Dear Innovator:
A few weeks ago, prompted by the November feature article in Edison's Notebook on trends and their role in shaping innovation, a colleague forwarded me a provocative piece written by New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks. Entitled The Crossroads Nation, Brooks describes the need for America to fashion a big vision for itself, and determine what kind of nation it wants to be in 2030 and 2050.
Without a vision for where the country is headed, Brooks believes America risks losing its relevance on the world stage. And that includes the risk of losing our innovation DNA.
He's right. America is at a crossroads...an innovation crossroads. I think in fact we are entering a crossroads decade. After losing traction in what many pundits dubbed "the lost decade," 2000 to 2009 saw the nation's focus shift to anti-terrorism and security issues. Innovation became an aperitif for many leaders - nice to have, but not essential.
For better or for worse, the Great Recession changed that. It brought innovation back into mainstream discussion. It made the perils of an "innovation crossroads" real.
After two years of protracted pain, I now see leaders dedicating more time and resources to reshaping outdated business models. I hear them describing how they are making a majority of their systems mobile and digital. I see them focusing on new technological applications that make customer experiences pleasant and seamless.
All of these shifts entail various forms of innovation. It's a refreshing and hopeful sign for the coming decade.
Crossroads Experiences Drive Innovation
David Brooks got me thinking. I attended a holiday party last week with several colleagues whom I've worked with for the better part of 25 years. (See photo.) It struck me that, whether individually or collectively, we've faced numerous crossroads in that time. In most instances, these crossroads arrived because the path we were on got "shaken up" by forces we could not have anticipated. Here is a quick list:
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From left to right: Ralph Blessing, Elliot Rossen, Phil Roos, Gad Meiron...and moi. |
- Leaving a corporation
- Starting a new business
- Running two businesses at once
- Selling a business
- Getting laid off
- Experiencing the aftermath of an acquisition
- Writing a book released by a major publisher
- Working solo inside a large organization
These experiences placed each of us at a crossroads. We had to use innovation -- and innovative thinking -- to develop a new context for our work, often "re-skilling" ourselves in the process. Without these crossroads, it's debatable whether
we would have grown and expanded our lives and businesses in quite the same way.
Resources to Help You Innovate at the Crossroads
What crossroads are you facing? How can you use these crossroads to drive innovation in your organization? How can you use a crossroads dilemma to transform your future?
To guide you in probing these challenges, here are 10 topics covered this year in various issues of Edison's Notebook. Use these as you ponder how you can bring innovation and innovative thinking to your crossroads:
| 10 CROSSROADS TOPICS |
INNOVATION RESOURCES |
| •
Improving creativity & risk-taking vs. daily routine |
January |
| • Expanding "curiosity" vs. complacency |
January |
| • Designing powerful teams vs. random teams |
February |
| • Heightening uniqueness vs. status quo |
March |
| • Playfulness and humor vs. routine and boring |
March |
| • Collaboration and innovation vs. committees |
June |
| • Dealing with ambiguity vs. avoiding it |
June |
| • Tackling complexity vs. fearing it |
August, September |
| • Becoming inner-directed vs. running on auto pilot |
August |
| • Using trends as transformers vs. the headlines |
November |
| • Re-skilling vs. accepting "routine" work |
November |
Innovation thrives at the crossroads! Don't let your crossroads defeat you! Shift paths...pursue the road not taken! Use Edison's timeless innovation principles to guide your efforts. And most importantly, keep innovating!
New Paths for Innovation in 2011
In 2011, I've committed to expanding my focus on my next book, Collaborate Like Edison: The 7 Truths of Collaboration Success. As a result, Edison's Notebook will now include a feature article every quarter rather than every month. Please continue reading all your favorite sections!
Plus...stay tuned for further news on TableStakes™, the innovation simulation game I've developed with a colleague. It's designed around a genre within the gaming world called a "serious game," and can be played "live" by up to 50 people. If you've been searching for a way to transform innovation engagement in your organization, email me at info@powerpatterns.com to learn more!
To the thousands of Edison's Notebook readers around the world whose ideas, emails, forwarded articles, TED talks, and more (!) continue to inspire these pages, I send you all my deepest thanks and joyous wishes for the holiday season!
To your innovation success in 2011 and beyond,
PS: Please
share this newsletter with a co-worker
or a friend!
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