assumptions. Amantha believes that assumptions can actually toll the death bell for creativity. Why? Because assumptions have the ability to "fence in thinking". At that point I had a eureka moment. Everyone from big business operators to solo operators "assume" outcomes one way or another when attempting to create. The discussion continued with some sound advice - "one way to beat the assumption monster is to identify just what (the assumptions) are and crush them".
Took part in a great webinar a week or so ago. Amantha Imber from Melbourne based company Inventium was talking about innovation and the topic swung around to assumptions. Amantha believes that assumptions can actually toll the death bell for creativity. Why? Because assumptions have the ability to "fence in thinking". At that point I had a eureka moment. Everyone from big business operators to solo operators "assume" outcomes one way or another when attempting to create. The discussion continued with some sound advice - "one way to beat the assumption monster is to identify just what (the assumptions) are and crush them".
And how is this for a great example of how assumptions limit us? Think toilet paper. Think cardboard roll in every single brand of toilet paper that has come out for the last umpteen years...got it? Assume that cardboard roll has to be there right? Makes it easy to put the toilet paper on the toilet holder yeah? WRONG. The Scotts brand have just crushed the assumption. There now exists a toilet paper without a cardboard roll. Just imagine how many trees have just been saved!
Want another example? Think mobile phone pre iPhone. It had been assumed that a phone had to have a certain number of buttons in order to function effectively and dial numbers. Apple killed that assumption in a big way...
But - How do I stop making assumptions? I hear you ask. Amantha suggests that a good way of stopping assumptions from getting in the way of a great innovation would be to list them - as many as possible - and then ask - What if the opposite was true? The suggestions is that this question is enough to stimulate creative thinking and put the focussing on making the innovation possible, rather than impossible.
Common negative assumptions that get in the way could be centred around budget, staff, fear of change, risk aversion supervisors, micro management - I am sure you can come up with several more to add to the list. When they are brought up at meetings simply combat them - bring out the armour - come out swinging, tackle them head on, say them out loud, repeat them - THEN ask - What if the opposite is true? Well - what if it is?
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