On innovation and the curious mind

Back in early 2018, I wrote about the innovation petting zoo. It was a piece inspired by a conversation with my good friend Gregg Schoenberg over drinks in San Francisco, where he told me the story of a coffee machine in an otherwise empty bank innovation lab. It was also inspired by my kids, who were toddlers at the time, and their obsession with petting zoos and the desire to see animals in their natural habitat — though to be honest, there is nothing natural about zoo animals living in manmade quarters. But most of all, it was inspired by my own work experience, after witnessing companies spending millions of dollars renovating an office (or a building) with chic furniture and LED video wall display, which mostly served as executives’ bragging rights as they bring visitors along to see innovation in action.

But wait.

That’s not what innovation is about, is it? We put so much effort into looking for people with cultural fit — that we forgot what makes people innovative. It is not about the casual Fridays nor the open office space. It is also not about the innovation jams or hackathons where you can feel the spirit of innovation. Rather, it should be about hiring people with experience from different walks of life, and a work culture that embraces change and curiosity, and values learning through failure. 

Experimenting does not mean throwing spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks, nor pursuing creativity for the sake of creating something, anything. The strategy lies in balancing discipline and accountability, while giving people the flexibility and freedom to think and to explore. 

Easier said than done, I know. After all, innovation isn’t a one-time budget line item for a fiscal year. It needs to be part of the organization’s DNA, and across all teams and disciplines.

And you wonder why “innovation chiefs” play musical chairs.

When the music stops and we take stock of what is around us and how we go about our everyday lives, what do we notice? What do we see and what do we hear? 

Who do we serve and how can that be done better?

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.” Harriet Tubman

Oftentimes, especially of late, we become so obsessed with where people physically sit, that we forget the part about how they work. Innovation isn’t magic. Putting the teams in an innovation class with big sketch pads and markers does not magically make them innovative; nor do opening up innovation centers that serve as glorified event space.

Instead, we need to be hungry.

Hungry for knowledge. Hungry for change.

“Were there none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better.” Florence Nightingale

When was the last time you gave yourself the permission to dream, imagine the impossible, and create a future of what could have been? 

When was the last time you looked at the world around us and asked: “What if?” and “Why?” 

Just like how a curious child is always eager to learn more about the world they live in through every experience and interaction, perhaps it’s time for us to regain that inquisitiveness and see the world through their lens. 

And perhaps, just perhaps, we would find out that the answer to the ultimate great question of “Life, the Universe and Everything” might indeed be 42.

“Amazing the things you find when you bother to search for them.” Sacagawea (also known as Sacajawea)

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When we talk about innovation, oftentimes we think about those in technology. But innovation goes beyond artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing. Beyond the bits and bytes, it is also about changing mindsets and thinking critically and differently. It is about being comfortable with the uncomfortable. It is about allowing ourselves the time and opportunity to learn to be clumsy and to embrace failure as part of our journey. 

In this episode of One Vision, available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other players, Theo chats with Jennifer Sertl, Founder and President of Agility3R and Adjunct Professor at RIT, on innovation and the importance of cross-pollination. Perhaps it’s time to slow down and imagine a little. 

Give it a listen and drop us a review.