What does it take to innovate?

"An iconoclast . . . A person that does something that others say can't be done."

- Gregory Berns, Iconoclast

"Fear is the greatest inhibitor of innovation."

- Gregory Berns, Iconoclast

Anybody with even the tiniest interest in innovation knows the importance of "thinking differently" or "thinking outside the box." These phrases are often thrown about willy nilly without spending much time digging down to discover just how we actually go about thinking differently. Or, better yet, what stops us from thinking differently? I've worked in many business environments in different parts of the world and I can say from my own experience that, for the most part, it is continuity, not thinking differently that reigns supreme. In the context of innovation, this is the "C" word. Fear is the "F" word. Of course, continuity and fear are often garnished with the usual "we value our people" or "we are an innovative firm/city/nation etc." lacquer. Horse crap. As you can tell, I've become quite cynical towards this whole innovation thing. But we should also remember this:

"All businesses, no matter how strong they seem to be at a given moment, ultimately fail -- and almost always because they failed to innovate."

- Thomas K. McCraw, Prophet of Innovation

So we have a strange situation: we know we must innovate, but, at the same time, we are incapable of doing so. Unless . . . ?

Below is an interesting talk from Gregory Berns, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University, on what happens to individuals in group settings at the level of the brain. I love this bottom-up approach to innovation.

By the way, please note the new Blogspot address for my Blog: http://innovation-definitions.blogspot.com or simply http://www.brokenbulbs.com

Have a great, bold New Year. You deserve it!

Innovation's ingredients: imagination and trust

Trust is at an all-time low here in America. People have been burned financially and it may take some time to get back to the good old days. Looking at many of the recent financial scandals, including the recent one concerning Madoff, it's worth pulling one of innovation's key ingredients back in from the cold: come on in imagination. Take a seat at the fire.

Remember those silly creativity games that people in workshops play: "Think of as many uses as you can for this toothbrush!" or "How would a heavy metal guitarist solve this problem?" You know: all that "airy fairy" stuff. The stuff that really hurts the brain to even think about. The stuff that adds nothing to the bottom line.

But, you know what, if somebody had actually asked some crazy questions, some people would still have a lot more money in their pockets. It's good to question "conventional wisdom": Maybe that guy in the suit is a fraud? Or maybe, even, all those Ivy League schools don't produce people quite as clever as we are all lead to believe.

You know that many in North Korea believe that Kim Jong-Il is an expert horseman and scored 11 holes-in-one in his first-ever round of golf? Yet North Korea isn't the only country whose people are force-fed fabrication.

Imagination. Trust. Never underestimate their contribution to innovation.

[Link]: Andy Xie, a U.S.-born Chinese economist, talks with Peter Day about the Chinese economy in the BBC's Global Business podcast.

[Link]: The FT comments on Madoff with an article entitled "No questions asked."

Brand innovation

I remember hearing a podcast a while back and one of the speakers made a comment that has stuck with me for quite a while. He said that one of the problems with making money online is the fact that the psychology of the Web is different from more traditional retail spaces in that it is free. Yes, there is a tendency to expect stuff for free on the Web. There is also a vast amount of business knowledge out there and it has had a massive effect on people who previously wouldn't have been able to access it. It's all there for the taking. And people are taking, taking, taking. This is good (I think). It's pretty neat that somebody with a computer and the will to educate themselves can sit down and access a world of knowledge without having to pay a penny for it. Even if this humble little blog helps just one person learn something, it has served its purpose. Some people have asked me, "What's the point in blogging?" This usually pisses me off. Isn't it our duty to help people? And forget about giving money. I'd rather be sharing knowledge than sticking $5 in an envelope as a way to feel better about myself! Give a man a fish . . . and all that.

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: innovation branding)

.

Innovation training

I came across this via the Stephen Shapiro Innovation blog. I thought it was hilarious. Some of the places mentioned are very local to England, but they really do get the message across. "The Watford Warrior Weekend" is irresistible to anybody who wants to succeed!