Last Wednesday, October 21 2015, many of us went ‘Back to the Future’ because if you remember the first of the three movies, originally made in 1985, that was the year Dr Emmett Brown and Marty McFly headed back to….who would have thought that would come around! The movie created many innovative devices, with the hover board being one of my favourites. Despite being made over 30 years ago, the movie offered many innovative ideas for the future.
Innovation is a subject that fascinates and beguiles us at the same time. It defines individuals as well as companies.
There are many myths about innovation. Myths in the organisation. And myths in our own minds which often inhibit innovation. Yet, every one of us has unique strengths, skills, and passions.
Can you think about and list some of your own?
According to author John Sweeney, author of ‘The Innovative Mindset: 5 Behaviors for Accelerating Breakthroughs’ embracing that all-important mindset of discovery requires looking at innovation in a completely different way - as a set of behaviours that can be cultivated and practiced. The goal is to bring the behavioural side of innovation to the forefront of the conversation.
What can we do to make our business more innovative? What are some things I can do to make myself more innovative?
Innovation demands that we open our minds to all possibilities as a way to find our own personal path to success and solution. If we all choose to simply spend more time in a mindset of discovery instead of a mindset of fear, our lives and this world can become richer, more productive, and more innovative.
The definition of the mindset of discovery emerged from more than 55 years of improvising off and on stage at the Brave New Workshop. Without this kind of improvising mindset, it's nearly impossible to create and collaborate at the rapid pace on stage requires with the added stress of a live audience.
Improvisation has been found to be an amazing vehicle to practice the behaviours and mindset needed for successful innovation. Here are some lessons learned about improvisation:
· Make everyone on stage look better than you at all times.
· Reframe mistakes as steppingstones toward success.
· The fastest way to build something is to be in a culture of agreement.
· Serving your teammates and the audience will lead to far greater success than serving yourself.
Although the intention of this book is not to teach someone how to improvise, especially on stage, it's important to at least explain why improvisational performance has been such an essential part of developing the mindset of discovery and an understanding of how that mindset can help others offstage.
Source: John Sweeney: The Innovative Mindset: 5 Behaviors for Accelerating Breakthroughs
Business Tips
The Innovative Mindset of Discovery
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- Category: Innovation
