Bob Hruzek picked up on my three necessary but not sufficient conditions for innovation with an interesting personal story to make the point that all the old certainties have to be taken away before you can see the world afresh. It was good reinforcement. Today, I want to pick up on the most controversial of the three: starvation. It has been suggested that my advocacy of this condition indicates masochism and/or sadism, but such accusation misses the point. The tradition of fasting is near universal in religions around the world. Interestingly though the greek word askesis which references exercise and athletic training is the origin of asceticism. In practice starvation is the most positive of the three conditions. It is about preparing yourself to discover abundance.
The culture and innovation programme starts with a journey. Boarding the Indian Pacific in Sydney at midday on the 31st of March 2007 participants will meet leaders of the indigenous people of Australia who will spend the afternoon introducing us to a unique and rich culture. After a night on the train (in sleeping carriages) the morning we will disembark for what promises to be a fascinating twenty four hour period. We will build our own shelter, discover the rich abundance of bush tucker and hear the stories of the land. This catalytic event, the start of the programme is designed as a form of fasting, a giving up of the familiar to discover a new richness. Thus prepared we will move onto the trans-disciplinary period in Broken Hill where we will bring a diverse range of academic understandings of culture to bear on the real world issues and problems that participants have brought to the programme: more on that tomorrow.
Comments (5)
This reminds me of a funny story I heard from Don Akers, a former boxer and currently a great motivational speaker.
Someone asked him what he was thinking about when he entered the ring; if he ever hated or got mad at his opponent. He said it wasn't hate or anger; his diet was so controlled when he was in training, that by the time he got into the ring, the guy just looked like a pork chop!
** Comment
Brillian Bob - I am still giggling ....
Dave
Posted by Robert Hruzek | October 5, 2006 3:36 PM
Posted on October 5, 2006 15:36
What about the adoption or dissemination of an innovation, Dave, once the initial idea has been born? I can see starvation begets a hunger, but is this hunger to be experienced throughout the entire organisation? Or is it more that the people that follow on towards the second half of the "adoption curve" look for an abundance of proof first before they adopt the idea?
**RESPONSE
I suggested the three conditions as necessary but not sufficient for innovation to happen. In respect of adoption then they also apply in a different way. The organisation will need to see that the innovation adds value and that is more likely if they do not have current ways of handling the opportunity presented by said innovation. Aside from that I would look at Crossing the Chasm by G E Moore for a good view of adoption cycles
Posted by David Williams | October 6, 2006 11:10 AM
Posted on October 6, 2006 11:10
I found your conditions for innovation interesting... And although they don't really tally with my personal experience they did remind me a of a great paper about the use of positive reinforcement in training animals to be 'creative' It's a real eye opener... and started a whole host of thought trails for me personally.
more here : http://www.canoworms.info/2005/10/the_procrastinating_porpoise.html
Starvation for me at least implies an absolute necessity to succeed which kills creativity dead. Starvation leads porpoises (and people) to take safe if uncreative solutions... it's negative reinforcement in action. Encouraging action in order to remove a pain / an extreme hunger.
With porpoises at least... this doesn't work.
Merry Christmas!
Jason
Posted by Jason Bates | December 28, 2006 3:46 PM
Posted on December 28, 2006 15:46
If you read the second post Jason you will see that I qualified "starvation"
Posted by Dave Snowden![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 28, 2006 5:22 PM
Posted on December 28, 2006 17:22
Thanks, for the pointer. In the other post, starvation '...of familiar resources' does make much more sense.
But for me 'Starvation' comes with too much emotional baggage to accept it stretched into this alternative 'non-food' definition. I can't help but translate your starvation into my 'constraint' (in a E. Goldratt kind of way) It works better for me.
(Reminiscences of being a student and having no food in the house do include starvation and creativity... but I don't think that tomato sauce sandwiches is really what we are talking about here ;o)
Still thought provoking!
Regards,
Jason Bates
Posted by Jason Bates | December 28, 2006 6:15 PM
Posted on December 28, 2006 18:15