From Playground to Boardroom: Innovation Lessons from Kids

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Hey there, innovation champions!

Picture this: It's 3:20 PM on a Tuesday, and I'm watching a group of fourth and fifth graders fearlessly dive into an improv game called "I Am A Tree."

One student steps forward, arms raised like branches: "I am a tree!"

Before they can even blink, three more kids leap in:

"I'm a bird in the tree!"

"I'm the wind blowing through the branches!"

"I'm a squirrel stealing the bird's nuts!"

No hesitation. No self-judgment. No overthinking.

Just pure, unbridled creativity in action.

Now, contrast this with what typically happens when I run this same exercise with tech leaders. The silence is deafening. Everyone waits, calculating their move, trying to come up with the "perfect" addition to the scene.

This contrast perfectly illustrates why so many organizations struggle with innovation – we've unlearned what came naturally to us as children.

Let me share what I've discovered teaching my weekly "Improv Adventure!" class for kids, and how it maps to my Create the Impossible™ framework:

1. Play Hard

Before every class officially begins, my students are already playing Zombie Tag. They beg to keep playing favorite games from previous weeks. When class is ending, they negotiate for "just 15 more seconds!"

These kids understand something many tech leaders have forgotten: play isn't just fun – it's fuel for creativity.

2. Make Crap

In our games, "failure" is inevitable. You might get called "out," make a mistake, or draw a blank. But here's the magic: these kids don't care! Why? Because we've reframed failure as an opportunity to be celebrated for trying.

Imagine if your tech team approached innovation with this mindset – where "failed" experiments were celebrated as valuable data points rather than mistakes to be avoided.

3. Learn Fast

While I don't spend as much time debriefing with kids as I do with adults, they're constantly absorbing feedback and improving their craft. Each game builds on the lessons from the last, creating a natural learning cycle.

This is exactly how agile innovation should work – rapid experimentation, quick feedback loops, and continuous improvement.

The Secret Sauce: A Supportive Environment

None of this would be possible without the right environment. Just as these kids thrive because they have a teacher who encourages rather than shuts down their creativity, your team needs leadership that cultivates psychological safety and celebrates experimentation.

Your Challenge This Week:

Choose one game from your childhood and adapt it for your next team meeting. Maybe it's word association, maybe it's building something together. The specific activity matters less than the mindset it creates.

Remember: innovation isn't about adding more pressure – it's about rediscovering the natural creativity we all had as children.

Stay curious, stay playful, and keep creating the impossible!

I'd love to hear from you. What childhood game would you like to adapt for your next team meeting? Click here to share your ideas!

Senior Leaders: Ready to help your team rediscover their natural creativity? Here are three ways I can help:

1) Download my FREE Innovation Culture Assessment to evaluate where your team stands.

2) Download the first 50 pages of my book, The Creative Sandbox Way™, to reconnect with your creativity. 

3) Book your complimentary Innovation Strategy Session to discover how to empower your team to Create the Impossible™. We'll explore custom strategies to unleash creativity, foster breakthrough innovation, and transform your organizational culture.

A version of this article originally appeared on the blog at melissadinwiddie.com.

About Melissa Dinwiddie, M.Soc.Sci.

Innovation Strategist | Keynote Speaker | Author

I help leaders and organizations Create the Impossible™ through my unique 3-step process. Drawing on my multifaceted creative background—from Juilliard-trained dancer to professional artist to jazz singer—I bring a fresh perspective to the tech and corporate world, empowering even the most analytical minds to unlock their creative potential and drive breakthrough innovation.

My innovative approaches, which form the basis of my Create the Impossible™ framework and Creative Sandbox Way™ principles, have contributed to transforming teams at Google, Facebook, Uber, Salesforce, Stanford, and more. Through interactive, playful keynotes and workshops, I help build cultures of thriving innovation using the same principles that help artists create works of enduring impact.

Ready to supercharge creativity and ignite innovation in your organization? Here's how we can connect:

1. Assess Your Innovation Culture: Take my FREE 10-minute Innovation Culture Assessment.
2. Explore The Creative Sandbox Way™: Download the first 50 pages of my acclaimed book.
3. Create Your Impossible: Book a complimentary Innovation Strategy Session to discover what's possible for your team.

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