As I read some of the BlogJam posts, I cannot help but ask the following question:
If I'm not "personally brilliant," is there a role for me to play in the work of innovation?
I certainly hope and believe the answer is yes. If we're going to talk about distributed, collaborative "open innovation" that transcends the old-school proprietary R&D approach, then we need to think about how to make innovation as inclusive as possible, allowing everyone to connect to the work in ways that feel personally authentic to those individuals. I don't believe that we should try to limit involvement in innovation (intentionally or otherwise) to only the select few people who possess the "right" combination of genetic traits, personal attributes or learned skills.
As I wrote in a post yesterday, not everyone working on innovation needs to be a wild-eyed, right-brain creative power-brainstomer/prototyper. Innovation demands all kinds of talents, and I think we should look for ways to capitalize on all of them. Our organizations truly cannot afford to waste any brain cells!
Related Stories: | Topics:Innovation, blogjam 2005, Science and Technology, Sciences, Cognitive Science, Life Sciences |
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Recent Comments | 7 Total
August 10, 2005 at 8:58am by Don The Idea Guy
Damn straight, Jeff!
I think that's why Jim Canterucci's "Personal Brilliance" concept has so captured my attention -- his four quadrants beg to have people involved in different aspects of innovation.
Certainly it's best to keep in mind all four when working solo on a project, but if I were to involve others in executing my vision, I'd be more aware (AWARENESS!) of choosing those that could compensate in the areas where I am lacking (which I have been told, is usually FOCUS.)
...ooh, shiny!...
August 10, 2005 at 9:58am by Jim Canterucci
Jeff, you've hit on the thesis of my work. "You" are personally brilliant in your way, in your world. We have to make a place for this person. I can't tell you how many times I've interviewed the receptionist while waiting to get in the room with the 'wild-eyed' people and was able to leverage that perspective. In these cases I usually make a big deal out of giving the recptionist credit in order to reinforce awareness and curiosity to the innovator.
August 10, 2005 at 10:17am by Cecilia Sepp
Innovation cannot occur if only "right brained creative types" are involved. Why? Because -- frequently -- they lack the ability to make things happen. I used to work with tap dancers so I have seen "the creatives" in action. Wonderful people who seem to bounce off the walls at times, but they do not always have the ability to get things done, which they freely and proudly admit.
August 19, 2005 at 8:20pm by David Gibbons
... to echo the choir above ...
in large open communities, brilliance doesn't come from "personal brilliance", it's as a result of "diversity" - check out "the wisdom of crowds" by James Surowiecki - diversity is one of 3 prerequisites for communities to be "wise" - personal brilliance isn't on the list.
To be productive, be yourself, be different - participate & specialize in those things that capture your passion.
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