Recently I read an excerpt from a new business innovation book wherein the author went to great lengths to instill the need to provide sufficient resources for every innovation effort, without which the effort would be almost certain to fail. The cited leadership's frequent failure to ensure adequate resources as the single most important reason for innovation failures.
Hogwash! Not only is the author wrong, his perspective is downright dangerous to the heart of the innovation effort. Frequently when addressing a client's desire to instill greater innovation within their organization, I will define a strategy that purposely restricts access to resources. Why? Simple. When we are faced with severe limitations, most groups either quickly give up or wade into the fray determined to succeed despite the their circumstances.
When I think of difficult, in fact, perilous circumstances, my mind turns to the Apollo 13 near disaster. You will recall that following an onboard explosion enroute to the moon, Houston Ground Control was faced with several problems. First, was how to turn the spacecraft around and head it back to earth. The next arose a few days later when the crew began to suffer carbon dioxide poisoning. In response to this second dilemma and his engineering staff's analysis that no in flight repair was possible given the crew's available resources, the Flight Director gathered the engineering team together. He placed them in a room with only the equipment which the crew had onboard, which he unceremoniously dumped onto the table from several sacks and told them they had just hours to design a solution that the crew could replicate. He also told them that failure was not an option.
The result? With only minutes of oxygen remaining, the engineering team talked the astronauts through the construction of carbon dioxide scrubbers, fabricated from a sock, a carbon filter cartridge of the wrong size, a few other odds and ends and a roll of duct tape. This innovation saved the lives of the three crew members and possibly the future of the Apollo program.
Copyright 2005 by John Di Frances.
John Di Frances is an internationally recognized organizational legacy expert and motivational speaker. http://www.difrances.com
People often think that there is a creative type. This... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
The mind is an infinite wonder. It has the fantastic... Read More
Are you a right-brainer or a left-brainer?The greatest thinkers are... Read More
When is it right for you to rebel against the... Read More
When you have a problem, sometimes you need a new... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
How do you like to solve your problems? Do you... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Before I reveal it, shall we review some things that... Read More
Ever hear "You can't teach an old dog a new... Read More
Ideas happen all the time. And when I say an... Read More
"Nothing is accidental ... use everything." -- Keith JohnstoneEven the... Read More
Just when I have something figured out, along comes another... Read More
It was a sunny Saturday in April 2003 in Myrtle... Read More
Coaching, training or learning about creativity and innovation involves mastery... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
You've probably heard it a hundred times by now -... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Since I derive most of my life lessons from reading... Read More
Have you ever used your intuition to solve problems? Can... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Throughout History we have imprisoned our brightest stars and thinkers.... Read More
Recently I read an excerpt from a new business innovation... Read More
It is that time of year again. Yuletide?Christmas in the... Read More
An enterprising person is one who comes across a pile... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Here's a subject that we don't normally think of when... Read More
At 28, Ellen MacArthur is a world record holder. In... Read More
Do the NewAn old pair of shoesDo you have a... Read More
It just might save your lifeThink of the many times... Read More
You've heard of applied science, well how about applied Magick.... Read More
Leaders, consultants and managers must be competent in at least... Read More
When I first heard Jim Rohn talk about the importance... Read More
It's Friday night, you're sitting at a restaurant, and as... Read More
When you have a problem, sometimes you need a new... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
When is it right for you to rebel against the... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Innovation, in a business context, is generally thought of as... Read More
You've probably heard the phrase "repetition is the mother of... Read More
A new idea is merely the combination of two or... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
The constant search for Good Ideas has resulted in many... Read More
As the pioneers of aviation took to the air (not... Read More
Ideas are everywhere. Some are small and seemingly insignificant. Others... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Innovation Innovation |