I have worked with lots of companies (more than is strictly necessary). They are all different: different people, different cultures and different ambitions. But there are some things that are universal; and high on that list is the desire to innovate, to find the breakthrough that will make them the best, a household name, the market leader.
Innovation isn’t so difficult
Now if you read the books you will know innovation isn’t so difficult. You define a problem, bring together a bunch of truly diverse people, task them with solving that problem and give them the time and money they need to develop ideas, create connections, build on concepts and prototype ideas.
Unfortunately most organisations don’t do that, they are too busy. So they use the short cut. They brainstorm…
They condemn a group of unfortunates to a two or three-hour meeting. Somebody grabs a marker pen and then they shout ideas at one another. There are of course rules:
- no bad ideas
- no evaluation
- anything goes
But nobody really listens to anybody else. It is just an exercise in intellectual one-upmanship. A battle to see who can have the best idea, And because nobody is really listening the connections don’t occur, the ideas don’t get built upon and nothing too innovative happens.
Let me give you an example:
Let’s develop a new iPad app, what could it be?
- Something for children
- A recipe finder
- A map of great holiday locations
- A list of workouts for the gym
- A set of gardening tips
- A memory jogger
- Somewhere to store children’s photographs
Have you experienced that? A bunch of disconnected thoughts, a headlong dash to the coffee break, a waste of an afternoon.
How could you do it better?
Create a little anxiety
Chuck Jones was a Warner Brothers animator. He once said:
“Anxiety is the hand maiden of creativity.”
So spice up your brainstorm by adding a little anxiety, make the attendees think, force them to listen to each other’s ideas (drastic thought). Develop those connections between ideas and people.
Add this extra rule to your brainstorming session:
Anything that you say has to add to the previous idea
Now the new app will be something more like this:
- Something for children
- That lists their tasks
- And gives them points when they complete them
- And rewards them with a free game after 10 tasks
- And suggest extra tasks for bonus points
- Which convert into pocket-money
- That is automatically transferred to their bank account
Who could turn down an app like that? (Don’t knock it, add to it).
In a couple of hours you will have so many concepts you will be distraught that you can’t use them all.
Now, whilst you are busy worrying about that, I’m off to make billions at the app store.
Enjoy your brainstorm.
Read another opinion
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Ouch. Your description of a typical (dysfunctional) brainstorm session was so close to the truth it hurt!
More of a dull pain than a sharp stab I hope
Hi James,
Why is it that we equate innovation with speed or doing things in a rush or quickly.
Many if not all good things take time to develop. Here’s a couple of thinking pieces in praise of going slow and why we should do more of it:
http://designmind.frogdesign.com/articles/motion/slow-innovation.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/24/ethicalliving.creditcrunch
http://www.slowmovement.com/
Adrian
Thanks very much for the links Adrian, fascinating
James
Hello James
In my experience brainstorming as practiced simply does not work. There is the issue to do with people and their ability / willingness to think creatively – to tread outside the box. And there is the issue of the group process – people are simply not used to/practiced in genuine dialogue and exploration. Furthermore, whilst some types of criticism are not useful, the art of critical thinking is required. Yet, critical thinking is confused with criticism and not practiced.
When you want to someone to pilot a 747 who do you turn to? The people who have flown 747s and have the requisite skills and experience. So why not use the same approach for innovation: turn to the people who have a track record with coming up with creative ideas? I have worked in digital marketing agencies and I can tell you that some people have the gift and others do not. Yes, the potential might be there in many others, and you have to have the patience of the saint to dig it out. It is not easy to put creativity back in when a lifetime has been spent killing it, stamping it out, driving it deep underground.
Finally, you say that companies want innovation. I am not in agreement with you. I say that companies say that they want innovation. And the kind of innovation that is acceptable is one that is not hard work, not messy, not painful, that does not disrupt the organisation and the key players. In short, they don’t innovation: innovation is messy, it is painful – like giving birth, it disrupts the organisation politics……..
Maz
I think there is lots of lip service in the world Maz, and you are very probably right in this case.
James