MIT’s Andy Pentland says the best decision-making environment for good ideas to spread is one with high levels of both “engagement” and “exploration.
The best decision-making environment, Mr. Pentland says, is one with high levels of both “engagement” and “exploration.” Engagement is a measure of how often people in a group communicate with each other, sharing social knowledge. Exploration is a measure of seeking out new ideas and new people.
The answer is obvious, right? Well, not so. Some think that ideas matter more because you can snap them out of thin air. Which is why I think most people guard their ideas. They think they are unique on their own…
That isn’t true. Ideas matter, but execution is where the rubber meets the road. You need both.
With that said, the answer is obvious: Ideas come from people. Therefore, people are more important than ideas.
Bottom line: Getting the team right is the necessary precursor to getting the ideas right. But, getting the right people and the right chemistry is more important than getting the right idea. This is easier said than done.
In my experience, no. In the short-term the organization might get a jolt of excitement, but over the long-term nothing will change.
Here’s why:…
There is no innovation without experimentation…
A while back, Dan Ariely wrote a thoughtful column in the Harvard Business Review about why businesses don’t experiment:…
Phil McKinney asks: are customers a source of ideas for innovation?
Two years ago The Economist published a report where it indicated that by 2020 customers will replace R&D as the main source of new ideas. Well, apart from customers, there are many sources where companies can get ideas for innovation; partners, competitors, non-competing companies and employees.
Some of the most innovative ideas can come from customers themselves. But, you must involve them.…
Unlike scrappy startups, and maverick organizations, innovation doesn’t happen with a snap of a finger in traditionally managed organizations; it needs fearless leaders.
As I mentioned in last week’s question-to-innovate, innovation is a team game, and there many types of people who can fill those roles. Today, I’ll touch on the “who do we unleash to make innovation happen?” part of the equation.
Most likely you are in a traditional organization where management still rules the day, bureaucracy can stand in the way or enable innovation. Let’s imagine that you’ve talked about and agreed that innovation needs to become more than simple talk in your organization. To make this happen, you’ve decided to unleash the hounds: the fearless and passionate people who don’t follow the rules that you’ve sat on the bench.
Still, who among these mavericks can really push through?…
Nuances and details are lost in the sea of bullshit that is media and human irrationality, and an outcome is one of the most dangerous things humans do: build people up to more than they probably are.
Sure, the world needs heroes that carry a positive narrative that others can latch on to and get inspired to make a story of their own. My heroes are Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan. You have your own, for your own personal reasons.
And just like you and I have our own motivations for why we do something, what we do and how we do it; so do other potential innovators.
Truth is, that in a world where people are fitted into boxes, everyone has their own creative style. Some people are more systematic than others, and some of us are more intuitive. I believe that failing to understand this distinction between people is a huge innovation obstacle!…
