Pre-Ramble: What better time than this back-to-school week to think about thinking, innovation and the proposition of lifelong learning. 

Cut to the MIT Media Lab, a covey of designers, engineers, artists and scientists who conduct a staggeringly broad array of research around “the impact of emerging technologies on everyday life.” 

Tucked into the academic mêlée that is Boston, this hotbed of geeks and geniuses established in 1980 by Professor Nicholas Negroponte and former MIT President and Science Advisor to President John F. Kennedy, Jerome Wiesner, has developed new approaches to physical and social “human adaptability,” cognition and learning, and merging our physical world with digital technology. In this unique culture of “learning by doing” …  

… researchers develop new technologies that  ”empower people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all societies, to design and invent new possibilities for themselves and their communities … future-obsessed product designers, nanotechnologists, data-visualization experts, industry researchers, and pioneers of computer interfaces work side by side to tirelessly invent—and reinvent—how humans experience, and can be aided by, technology.”

Part of the point here is, “Wow – look at all the neat stuff these guys are working on!” … The other, more important message is that there is so much to know and do and experience “out there” in the world, that you might want to seize this opportunity to strap on your backpack and look to the cool productive air of fall to redirect your energy around some new exciting and enriching experiences.

The Take-Away: Hey – if not now, when? … Conduct your own inquiry into the things that are most intriguing to you. One place to kick-start your process might be to look into the Lab’s “Lifelong Kindergarten” project. Here, on a mission to create a more creative society, researchers look at new ways to “engage people in creative learning experiences.”  Go ahead and eat the paste, if you want … In the spirit of ”blocks and fingerpaint,” the group works to expand upon tradition ways of thinking, ultimately to incite “a world full of playfully creative people, who are constantly inventing new possibilities for themselves and their communities.” 

Class is in session!!

Pre-Ramble:  So, I came across an ad in one of the business publications I read, maybe it was Wired … could have been Fortune … anyway, I came across an advertisement promoting the Disney Institute.  Apparently, Mickey and the gang are leading a professional development consulting practice, preaching the gospel of Disney to organizations and individuals who want to realize success by “thinking differently” about their businesses.

“Are you ready to D’Think your organization? … Think outside the status quo … Built on the real-life practices of the Walt Disney Company, a global leader in everything from customer service to leadership excellence, our customized programs have re-inspired over half of America’s Fortune 100 companies. See their testimonials on our website and ask yourself: Are you ready to D’Think?” 

D’Think? … Does this mean, “de-think“? As in, “de-ice or de-clog“? … ”Stop thinking the way you’ve been thinking“? Or, does it mean, “Think D-isney” … as in “Disney-Think“? 

I think they were going for something creative and catchy and think-outside-the-box-y. (Never mind that the accompanying photo features two guys with cardboard boxes over their heads that actually look like giant Fig Newtons with legs … ) At first blush the concept of a corporate coaching arm inspired by Disney is, well, … inspired. 

Certainly, the Magic Kingdom, created by “artistic genius” Walt Disney, embodies all of the elements that one could wish for in an effective organizational model. The efficient and whimsical work environment can only be characterized as “innovative,” and the Disney reputation for delivering a world-class “Guest experience” is legendary. And when it comes to branding, Disney, with its tightly controlled worldwide scope of motion pictures, theme parks, stage shows, books, magazines, television, merchandise, music (… we can talk about the Mouseketeers later), apparel, radio, resorts, cruise line and more, practically invented the concept. So, as claimed,

“The end results may be magical, but the Disney formula … has much more muscle than pixie dust.”

Hey there, hi there, ho there …  Sounds like the muscle of the Disney Institute “formula” involves some pretty basic business school fare…

… That’s what you’ll learn in Disney’s Approach to Inspiring Creativity — one of the five core topics available at Disney Institute. Discover ways to tap into the same power source that has propelled more than 80 years of continuous business success:

• Analyze the working definition of “organizational creativity” as it applies to the success of any organization
• discover the four key components of the organizational creativity model – organizational identity, collaborative culture, structural systems, and the leader
• Examine the best practices of Disney in each of the four components

Wait a minute, Boys and Girls … What’s all this “analysis” and “key components” and “collaborative culture” talk?  Is this the brand of Disney-Speak that leads to Disney-Think? 

Where’s the pixie dust?  Sure, there’s value in sound, foundational business processes and practices, and deft strategy and execution around these things this is surely a part of what has made Disney the formidable and ubiquitous powerhouse that it has been for decades. But, the Disney “formula” is only part of the equation.  The thing is, what amounts to a highly innovative and organic outcome for the wonderful world of Disney, cannot be that for any other entity. Like a fingerprint, an innovative, thriving brand is unique and authentic and it takes some serious alchemy between relevant and random factors to punch that ticket.    

The Take-Away: It’s the “pixie dust” that offers the most competitive advantage here.  Beyond a business formula dressed up in tutus and tiaras, organizations and individuals who seek the vistas beyond the edge of the box are looking for the magic. They’re looking for ways to access the kind of creative spark that will inspire their thinking and transform their business.  Hopefully, the Disney power point includes a magic wand.

Pre-Ramble:  Just the sound of the word “innovation” gives me a rush of energy that rises up out of a cross section of art, science and the romantic notions of resourcefulness and hard work. Over the past decade, this glorified word has been slapped all over everything from business schools to soap, claiming the “frontier spirit” and trading on its appeal to dreamers and pragmatists alike. 

There is growing concern, however, that the U.S. prowess for innovation is in danger, and that steps must be taken to ”reclaim our edge.”  John C. Lechleiter, chairman, president and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company expounds upon that sentiment in a recent Opinion page article (WSJ, 7/9/10, p. A17).

A stream of inventions helped make the 20th century the American century … Unfortunately, America’s economy is in danger of losing what has always been our greatest competitive advantage – our genius for innovation. … A recent study ranked the U.S. 6th among the top 40 industrialized nations in innovative competitiveness, but 40th out of 40 in the rate of change in innovative capacity … In other words, we’re at serious risk of falling behind.”

(Forgive me if I’m missing something here, but how much farther behind can we fall if we’re already dead last?)

Building capacity. In crafting a turnaround plan, Lechleiter talks about an “ecosystem” of conditions that are required to foster an environment of innovation, among them the “seeds of innovation” meaning, us human beings with our talent and energy, creativity and insights, “…  a priceless resource and one that is woefully underdeveloped in this country.” Lechleiter goes on to suggest that, along with simplified immigration policies and adequate funding for our research infrastructure, one way to bolster America’s “capacity for innovation” is to step up the rigors of science and math instruction in our schools.

At the recent Apsen Ideas Festival, education gurus like Bill Gates, Jeffrey Canada, and Howard Gardner discuss the future of education in America. They suggest all kinds of great ideas, innovative ideas even, that strive to engage young people in real learning and give them the tools they will need for a successful future. They talk about innovative models for reform … a longer school day, … an articulated curriculum, … more rigorous testing, … accountability for results, … teacher quality and parent involvement.  Certainly, these are all important elements in a high-quality education, and important building blocks for innovation as well.

Jack Hidary, a successful innovator/entrepreneur in the tech and finance camp, former philosophy and neuroscience student at Columbia University, and also a speaker at this year’s Aspen Festival, puts things in another perspective, 

“Problem-solving is not correlated with grade scores on a transcript.”

Science and reading and math – Oh my!  Sure, high performance in math and science (and reading ) are critical skill sets that must be nurtured in the well-rounded innovator, but so too are the critical traits of curiosity, independence and engagement. What is going to actually engage these kids?  Why are they going to want to sit in the classroom longer and take harder courses?  What is going to get them excited to come to school and apply themselves?  To get excited about learning?  How are they going to find what they are looking for in life unless they are given an opportunity to access their their imagination, their chi, their passion, their hidden sources of motivation? What is going to compel these students to shift their internal paradigm such that they see barriers and obstacles as exciting ”challenges to be overcome”?

Follow the yellow brick road.  Sometimes the answer is to go off of the beaten path and find yourself in a whole new place … maybe even one with rainbows, a tin man and ruby slippers (awesome, magical sparkliness shown above). Problem-solving – a gateway to innovation – involves critical thinking, exploration, resourcefulness and creativity. Future  innovators need to develop the motivation and capacity to snoop around … to follow their whims … listen to their gut, and rely on instinct and insight to make new connections among an infinite sea of random data points.

We need to provide kids with opportunities to venture down the yellow brick road … to get out of the black and white and see the world in color on a regular basis. In addition to a crabby Auntie Em and high winds, Dorothy’s data points were facilitated by her encounters with the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.  The future entrepreneur needs a firm understanding of math and science and literature, AND art and music and team-work and a whole bunch of other random and wonderful things.

The Take-Away: We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Like Oz and the Fab 4, our the world is spinning and we need to figure out a way to make sense out of it. If we are to have any hope of rebuilding the American capacity for innovation, we need to engage and “nurture the seeds” in new ways. … Even clicking our societal heels in a spanking new pair of sparkly red shoes isn’t going to help us find our way back to innovation if we continue to ignore the critical role that the arts and extracurricular activities play in human engagement and continue to undervalue (cut funding for) them in our public and educational environments.

Parts of this post originally appeared in a feature that I wrote for the PUSH Institute. A new iteration of that piece appears below. 

Pre-Ramble:  A recent WSJ headline notes that at 3M, “Innovation Comes in Tweaks and Snips.”  3M CEO George Buckley charged staffers to find cheaper ways to make products like respirator masks as a way to improve products and cut costs, suggesting that in hard economic times like these, innovations can be found “at the bottom of the pyramid” rather than in pursuit of a single “grandiose invention.” 

Huh? Certainly, innovation can come in many shapes and sizes, but the brand of iterative chicken scratching suggested in this charge raises serious questions about the definition of “innovation.” For example, can any/every iterative maneuver, be it cost cutting, process improvement, or otherwise tweaking and snipping, be considered “innovation”? Where are the lines drawn around an “ah-hah moment” born of the elusive “creative spark,” and simple problem-solving?  Are we wrong to lump the concepts of innovation, invention and creativity into the same category?  Is being “skillful” the same as being “innovative”? What about resourcefulness?  And, where does novelty come into play?

With operations in more than 65 countries, 75,000 employees, and global sales of over $23 billion, 3M leadership must remain engaged on all levels of the innovation pyramid in these tough economic times. No stranger to innovation, Buckley’s training as an electrical engineer combined with a broad knowledge of physics and thermodynamics led to many patented, industry-changing inventions including early prototypes of the front-loading washing machine. In his role as CEO of 3M (current tagline, “Innovative Technology for a Changing World”), Buckley is both an idealist and a realist when it comes to innovation. The cost-cutting exercise around the respirator masks belies the true depth of Mr. Buckley’s creative nature. 

Part genius, part maverick. In 2007, I had an opportunity to sit down with Mr. Buckley to talk about the dynamic of creativity. An intensely curious and widely read man, he described himself as a life-long-learner, engaging in regular inquiry into a wide variety of topics including ancient history, biographies, classical music and the arts. Buckley is comfortable talking in both broad abstract terms and in the vernacular of the pragmatic, Fortune 500 business leader that he is. Introverted and thoughtful, driven to a state of near constant scanning, observation, processing and critiquing, Buckley believes that the creative process occurs at the intersection of intuitive vision, specialized “deep” knowledge and opportunity. He believes that creative discovery is something other than linear processing that “comes on another level of awareness … part genius, part maverick … a willingness to risk, to go out into an unknown realm.”

Whether it’s intensive, intentional brainstorming or pie-in-the-sky day-dreaming, innovation can come at any time in any place.  If the classic anecdotes are true, it would seem that innovations are more likely to come to those who are sitting at a bar doodling on a cocktail napkin. Seems to me that the flash of insight in the “ah-hah” moment is a much sexier way to go than the plodding, nose-to-the-grindstone approach, … some thoughts:

• Value-add.  The nature of the innovation and its value to society is a factor in assessing the innovative quotient of a product or process. Resourcefulness, for example, can be a component of innovative behavior, however it does not necessarily deliver social value. If you’re lost on a deserted island, there will be great personal value in being able to forage for food, fashion shelter out of palm fronds, and create an imaginary friend out of found objects …. But, beyond that immediate situation, what is the enduring or replicable outcome?  What is the value-add for mankind? Does there need to be one?
• Novelty.  Toys and games, can claim some real estate in the sphere of creativity, innovation and invention as well. Think Nerf ball. Invented by journalist-turned-toy-mogul, Reynolds Guyer, the Nerf was a literal game-changer, challenging the once unbreakable rule that “you can’t throw a ball in the house.”  The invention of the Nerf spawned an industry of fun, neon-colored, foam-based weaponry and continues to score millions in revenue every year.
• Context.  One man’s failure is another man’s innovation. Take the ubiquitous, highly innovative 3M product, the Post-it note. In the context of the 3M research department, inventor Spencer Sliver’s attempt to formulate a new super-sticky adhesive was a failure. Years later, however, colleague Arthur Fry conceived the application for Sliver’s easily removable glue compound that we celebrate today. 

The Take-Away: At the end of the day, innovation is as innovation does. If this week’s pull-out in The Economist, “The world turned upside down: A special report on innovation in emerging markets,” is any indication, we have not begun to exhaust the possibilities here, and, as it turns out, Mr. Buckley’s “tweak and snip” approach is spot on with global innovation trends. Woot!

NOTE: In recent efforts to “make the Post-it brand more relevant and ‘cool and hip’ with members of Gen X and Y, 3M marketers have released “Project Things We Forget” into the social media marketplace.  The project website has attracted 770,000 visitors; has 13,000 fans and 700 friends on Facebook; 1,500 followers on Twitter; 700 devotees on Stumbleupon (a website where you can collect and share neat stuff that you find online); reviews and features on over 674,000 sites; and a review on Singapore’s largest radio station.

Post-Note:  As for the challenge to 3M respirator researchers – consumers can breathe a sigh of relief; an ultra-low-cost respirator mask will be released into the marketplace this month.