Michael McMillan-speaker, author, designer, creative consultant » questions http://www.michaelmcmillan.com Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:37:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Beach Balls, Truth and Innovation http://www.michaelmcmillan.com/beach-balls-truth-and-innovation http://www.michaelmcmillan.com/beach-balls-truth-and-innovation#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:47:01 +0000 Michael http://www.michaelmcmillan.com/?p=978 Have you ever tried holding a small beach ball under water? It’s not too difficult at first… but the longer you try to hold it down, the harder it becomes. At some point, the upward force (buoyant force) wins and the beach ball surfaces. Back in 200 BC, Archimedes, the brilliant Greek scientist, discovered the deeper you hold a buoyant object underwater, the higher it shoots above the surface once it’s released. Buoyancy = weight of displaced fluid. Archimedes’ principle seems to apply to truth as well. Try as you may to keep it hidden, eventually it surfaces.

One technique I’ve used to hide a ball in the pool is to sit on it. This seems clever at first, but it’s a bit risky… one wrong move and the ball shoots right out from underneath you and flies out of the water for all to see. This is what happened to Bernie Madoff… he made some bad moves, lost his balance, and the truth surfaced in a flash. Sometimes, if you’re careful and have enough power, you can let the ball up slowly. This is what the tobacco industry did regarding the dangers of smoking. They realized the truth was going to surface sooner than later… so they let it up slowly. Whether it’s a beach ball or the truth, it’s not a matter of if or how it will surface, but when. At some point, even master beach ball hiders need to leave the pool and take a break.

Like beach balls and truth, innovation operates much the same way. Breakthrough possibilities are typically just below the surface… like Apple’s new iPad was until it recently popped up. Sometimes they’re being held under intentionally (people with agendas, special interest groups, etc.) and other times they’re trapped and need some persuading before they can surface. I have found it helps by asking questions, eliminating personal bias, and being open-minded to new possibilities. I have long considered creativity a search for truth… a quest for releasing beach balls, so to speak.

Once something surfaces, it’s difficult to submerge it and pretend it’s not real. Have you ever tried to convince someone they didn’t see what they just saw? It’s not easy. Sometimes, the answer is just below the surface, just waiting for us to let it emerge. Other times it’s deep… and it takes some work. Whether it’s beach balls, truth or innovation, what Archimedes discovered thousands of years ago still applies today… the deeper the buoyant object, the higher it will fly above the surface once it’s released.

]]> http://www.michaelmcmillan.com/beach-balls-truth-and-innovation/feed 0 Sacred Cows and Innovation http://www.michaelmcmillan.com/sacred-cows-and-innovation-2 http://www.michaelmcmillan.com/sacred-cows-and-innovation-2#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:46:20 +0000 Michael http://www.michaelmcmillan.com/?p=913 Without all the pieces, it’s hard to solve a puzzle… and developing innovative solutions is no different. I’ve always considered the creative process a search for truth. That’s what I love about creativity… it has no “sacred cows*”… everything is fair game and anything is possible. When you consider that creativity fuels innovation, the notion of truth (the whole truth and nothing but) can’t be taken lightly—especially if you’re really serious about innovation.

The number of “sacred cows” that dwell within organizations always intrigues me. You can see them in government, education, business and religious institutions. They can even be found in your own home! Contrary to popular belief, everyone has “sacred cows,” existing at every level and in many forms. Once you start looking for them, they’re relatively easy to spot. How? Start by asking some basic questions or suggesting some alternative ideas and watch how people respond. The more honest and logical your questions are, the better. You’ll soon realize that sacred cows are immune from questions or criticism, so doing either makes people defend them. Expect to hear these kinds of responses:
“That won’t work.”
“That violates the rules.”
“We shouldn’t be discussing this.”
“You don’t understand…”
“I can’t believe you asked such a question.”
“You’re missing the point.”
“That could get you fired.”
“It’s too complicated.”
“That’s outside our process.”
“You’re being irreverent.”
“That’s too radical.”
“That’s not the way we do things here.”
“You don’t have the authority.”

In addition, these kinds of responses are often cloaked in argot to make them appear more complicated, important or official-sounding than what they really are.

Reflect back on what it was like to ask questions in grade school. Unless you had a smart and curious teacher, the answers you received will sound much the same today—only you’re older and the answers will be coming from a peer or superior.

Here’s another clue… the bigger the “sacred cow” the more you are made to feel like an outcast. Many organizations claim to want transformation… but without the transforming part… “We need creative solutions… we need to get our people thinking differently… we need to develop a culture of innovation… but we don’t want people asking certain questions or criticizing any of our ‘sacred cows.’” In other words, “Find innovative solutions, but don’t be a truth seeker!”

Innovative organizations are truth-seeking by nature… that’s why they attract creative problem-solvers. Non-innovative organizations repel creative people and systematically suppress innovation by protecting sacred cows and reinforcing the status quo. Policies and procedures take precedence over innovative thinking. When you’re in the business of protecting sacred cows, you’re not in the business of innovation. You can’t spend time innovating when you’re busy controlling and programming how and what people think. Perceptual blindness and conformity squelch innovation.

If you’re serious about innovation, free your sacred cows and get to work.

* The term “sacred cow” is used figuratively to mean an object or practice which is considered immune from criticism, especially unreasonably so. The term is based on the popular understanding of the place of cows in Indian religions… as objects that have to be treated with respect, no matter how inconvenient.
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