I’ve read some great posts about innovation recently. Some that say we are the most forward-thinking working generation in history, and others that say we wouldn't recognize a good idea if it sent us a push notification on our phones.
So who has it right? What separates objective observation from subjective scrutiny? I’m reminded of a great joke, one that stands the test of time and is innovative in its own right. It goes like this:
The best scientists in the world all gathered in a room to decide, once and for all, which was the greatest invention of all time. For days, they argued the benefits of the wheel and the assembly line, the combustion engine and pulleys, the irrigation system and the like. But they just couldn't come to an agreement on one single best invention.
Late on the second night, the building janitor was making his rounds when the scientist in charge asked him to come over. "Earl," he said, "We've been at this for days and just can't decide. So why don't you tell us what you think. What would you say, in the layman's opinion, was the greatest invention of all time?"
Earl took off his hat, leaned on his broom handle, and scratched his head. Then he said, "Well, sir, I think I'd have to say it's the thermos." After a brief, awkward silence, the head scientist said, "The thermos? But why? All it does is keep hot things hot and cold things cold."
"Yeah," Earl answered, "but how does it know?"
I heard that joke from a wise man long ago, and I've lost count of how many times I have recited it to refocus my thinking. It isn't just that we sometimes forget to keep it simple, but that we fail to notice the changing standards of our measurements. The familiar becomes a barrier to learning, to new ways of seeing ordinary and extraordinary things.
Industries, to date, have operated in silos, innovating from within and measuring themselves against each other for confirmation. But when you look across them as a whole, you find some have moved far beyond others in many areas, be it technology, communication, efficiency, or quality.
Therefore, it's vital, as business folk, that we step out of our habits and our routines to see our problems and our dilemmas with new eyes. How far you step away is up to you, but new Internet technologies like social media allow us to see further than we could before. We can see how other companies and other industries are facing similar challenges and overcoming them in ways we might never have entertained.
Initiatives like TED talks provide us with food for thought and for action on a regular basis. And events such as the SXSW interactive festival (more on this later) give us a chance to mix with people in our field who are succeeding or struggling in other industries.
There's no shortage of new ways of thinking, just as there is no one right way to do things. So keep your mind open to new ideas and different ways of looking at your business. You just might discover new possibilities when you look with different eyes.
So what about you? Where do you go for new ideas on solving old problems?
Great post! I think the best place to go is to the customer base you're trying so hard to retain in your sphere. Find out what's needed or wanted, then present and do that. It works and always drives success.
Absolutely, that's how social media can be helpful, as well, in gainig feedback from your customer base about what it is working and what could be improved.
"a practical hint" that I use to unblock myself when I stuck with a problem. I stop thinking anything about the problem, let's say I make a small brake but without thinking anything that relates with the problem. And suddenly a lot of ideas come ......
Furthermore, I believe if you want something new use your Imagination and trying to see from a different side.
I agree that it is essential to step out of old habit, assess and evaluate with a different eye. Social media is one criteria that assist in measuring business performance and enabling fresh ideas.
New great ideas stem from a current need for advancement or to fulfill a gap. The best way to look at the problem with different eyes, is asking, investigating and listening to what people say. Not all ideas or conversations will be useful but out of the entire conversation a brilliant idea may emerge.
Tackling difficult situation is just like driving. In our lives, we get to the stop signs when you must make the right decision to avoid being crushed. At that point, you are forced to pause, think and make a decision. For something new to crop up, we need to have a second look with an open heart. The natural instinct is there but we miss it at times because of the haste to achieve the desired goal. Never be afraid to fail but when you fail pick up your strength to rise again. We all enjoy electricity today, have you ever thought of how many times Isaac Newton failed before the success was achieved? The power to perform is right inside of individuals if we can listen to it.
Rather than using different eyes sometimes all that is a basic re-focusing of the vision.
An example would be to look at the natural world and how various 'engineering' problem are solved, despite all of our knowlege/understanding and technology we are still incapable of designing or simulating an ants brain.
Many of the greatest inventions have actually been copied from nature, even in the design of modern semiconductors including LED lighting which is based in part on the technology of biological luminance and biological dyes.
There is a whole new frontier opening up for designers and engineers who, rather than continually trying to fight the natural world with human based solutions are gradually taking natures lead, with the result that innovation in organic technology & materials are moving to a position that may well be the next technological frontier.
Through the use of organics we are moving forward in growing/printing components rather than having to utilize methods that nature would seldom utilize, even the humble spider is turning out to be a source of significant engineering solutions (a quick read-up on spider silk and nano-tubes)
Possibly the future of engineering is going to be based more along the lines of Biological systems, there may even be a requirement for future engineers to have a strong background in Biology.
@Tvotapka & @Ariella -- Thanks for the comments. Social is a great way to stay in tune with customers and gauge their desires. I believe we can do even better. The best value we can bring to a customer is the innovation they haven't thought of yet. Use their feedback as a baseline, then think forward and scan the environment for solutions that answer the questions yet unasked.
@Nemos -- Thanks for the hint. I like to do this as well. I work on several projects in a day, so that I have something else to focus on when a problem presents itself. This works for writing, design, and just about everything I do.
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Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
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Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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