Few will deny that they have enjoyed work more when fun is found somewhere in its process. And many admit to being more productive when creative design is part of what they do. In fact, the same brain circulits stimulated during play - are also activated and strengthened during highly successful innovative initiatives. So why then, do long faces tend to trump joyous moments at work?
In spite of the compelling case for flat out fun at work, business organizations have been slow to build cultures where play fosters innovation across diverse arenas. Innovation loses when senior managers remain locked in the past, in ways that rob the enjoyment innovators typically bring to their work. It doesn't have to be that way.
Imagine the pleasure and adventure of an enterprising organization where workers were encouraged to “ride the curve of the arc” at the dream stages, and then contribute a “theory of relativity” as an outcome. Does that portrait help to lay out the purpose and possibilities behind, this Hack? Einstein wrote and innovators affirm: Games are the most elevated forms of investigation.
It's with a thirst for discovery, investigation and sustainable progress, that I have incorporated the Celebration of Innovation into MITA Brain Based Leadership Certifications, with good success in several organizations, and in a few countries. This Hack, however, is its initial proposal for regular workplace inclusion later this month - when I propose this idea at the invitation of Wegmans - an award winning food chain.
With help from innovative suggestions, such as this innovation community, it could infuse novel opportunities for innovative solutions that shape cutting edge talent development, and advance pioneer inventions. It could also transform ordinary workplace cultures, into innovation labs where talents become tools to invent a new work order for higher dividends.
With that in mind, I gladly invite your suggestions for additions to my proposal, welcome ideas to fill in gaps, and look forward to improved incentives that would help to trigger high performance minds within a newly minted and flexible work culture!
Problem
- Dull workplaces obstruct innovation and discourage mistake making: About 70 % of workers claim dislike their workplace, and few businesses are tackling ways to fix toxic workplaces. Sadly, since brains default to ruts and routines, we keep broken systems alive, and workers gain a sense a false security by staying on.
- Workers who differ from mainstream ideas often feel undervalued. Little innovation fuels the workplace where workers of all backgrounds and talents are ignored, or taken for granted. Where process is regimented, and people controlled, top talents get neglected.
- Play’s often strikingly absent within toxic workplaces, and invention opportunities seem rare. While we know from neuro discoveries how well play interfaces with work, the concept has yet to catch on in mainstream business arenas.
- Risk-taking as a regular practice rarely stands a chance in traditional business settings. Rewards are often restricted for workers who control the range of ideas or practices with money, and are less offered as incentives for talented people to develop and contribute innovative ideas. So the traditional workplace lacks incentive to design inventions with brilliance that takes risks.
- Play is not often showcased for its innovative wonder at work. In times of recession we see more and more demands to make money, through controlled and rigid processes, that leaders seem to think guard against monetary loss and hold onto productivity to wait out storms.
- Poor tone creates an unsafe setting for people to share their innovations or risk seeking other's suggestions, because they fear attacks or reprisals for new or unique iniatives. People who wield poor tone often admit they cannot seem to overcome the brain’s default for ruts that foster poor tone or causes conflicts.
Solution
Host a Celebration of Innovation where staff will showcase innovative projects and insights similar to tradeshows. An innovation team of facilitators will direct the institution of this celebration and will track progress and ensure multiple talents are developed, shared and leveraged into profitability. The Celebration of Innovation will be premised on newly discovered neuro facts about innovation’s proclivity – as a natural segue to challenge growth at work. As a departure from traditional business settings with controled or rigid practices, open-minded growth settings would develop. Through incentives connected to the Celebration of Innovation ordinary workers with curious brains, would develop the kind of initiatives one admires from high performance minds. The result? The emergence of innovative leadership bent toward helping to facilitate a new world order, where innovation is central.
Specific solutions to current innovation barriers, include:
- Celebration will foster innovation incentives for teams to risk making mistakes necessary for excellence and growth. Trust - the workplace trait most workers request, will be woven into celebrations as people will contribute ideas and feedback to build together on the best concepts. The innovation celebration will publish tone guidelines to value diverse talents both individually and collectively.
- Innovation exemplars will draw from diverse backgrounds, talents and fields Incentives, such as publication of ideas, invitations to business experts in the field, and positive tone guidelines will be given for practical ways to value colleagues’ work. Criteria will be transparent so that top talents really get to the top. Like Pixar there will be a series of Q&A, interactive exchange of ideas to improve, and a trade show aspect to draw from the wider business community.
- Play fills a central and daily role within workplaces where invention opportunities lead to celebration of innovation that changes the culture of the organization. Using neuro discoveries to support how play interfaces with work, the concept takes risks in business arenas with evidence of discovery along the way. Digital games will be encouraged to engage new problem-solving skills at work. Staff from the entire organization will be hosted to enjoy (and build new neuron pathways toward play’s role in creative design at that workplace) so the journey of learning will extend beyond one’s comfort zones at work.
- Risk-taking will be tracked and rewarded as innovations grow into excellence. Rewards are often restricted for workers who control with money, and are less offered as incentives for talented people to develop and contribute innovative ideas. So the traditional workplace lacks incentive to design inventions with brilliance that takes risks. Research shows how risk-taking relates to the brain’s dopamine levels and defies logic. Rather than stifle risks, the celebration would be designed to support highly intelligent risk-takers from multiple and integrated areas of the arts and sciences, with evidence of defensible results shared at each project's conclusion.
- Play will be showcased for its innovative wonder in staff development sessions, and staff development tools will be created and shaped together. The Celebration of Innovation will change the workplace culture with a series of leadership strategies designed by talented teams in the firm. In times of recession and times of profitability, money making will be connected to innovative growth, feedbacks, problem solving sessions and retreats that examine mistakes to build stepping stones forward. Facilitators will be hired to ensure the processes remains open and that evaluations are intelligence-fair. Through the regular Celebration of Innovation, productivity will no longer wait out storms, but innovative advances will be expected to lead the organization from recessions to upturns.
- Great ideas and intelligent designs sail forward when people use good tone skills to disagree while at the same time build goodwill for the innovation team. As people cultivate strong tone skills, others will be supported to overcome the brain’s default for ruts and cultive tools to win in spite of conflicts. Leaders who help to create tone for an innovative world order forward, foster teams that move from poor tone to brainpower for innovation. Through good tone, in collaborative groups, genius talents will rise to the top from many angles of novel initiatives.
Steps to Implementation:
Steps into Implementation of Celebration of Innovation
1 – Hire several innovation facilitators (depending on size of organization) who value civility, understand the company mission, and possess talents to inspire widespread collaboration at every level.
2 – Begin with motivational staff session (or online video) to show how novelty stokes memory and kickstarts brainpower. (See http://xrl.us/bhxswi ).
3 – Identify key rut or inefficient areas within current routines to show how the human brain comes with a default to ruts (See http://xrl.us/bhxsw5 )
4 - Invite one volunteer and a voted- in representative from each department to help design the Celebration of Innovation pilot launch.
5 – Implement the smaller Celebration of Innovation initially, as a way to involve more innovation from more participants. Using business-wide feedback (much like we invite to ideas raised here at this innovation site) then grow the concept into an ongoing semi-annual event across the entire business.
6 – Pause to reflect with staff after each Celebration event to ensure that staff is engaged in action-generated-triggers for ongoing growth, by asking, Where to from here…?
Influences on this concept that I have developed.
- The Brain Based Manifesto for Renewal – with 17 research theories about innovative growth, with the brain in mind - is found at http://www.brainleadersandlearners.com/change/mita-brain-manifesto/
- Brain Facts used in Celebration of Innovation to ensure progress for excellence are listed at http://www.brainleadersandlearners.com/change/25-ways-to-reboot-brainpower-increase-innovation/
- Smart Skills for renewal here – suggested for change that integrates hard and soft skills for building tools to solve problems in a new era – found at http://www.brainleadersandlearners.com/2-footed-question/reflect-change-with-smart-skills/
- The brilliant ideas from colleagues and change agents across fields – are still waiting in the pike – and I look forward to learning here from suggestions offered when this proposal is made to executives shortly.
Chary, thanks so much for stopping by and your question intrigues me. In fact - so did your wonderful post of the innovation bazaar! We do have companies here in my area such as Wegmans and they are in the top employee satisfaction lists at Forbes.
Chary - I think many companies are not there, not out of malice or uncaring, but more because the parts of the brain that can help them most - remain hidden under obsolete jargon. So folks fail to build the strategies that link into brain operations, and then apply approaches that optimize brainpower:-) Would you agree?
Tomorrow I am facilitating a full day conference in NY on, "The Dynamic Journey of the Human Brain." Hopefully those 150 leaders will create strategies together to optimize brainpower for innovative change. What I like about the MIX, and about input from folks like you, Chary, is that we get support to move genuinely innovative supports forward. The country craves change, people like the MIX team come ready to help implement change, and innovative ideas offer the fuel. A winning mix – would you agree? Again thanks, and I look forward to seeing MIX ideas out in the marketplace to help the many innovative leaders ready to move on them! You?
How did your conference in NY go? Are there any interesting thoughts on 'optimising brain power'
Hi Ellen, interesting hack.
You are identifying useful steps to promote innovation. For example, your statement that "ordinary workers with curious brains, would develop the kind of initiatives one admires from high performance minds". This is so true.
One question though - I am sure there is plenty of brain research on the link between 'celebration' and 'innovation' and the link between 'playful environment' and 'innovation'. Do we have practical examples of companies where this evidence is clearly archestrated. It may be worth adding such examples I think
Best regards
Chary
Raj, thanks for your ideas offered here and I am glad that parts of MITA help to inform your own work on Free Flow on content. As stated earlier, I have read all the articles several times, yet still do not fully understand the system. That's why I'll wait to see it in operation, so that I can respond with more perspective. Best wishes Raj, as you bring the ideas to market.
Dhiraj, thanks for your comments on my post which is really about creating a setting where innovative ideas can rise to the top as teams build together. Tone is a huge part of this mode - and we have even scaled tone at MITA - so it is simply part of the criteria to ensure innovative ideas go forward, and people find freedom to differ.
Differences are good, not to be shunned:-). Would you agree that we have entered an era where we are all learning to build goodwill across differences. My tone tactics are tools we use to build together - so that we all have a shared notion of how to support and offer ideas to help build together.
All the very best with your innovative ideas and with those you collaborate at MIX Dhiraj.
Hello Ellen,
Your hack was recommended by Dhiraj to J.Goldman at http://www.managementexchange.com/barrier/ongoing-feedback-why-do-we-ign... for delivery of Feedback, which is my area of interest, so I decided to look it up. I have put up a new hack devoted to the concept of Feedback.
Am happy I read your hack. Your manifesto reminded me of the Six Thinking Hats of Bono, the six Learning Disabilities and the nine Defence Mechanisms. Bono has focused only on his techniques but Senge favors Dialogue for communication as compared to your emphasis on Tone. Dialogue will foster the skills per Senge. I got the impression Tone may still require the Knowledge worker to focus on the technique. It also appeared to me that as a platform Dialogue is more scientific and less subjective with its emphasis on identifying assumptions but there is no doubt that Dialogue cannot be practiced without IT while Tone can be.
I rate your hack highly and with serious well researched content in relation to a lot of others that I have seen. I wish the MIX rules were a bit more rigorous and meaningful on the matter of rating.
I have also referred to the MITA manifesto in my barrier on Free Flow in context of superior thinking.
Regards,
Raj Kumar
Thanks Suzanne - especially for sharing the rich lessons learned from speaking to your user group about "staying sane" while entering multiple challenging learning curves, which brain based research supports.
Fellow leaders can learn from you that while successful facilitation of a group can be exhausting for those who come with distant agendas, innovators like you learn the skills to move forward with those who share an innovative vision. You inspire the rest of us!!!
Wow Ed - thanks - this forum is really all about those who are "putting great ideas into practice," and thanks for the ways your own leadership does just that.
From the neuro framework used in the celebration - that is especially relevant - in that each time one practices innovation, for instance, one builds new brain cells for that direction. Thanks Ed for the leadership and inspiration!
Hello Ellen,
Thank you for the guidelines on Tone. I presume they were posted with me in mind. I did a survey of the top Barriers to generate clarity and draw support for my viewpoint. I hope to establish in this post that my last posting was genuine and sincere in its content.
The Barrier http://www.managementexchange.com/barrier/need-progress-people-their-kno... reflects my attitude: the flow needs to be respected over the ownership or form. If this is achieved the all-important shift of mind, essential for success in any sphere, follows.
Kindly take a historical view of your central philosophy of Tone. Celebration of Innovation is an instance of the philosophy. The instance has surfaced because Innovation is the need of the day. Another need of the day serviced but not specifically mentioned by you is Feedback (see http://www.managementexchange.com/barrier/ongoing-feedback-why-do-we-ign...). Now let us travel back in time to the 80’s. The virtue celebrated then was a culture for excellence. P&G and Tupperware cultures were cited as role models. At their core was a simple belief, a cause celebre, to knit the minds of the personnel together. Tone is a universal cause celebre that any and every enterprise can pursue to great advantage. Go back another two decades. The Quality Control movement was taking root in manufacturing. There was no corresponding movement for Management and we are suffering the fallout of that today. Manufacturing productivity has grown 45 times while Management productivity is stagnant. The concept of Tone would have offered an excellent start.
It emerges Tone is not only relevant to all times but, as presented in my last post, brings peace to the participant, and creates a binding force within the collective. Perhaps I am justified in saying Tone has the makings of religion. Because I saw every reason for all communities to embrace it whole-heartedly I went ahead and actually termed it religion. But there was a need to strike a note of caution.
The first cautionary note is explined by the Barrier: http://www.managementexchange.com/barrier/absence-means-exploit-latent-c.... It refers to the McKinsey study available at https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Organization/Strategic_Organization/Th... to state that ‘Studies have established the primacy of Knowledge interactions for work in the 21st century and absence of means to manage Knowledge exchange for superior performance.’ The study states a startling statistic: 70 percent of all US jobs created since 1998 require judgment and experience. These jobs now make up 41 percent of the labor market in the United States. That is an amazing growth of interactions.
The Barrier on Collective Ability took me to the hack at http://www.managementexchange.com/hack/creating-common-language-unite-st.... It stated facts for the growing incidence of workplace violence and traced it to the growth of interactions. Interactions are at the core of Tone but Tone is not protected from them. This was my reason for stating that Tone faces the danger of being rendered helpless by reality like religion is today helpless against terrorism. The irony is that while all religions preach peace, religion is now identified with terrorism.
The second cautionary note I struck was complacency. Ellen, you have exchanged views at almost all the Barriers and Hacks I have scanned. You engaged in the form of Tone but the substance ….
Thanks Ed, you are so right that what is the redesign of the operating systems so that play and innovation have a platform that enables the systems to change and become sustainable.
Play too often does not address the relational side of the business, but much of that is determined by the structural dimension. These operating structures of business can provide an open and welcoming environment for all members of the company to engage in playfulness and innovation, yet it takes change and initiatives like this forum and blogs like yours - where people engage at keen levels, to make it happen.
Ellen,
There are a lot of good innovative ideas afloat in business circles. There are a lot of people who are inspired by those ideas, even putting them into practice.
What is missing is the redesign of the operating systems so that play and innovation have a platform that enables the systems to change and become sustainable.
How then does play change those operating systems? Do we think that the way we are organized as businesses are fix, unchangeable, and removed from consideration? I hope not.
Just using play as a team building exercise, for example, does not change how the system is designed. Too much of the play that I see in business is for entertainment purposes. It may address the relational side of the business, but much of that is determined by the structural dimension.
I’m all for more play and innovation. However, what we need is a change in the operating structures of business that provide an open and welcoming environment for all members of the company to engage in playfulness and innovation.
Great thoughts, Ellen. Thank you.
Others likely work well within the argument mode - yet MITA Innovation Celebrations succeed far more without cynicism, and my own proclivities do better in communicating new ideas by questioning possibilities together:-) You often model what we do better than I do, and thanks for the reminder that we all work differently. I teach sessions on the 10 tragic traits in Mind of Bullies and Cynics, http://www.brainleadersandlearners.com/serotonin/10-tragic-traits-in-min...) as a way to show neuro-discoveries, but am often amazed at how people move forward when they let go of tearing down, and begin to help build. Have you found that also?
I have indeed and it does make sense that it helps to encourage forward movement as people's loci of focus moves away trying to convince or address the cynics within our ranks, to working with those who see the potential behind the ideas and want to move it from the white board and into actual implementation.
Naturally, when mistakes or failures arise, the cynics will become the loudest, pointing out how they were right to question or disagree with the measure. But this is where leaders will benefit from surrounding themselves with early adopters as these individuals will be more interested in trying to figure out what they can learn from these mistakes to ensure the momentum keeps going, instead of sitting in idle.
And as many case examples in the business world demonstrate, it's at this critical juncture that we find the separation between those companies which ultimately succeed in their efforts to innovate and those who are still trapped in the idea-generating pit.
Glad I could add some food for thought to the discussion, Ellen. Thanks for inviting me.
Thanks for your comment Dhiraj, and I wonder if your ideas would make a good Hack here in MIX to roll out innovative possibilities further - as you see them work? While I am not sure how your comments relate to MITA Celebration of Innovation, or to the tone skills fostered to cultivate risk-taking and invention at work, I’d like to suggest you create a MIX post to roll out these innovation possibilities that you have seen or used. Quite similar to what already occurs in some highly successful organization, I simply showed a MITA innovation celebration rolled out as a forum for talent development.
Not sure how you link tone skills to religion, but MITA works more from neuro-discovery research than from religion or traditional beliefs. Many of us value faith, yet tone skills help people to respect and value differences in beliefs. In contrast to traditions, MITA innovation celebrations come more from the fact that luckily we can overcome our brain’s default for ruts that foster poor tone or divisiveness – to create instead – good tone practices for an innovative world order forward, where people add their talents to roll out innovations together.
From Poor Tone to Brainpower for Innovation can be measured in such communications by holding up these tests to each comment made in any exchange– as a way to identify and develop strong tone skills in 10 key areas:
1. Affirm another person’s thoughts before sharing your views on the other side – to show that you really heard, sorted, and valued them. (Notice I did not say agree with them)
2. Thank people for different ideas presented and show how you’ve tried or considered them further. Toss your own ideas into the ring to show and explain differences you see.
3. Share personal experiences respectfully as another angle to think about together – rather than as a need to replace the original ideas that were presented. Remember you are looking to stir and learn from diverse sides of the issue.
4. Ask two footed questions, rather than offer your own opinion too quickly. For instance… Have you thought about…? What if…? Could another possibility be …?
5. Add unique ideas to the mix – to inspire with confidence – more as part of a good discussion – than a need to top the original points. Make sure you support your best ideas with concrete examples to help people see possibilities presented.
6. Avoid meta messages – that suggest for instance, I regret that your ideas stink! That message masks poor tone and would be better stated, by a sincere, question such as: Have you considered…? Or ask a person to elaborate and suggest ways you are considering the ideas. Better still learn from the ideas by trying them out, and then share the results as a way of tweaking how you roll out the person’s ideas so they obtain better results.
7. Welcome opposing views so that people can trust they will not get attacked when they use good tone to offer opposing views for consideration.
8. Support others by cheer-leading more than criticizing what does work well, more than attacking parts you disagree with, in any exchange. If you have developed ruts for demanding opinions, try staying silent when you differ and offering encouragement where you agree. That practice in the opposite direction of needing to be right, allows for tone that engages many views without attacking people who differ.
9. Collaborate thoughtfully with different people, in ways that bring in different beliefs, backgrounds, genders, and ages. Use a tone that offers inclusion for differences, rather than one that prioritizes top voices that agree with yours.
10. Facilitate goodwill among those who differ, by adding ideas of value from both sides of people on opposite poles of controversial issues. Think of it as the skill that would help political leaders to focus more on shared ideas that build a finer future together, than wasted energy given to fight one another – in order to come out on top – while avoiding the shared insights that help people they serve.
In MITA Innovation Celebrations, tone becomes the smart skill that ensures an innovative future, because people do not put others down, since the concentration is on building new ideas together, and testing their effectiveness. MITA Celebration of Innovation, simply creates the forum, where genius talents can rise to the surface as tools forward together! Tone helps that to happen, and also adds serotonin to the brain in ways that raise IQ for innovative initiatives.
Hi Ellen,
I agree with the others that you bring up some great ideas in this piece on how to foster innovation. I think your point about the challenge of dealing with cynics is an important one as organizations will find that the cynics outnumber advocates of such changes at the beginning of implementing such a program. This, of course, is in large part due to a sense of ambivalence or fear of the proposed change being proffered by the leadership, if not also of change in and of itself.
I would suggest that a key element here would be to seek out those early adopters who are game to take on these changes, irrespective of their position within the organization, and make them key players in the process. This will help demonstrate to the other employees that such measures are not simply the pet project of the C-suite, but a redefinition of their organization's culture/goals.
This in turn will draw out more advocates of the plan, leaving the cynics well within the minority. And here is where I think your point about making it clear that constant negativity, either in conversation or behaviour, about the changes won't be tolerated as one of the organization's new values. Focusing any more on the cynics will only serve to empower them to hold such innovative measures back instead of compelling them to become active participants in the process.
Being aware of this initial resistance at the start will help leaders to press ahead and eventually reach that critical mass where momentum will soon take over.
What MITA is promoting appears to be a word for trust and teamwork but in the singular form. T&T is deeply desired but very difficult to achieve today. By singularizing it MITA perhaps creates a meaningful starting point: Tone will help Managers derive the best from their talents. However, its real benefit is the jelling together for genuine T&T as well as innovation. And to get Tone you advocate a form of religion. A religion practiced by Obama. You could actually say that yours is a religion designed for the successful conduct of business and for weathering any storm. The irony is the process ignores the storm lashing us, i.e., is not bothered to understand its nature and master it. Thus it does not question why Management is in a mess now nor what can technology can do to straighten that mess.
I linked pursuit of Tone in the workplace to religion as it is akin to the spread of civilization. That is what the great religions achieved. But, look at the terrorism and consumption civilization has brought in its wake. Perhaps this is because Religion confined itself to behavior and either ignored reality or did not offer a way to reveal it. Tone suffers from the same weakness.
Tone as you have developed it can be expected to anchor the mind, give hope, keep the nature pure, drive courage and help the Manager in doing what must be done. If the Manager is intelligent Tone, like religion, may even power the thinking. However, like religion, Tone will have its limits. It may not emerge the Reality or problems that must be solved or serve the passion to solve them. In fact, it is likely to induce a complacence and a false belief in one's own constructive powers. These are the tripwires of Knowledge work. Both brilliance and experience are no protection against the tripwires and may even be counter-productive. I mention brilliance because Tone as you have presented it recognizes some are more gifted than others and places an emphasis on intelligence.
The Manager has his religion today. What he needs is very this worldly organization and discipline for professional listening and stimulation as well as focused interaction, not from one person but from the collective (s)he works with. They are a must to overcome the tripwires of Knowledge work. If they are assured passion and success will follow. Tone is definitely not a means for the required organization and discipline. What perhaps mixes up this issue with Tone is that the associated drive for listening and interacting, i.e., T&T, must come from within for each member of the collective.
Thanks for seeing the busy activity in a MITA Celebration of Innovation, where a highly interactive intelligent gathering of people who differ from one another and from invited guests, engage others who value innovative ideas, Patti. You said it better than I did!
Love Nintendo’s story of somewhat similar event. It’s similar in that, “The entire evening was filled with employees demoing, playing and competing with the new games to be released for this year,” and in that “This is a great example of organized play to celebrate change, build teams and up their creative genius.” MITA Celebration of Innovation differs however, in that the exchanges also include new innovative insights for business, based in neuro discoveries.
Yes, I agree that play is rarely valued, and suggest that in order for cultures to value play - across industries – such as FedEx, Hoffman LaRoche, Johns Manville, Microsoft where people take risks to invent, good tone will have to describe the interactions. Do you agree? Thanks for your comments on MITA’s Celebration of Innovation’s shift to encourage more risk taking within a company.
I also agree with you and Dr. Daniel Siegel that we help people to understand and value the collaborative and cutting edge to implement something like this. It will be incremental, it will include tone development that asks questions rather than shut down people’s ideas when we fail to see how they work. That is not easy work ahead, but given our traditions of divisiveness in tone, it will take time and effort and facilitation skills to achieve.
For instance, in my business leadership courses I teacher leaders to write essays on each issue’s opposing views, and they often tell me that helps them to use good tone with those who may differ or who come from unique angles.
Good tone generates the enthusiasm and innovative brainpower to design new initiatives, and the Celebration of Innovation is simply a forum to foster an expansive and explorative mindset opportunity for all employees to keep risk taking without fear of attack, and with supportive colleagues to make suggestions that help to roll out ideas.
Would you agree that with good tone more comes when we support the roll out of ideas, with suggestions or affirmation of what may work well, rather than try to exchange others’ ideas for our own different past experiences?
Ellen,
These are fantastic ideas. Recently Nintendo hosted an opening party for their new building in Redmond, WA. The entire evening was filled with employees demoing, playing and competing with the new games to be released for this year. This is a great example of organized play to celebrate change, build teams and up their creative genius.
I would agree that most organizations focus their annual meetings on driving home strategy, how well they are doing with their bottom line and selectively valuing individual and team contributions. The occasional team building event is specifically meant to do just that - "team build." Rare is the culture that values play - but they do exist across industries - FedEx, Hoffman LaRoche, Johns Manville, Microsoft are some of the examples that come to mind of organizations that I have seen stretch beyond their own comfort zones when it comes to garnering their team's best thinking up and down the chain.
One of the most compelling ideas for me in your wealth of suggestions is the Celebration of Innovation which would help to shift the culture and encourage more risk taking within a company. That takes a C level team with foresight and "mindsight" (Dr. Daniel Siegel) who understand and value the collaborative and cutting edge to implement something like this. It would certainly foster an expansive and explorative mindset for all employees to keep risk taking.
Thanks for this hack, Ellen, I can't wait to share it with others.
Ellen, thank you for much insight and thought-provoking questions. Recently, while speaking to my user group about "staying sane" while entering multiple challenging learning curves, I have found the most productive way to keep people engaged is through simple kindness and acknowledgment. My fellow speakers in the crowd are surprised to see successful facilitation of a group with total variation in skills. While I admit it is exhausting for me, and I have to recuperate afterward, I do seem to be able to help beginners as well as advanced tech users in the same room. I keep acknowledging the contributions of the advanced people, encouraging them to share more, and simply asking the newer users how they are doing as we go along. I know it sounds rudimentary but the results are excellent. I hope this helps with the concept of "tone." Thank you
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Loved your notion of awareness for all developmental levels as we now know that you can grow intelligence daily by rewiring the brain in many of the ways you facilitate. More to think about as we prepare refreshing arenas where more and different talents are welcomed, and where growth can be parallel for those highly developed in some areas and those with skills yet to learn in other areas. Add to that the fact that we each bring unique proclivities from our gene pool and our experiences and one can see the value of a well cultivated forum to share and reconfigure innovations for a new era.
Thanks Suzanne, for the keen reminder that tone has uses for innovation growth - beyond what I'd named! All the best with your leadership growps.
The innovation Celebration we use at MITA promotes people differences, by allowing a forum for people to present their innovative ideas in a safe, but challenging environment. It takes good tone skills for people to share ideas in exchanges that do not put down others' ideas as much as suggest thoughtful ways to build on people's insights - through good tone practices. It's really a difference between one up - and supporting others' unique innovations in ways that show how we can learn from one another. It simply uses what we now know about the brain and increased brainpower - to elevate what people do differently - with respect that fosters creative differences.
Thanks for the tone you model on that note. While tone was not factored into past leadership development (note politicians rhetoric for instance or CEO's top-down-demands) I sense it is one brain based requirement for future innovation to prosper - where different people enjoy collaborative efforts on a global scale. What do you think?
Reading this eminently well supported hack I was reminded of the assumptions that progressed Taylorism or Scientific Management. They left manufacturing gasping. Years had to pass to understand science and its conflict with change. Perhaps the understanding was incomplete for the science of Knowledge Management failed in the 90’s though it had the support of technology. Finally we have come to realize today that change, where personnel are concerned, must be intrinsic. The master of management transformation, Deming, has said very specifically that for change to succeed it must come from within, i.e., be led by a shift of mind. Your hack suggests we respect Agents and tone, perhaps to impart this essential angle. I have my reservations about that and have expressed them in your Barrier on the subject.
It is possible the remapping of neural connections is of consequence to transformation. But, can the remapping progress without exercise of discipline and organization? Dr. Doidge has concluded 10 months are needed to achieve it. Are we to believe that discipline over ten months can be inculcated by Agents and rewards and that this system can transform society? There is mention of very positive feedback on the impact of the methodology. I must accept that but to believe it I ask: has your suggested practice transformed a hierarchical organization? Difficult to believe because Agents cannot go to the heart of any System: Power. I could have enquired whether you believe your practice can impact a bureaucracy but see no reason why bureaucracies should prevent the rest of the world from advancing in management.
I pray you will not misunderstand my post. I see your work as deeply linked to Management Wisdom. It reminded me of a poster Hatim Tyabji, CEO and Chairman of VeriFone, had put up in his room: a dog being taught to sit. The dog sat in the tenth frame. Tyabji confides humans are no different and must be treated with patience and tone.
It is possible my comments are influenced by your incomplete conversation with Mr.Rohit Kashyap. I shall seek his hack to see what Knowledge he has practiced.
Regards,
Dhiraj
Thanks all, your ideas would work especially well in a MITA Celebration of Innovation - where the idea is to engage others, to collaborate on innovation that increases workplace well being and profitability.
The idea would be to work in diverse teams, start with a unique problem you identify in your business setting, and then offer genuine solutions that show evidence of improvement in that area. MITA's brain based strategies would simply become the tools to help solve the problem innovatively, or design the new product - with more human brainpower in mind.
I'd enjoy engaging you there!
Rohit and Ellen, thanks for the opportunity to look at celebration from yet another angle. Yet, I am unsure how these comments relate to a Celebration of Innovation as MITA facilitates it among leaders.
In successful innovations there will be people coming from unique angles, and good tone is evidence of communication that respects all. My suggestion for Rohit is to read the science behind MITA ideas, (such as recent NY Best Seller – The Brain That Changes Itself, by Doidge, MD) since this post is not about Rohit’s notions of knowledge – but is very much about innovation expressed by leaders in a business community, with brain research in mind.
It’s about facilitation. It’s about tone that is genuine, (not meta-messages that mask a terrorist such as Hussein). It’s about evidence of talented people that build together because they communicate innovation in sincerity.
Not sure what is meant here by “hiding cause” as sinister intents are far distant from the evidence of successful innovation among intelligent leaders who work together with integrity for all.
Perhaps your ideas about knowledge would work better in a separate hack, rather than as a comment to a description of MITA's brain based approach to innovation in a celebration that does not include or relate to these concepts you raised.
Rohit and Ellen, to add a bit more perspective to this discussion, here's a bit more... When working with bureaucratic systems, it's hard for difference, invention and innovation to emerge. Rather than merely sticking to the ways an organization "does things," celebration allows people to choose three or more other people, who share interest in shaping something of a similar vein, that's useful by using their talents to move the organization ahead. That "something" might be a new system for one process, an invention, or an idea that needs more shaping and welcomes input after it is well-framed for a wider presentation where that can happen. Following a celebration, the responses have overwhelmingly included the words, "creative," and "innovative," and energizing. [I had written more below and am not able to see it now, so please understand if this is all that appears.]
When
With so many workers coming to organizations dreading a work day, this kind of intrinsic and extrinsic motivator has had life-changing results for people and it leads to the kind of culture that keeps an organization from withering in today's fast-burgeoning competition.
Just wanted to add to the sketch that Ellen started, with a wee bit of light that may help you see past any shadows.
Hello Ellen
Thank you for taking my comment gamely when it was so obviously at variance with your conception of your work.
Command & Control: This developed from something very basic and selfish and animal in human nature. It was the only way to fight wars and govern in peace time with power hungry nobles queering the pitch. And basic human nature is not going to change. What is changing is the means to influence it. Earlier it was authority. Now that is rapidly being replaced with flow of Knowledge. Freedom / free-flow of Knowledge can control even the extreme rightists. The problem is assuring the “Free” word. You have stated tone as your alternative. I assure you Saddam Hussein had a kind tone with those he met! My point: Tone is an effect and not the cause. By pursuing an effect you can hide the cause but not create it.
Please read this: “Host a Celebration of Innovation where staff will showcase innovative projects and insights similar to tradeshows. An innovation team of facilitators will direct the institution of this celebration and will track progress and ensure multiple talents are developed, shared and leveraged into profitability.” Is this extrinsic or intrinsic? Are you not seeking to herd personnel in a direction and institutionalize it, i.e., launch a culture? I agree it is better than no fun and a dull and dreary workplace but it did for a minute sound like Orwell’s “Animal Farm” which is all about manipulation. Sorry, but I would call regular Celebration as conceived by you subtle brainwashing.
My use of process referred to not MITA but to the approach used for Management transformation. Process has meaning in relation to a philosophy. ‘Celebration of Innovation’ is not a philosophy but a method for the management to communicate what it likes. It does not seek to liberate the human spirit. I did not see a belief in the human spirit anywhere. What you had was precise understanding of logical sequences supported by the flow of neurons. Thereupon I was almost driven to my statement on brain spots which gave you the creeps.
My use of “regret”: I was sad I could not agree with your passion and also did not wish to agree.Regret was a good mid-point between the two emotions.
Rohit, thanks for your thoughtful comments back. Yikes, as I followed through your words I would also not have believed the “system” you named. First Let me say, I see this as likely my own inability to share well here, the foundations of MITA brain based work as opposed to your conclusions, which would also leave me in disbelief.
How so?
You refer to “The need is to evolve out of Command & Control.” And ask - Does the hack define an alternative? MITA uses a keen facilitation approach where people often collaborate to reach conclusions, by using a very thoughtful tone to engage ideas and add value to others’.
“ The alternative must be compelling.” This confused me, as I was unsure how you use the word compelling – given your overall comments.
Are you suggesting helpful additions here? “It must recognize the need to overcome the constraints of time, energy and motivation.”
I would like to hear where my work alluded to “brainwashing,” inferred from your statement,
“The alternative must create a constructive collective by intrinsic means, i.e., desist from 'brain-washing' personnel for discipline and organization.”
I’d like to see more specifically where my hack asked you to believe:
“You can convince all the people all the time with regular fairs for establishing culture,” since I have been at this work 30 years on a global scale and see the opposite of that weekly.
Can you show my statement that infers,” “Manipulation of thought is all that is needed to change the attitude of people.” To change is to fire new neurons in new ways, and they then rewire in similar new ways – yet it is not manipulation, and it is willingness to be open, to question, and to change where change would appear to improve leadership or learning. That’s why I am wondering what I stated to give this conclusion of “manipulation,” when MITA teaches its opposite. I’d be glad to see that so I can clarify and change my flawed impressions to you in my original hack.
Since MITA is a process, I was equally surprised and unsure of what your conclusion, “ No process is needed to progress new ways of thinking, in particular to progress innovation,” was really telling us.
Yikes, what does this mean? - “Innovation is just a matter of touching the right brain spots. The spots may be reached with the aid of either display like exhibitions or reason. People will listen to reason.”
When I read your words, “I regret I could not accept your belief system,” I also would have rejected all of this hack – based on all your syllogisms stated here:-). Not sure why you state you “regret,” here however, but this thoughtful comment left me regretting that I had not stated MITA’s manifesto well enough in the hack.
Thanks for showing me that clarity is essential when engaging others in where change could go, with the brain in mind. You’d very much enjoy many of the powerful latest studies on “plasticity,” in that regard. Like other change agents in this group – it helps me immensely to try to engage all readers in ways that help to build a finer future through innovative initiatives.
Thanks for taking time to engage me, and thanks also for the timing since I’ll be teaching these concepts to a leadership conference of 150 people in 2 weeks in NY and I will make keen effort to be clear so that I do not leave similar impressions with leaders there. All to say I valued your taking time and effort to respond to my brain based ideas.
Rohit, thanks for your thoughtful comments back. Yikes, as I followed through your words I would also not have believed the “system” you named. First Let me say, I see this as likely my own inability to share well here, the foundations of MITA brain based work as opposed to your conclusions, which would also leave me in disbelief.
How so?
You refer to “The need is to evolve out of Command & Control.” And ask - Does the hack define an alternative? MITA uses a keen facilitation approach where people often collaborate to reach conclusions, by using a very thoughtful tone to engage ideas and add value to others’.
“ The alternative must be compelling.” This confused me, as I was unsure how you use the word compelling – given your overall comments.
Are you suggesting helpful additions here? “It must recognize the need to overcome the constraints of time, energy and motivation.”
I would like to hear where my work alluded to “brainwashing,” inferred from your statement,
“The alternative must create a constructive collective by intrinsic means, i.e., desist from 'brain-washing' personnel for discipline and organization.”
I’d like to see more specifically where my hack asked you to believe:
“You can convince all the people all the time with regular fairs for establishing culture,” since I have been at this work 30 years on a global scale and see the opposite of that weekly.
Can you show my statement that infers,” “Manipulation of thought is all that is needed to change the attitude of people.” To change is to fire new neurons in new ways, and they then rewire in similar new ways – yet it is not manipulation, and it is willingness to be open, to question, and to change where change would appear to improve leadership or learning. That’s why I am wondering what I stated to give this conclusion of “manipulation,” when MITA teaches its opposite. I’d be glad to see that so I can clarify and change my flawed impressions to you in my original hack.
Since MITA is a process, I was equally surprised and unsure of what your conclusion, “ No process is needed to progress new ways of thinking, in particular to progress innovation,” was really telling us.
Yikes, what does this mean? - “Innovation is just a matter of touching the right brain spots. The spots may be reached with the aid of either display like exhibitions or reason. People will listen to reason.”
When I read your words, “I regret I could not accept your belief system,” I also would have rejected all of this hack – based on all your syllogisms stated here:-). Not sure why you state you “regret,” here however, but this thoughtful comment left me regretting that I had not stated MITA’s manifesto well enough in the hack.
Thanks for showing me that clarity is essential when engaging others in where change could go, with the brain in mind. You’d very much enjoy many of the powerful latest studies on “plasticity,” in that regard. Like other change agents in this group – it helps me immensely to try to engage all readers in ways that help to build a finer future through innovative initiatives.
Thanks for taking time to engage me, and thanks also for the timing since I’ll be teaching these concepts to a leadership conference of 150 people in 2 weeks in NY and I will make keen effort to be clear so that I do not leave similar impressions with leaders there. All to say I valued your taking time and effort to respond to my brain based ideas.
Hello Ellen
I have read your hack with the following criteria in mind:
- The need is to evolve out of Command & Control. Does the hack define an alternative?
- The alternative must be compelling. It must recognize the need to overcome the constraints of time, energy and motivation.
- An alternative without the use of technology is unlikely to succeed.
- The alternative must create a constructive collective by intrinsic means, i.e., desist from 'brain-washing' personnel for discipline and organization.
In relation to my stated criteria I found your hack asked me to believe:
- You can convince all the people all the time with regular fairs for establishing culture
- Manipulation of thought is all that is needed to change the attitude of people
- No process is needed to progress new ways of thinking, in particular to progress innovation.
- Innovation is just a matter of touching the right brain spots. The spots may be reached with the aid of either display like exhibitions or reason. People will listen to reason.
I regret I could not accept your belief system.
Thanks for the idea Robyn, your comment reminds me of the value in making people capital, and manking all innovative processes in line with that priority. My own years in renewal, have taught me that when people come first, and when innovative strategies value, develop and foster their offerings, then anything is possible. Only then has innovation come, for me at least, with people of all backgrounds as its capital:-).
Thanks Robyn, your ideas so interest me here that I plan to write an extended section to include the concept of this celebration in "bite-sized-pieces" rather than as an overwhelming whole. It makes sense for people to prepare weekly, and it would also keep a sense of expectancy in the air - which is the hottest forerunner to a Celebration of Innovation. Great idea - and I can see it's value for infusing life into a static workplace! Consider it in!
Wow Neil, what an exciting idea! Imagine building the opportunity to celebrate dynamic projects that don’t make it into the doable stages in mainstream marketing. It reminds me of the reasons I started brain based work – because so many intelligent proclivities and innovative people get lost in the mix of ‘competition.
Let’s say that you had a celebration where all innovative projects are put out to the wider community and to the organization of their birth – with a reconfigured set of questions that show how the innovation relates to a problem in the community or answers a market need. If Celebration of Innovation events are held twice annually – people can carry over ideas and extend them into other areas of possibility.
It became clarion clear to me as I read your comment that we often miss the best ideas because we fail to apply them and try out their strength in real settings. I am intrigued by your sense of drawing in music to set the mood for ongoing innovation at this celebration, Neil, and I’d love to capitalize on your marketing acumen to bring innovation alive in that arena! Here’s a piece I wrote on how brainpower moves to music, and it affirms what you suggested here! http://www.brainleadersandlearners.com/multiple-intelligences/musical/th...
Love your notion also – “This would eliminate blame, relieve tensions, and allow a continued culture of experimentation.” Imagine the results of such a venture where blame is replaced with brilliance and tension is exchanged for talent! You have moved this to a new level - let’s talk more.
Celebrate Innovation (and Failure)
I have often thought that it would be helpful to also have a way to “celebrate” and put an end to intelligent innovation projects that fail or get cut. This would apply particularly when larger projects are ended, and there are mixed feelings about the consequences of ending the project among employees and management. You want to acknowledge the gains of information and skills learned from the project; honor the efforts made; reassure the participants and others that intelligent failures are to be expected and are not career-threatening; and bring closure so the company can move on in an upbeat and positive fashion.
My thought is to have a New Orleans-style wake, with mournful music followed by upbeat music and food. It could take place at the end of a company meeting, and project teams and a small band (maybe from employees, maybe hired) could help lead the employees to an area for food and mingling. This would eliminate blame, relieve tensions, and allow a continued culture of experimentation.
Thanks for a great challenge, Ellen. The Celebration described here is a key MITA method that makes work more like play in a business format. People often achieved a state of flow that pushed new possibilities as we facilitated them to implement novelty. Celebration of Innovation here raises the bar for business leaders in workplaces and leads to productive innovation results as ongoing motivation.
The comment below may contribute to implementation of this exciting idea into traditional workplaces with innovative results. Again, thanks.
T
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