A number of years ago, I listened to a lecture about the three areas of knowledge:
In fact, it is impossible. When we learn something new, we actually make a reference in our heads to something we already know. We categorize new knowledge based on previous experiences. So our brains are wired to make connections between items and to find commonalities. To me this is the key to innovation; Driving those connections that a re possible deeper and deeper and making more remote, obscure connections to find something new. Instead of connecting on topics, can you connect based on shapes, or sounds, or style. This is how architects create new building designs based on a bird's wing, or business managers create new processes based on a board game. You have to be open to making those connections, and finding new pathways in your brain between two (or more) odd items. That connection leads to innovation. So - don't waste you time trying to find something you don't know anything about. Use what you have, and accept and build on what you already know. Click here for more information of Andrew's workshops on innovation and the uses of Yes, and in the workplace.
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At a recent workshop for an executive group at Microsoft we discussed using a shared language for listening. We defined three methods:
The goal with defining these styles ws to say 'How do you want me to listen to what you are saying?' It was to help them set expectations for the conversation, and allow the listener to be attentive and best provide what their fellow co-worker needed. It also created a little negotiation in the beginning of the conversation, so that both parties were on the same page with what they wanted to have happen. And many times, one thing bled into another. Conversations would begin as a Friend, and then change into the Solver. However, it was the speaker, the initiator who was responsible for the changing. 'I wanted you to listen as a Friend, but I guess I am asking you to help me Solve this as well...' So when you head into a conversation - try setting up the expectation of how you should listen. Does your co-worker need a Rock, a Solver, or a Friend? Ask first, and see if you set the expectations first to be be the most attentive and available you can be. Which way do you want me to listen? Click here for more information on Andrew's workshops for your organization. In Improv, we teach people to be 'in the moment.' In the moment means being aware of what's happening NOW, and to reacting to THIS moment rather than reacting to something that happened previously or something that reminds you the current situation. I recently finished a workshop for a group regarding decision making and innovation tools. The process includes generating as much as possible (brainstorming) and then narrowing the field of options based on needs and desires defined before the process begins. For me, those things are in perfect union. The decision making process sometimes gets jumbled by not defining your goals and intended outcomes first. If you can spend the time getting closer to what you want and closer to what you are attempting to see as an outcome of the decision, then the clearer you can be in reacting to the offers you receive in the moment. Brainstorming then becomes focussed based on needs and strategic directions, rather than just about divergent thought. The steps: 1. Define the outcome you would like to see: Start by defining what you are really trying to do, and get clear about the underlying motive of the action. . 2. Define the field of play: Where do you do this? What factors surround the decision? 3. Generate solutions without being tied down to the constraints of reality. An unreal solution can lead to a possible solution somewhere. After that - it is about action. Question - How do I do this? Answer - Just do it! Question - Am I doing it right? Answer - Yes! Once you have made a motion forward, new information becomes available. That new information now makes the previous moment inconsequential, and creates a new situation to be dealt with. So the question becomes, what role does a gut reaction play in your decision making process? I recently had the opportunity to work with a group of people that were all very good at 'solving the problem.' After two weeks, I realized this was their downfall. An example: Someone sees problem "A", and decides to duck tape fix the issue. The duck tape fix causes problems "B" and "C," which proceed to take the rest of the afternoon to solve. Each one of those fixes cause multiple strings of additional issues, each of which need to be addressed. The first solution actually causes a cascade of wasted time, money and energy that can't be stopped. Every problem solved was a band aid on a bigger issue. They were so busy solving problems, they didn't consider the ramifications of the next problem that their solution created. When I started asking them to define what the problem actually was, they stopped. That idea never occurred to them. It was more about 'solving' than 'defining.' This shift created a critical thinking process to the day; 'What is the underlying issue I am trying to solve, and what are a series of possible solutions that we could employ/' The shorthand for it became DOS: DISCOVER the underlying issue causing the problem. OFFER multiple solutions, being aware to not fixate on any one solution and allow the brainstorming to happen. SOLVE the underlying issue. This little idea began to save multiple work hours and untold resources which could now be used to make things better, rather than constantly being reactive. So ask yourself, are you currently solving the problem? Or are you addressing the underlying issue that created the problem? Click here. for more information on Andrew's decision making workshops and seminars. Many years ago I worked with a magician who taught me a lot about producing events. Together we created Haunted Houses, Parties and events as well as on-going attractions in Casinos. There was one trick he did on a whim that always stuck with me. It was the 'coin toss'. We were at an event, and he had a wooden nickel that they have given him. He took it, showed me both sides were unmarked, flipped it in the air and shot at it with his hand as if he had a gun. When the wooden nickel hit the ground, it had a black mark on the side facing up, resembling a bullet hole. Then it was my turn to tell him how the trick was done: ME: "You did a slight of hand to show me the same side of the coin, and make it look like I was seeing both sides." HIM: "Correct" ME: "Then how did you know it would land with the side that had the mark facing up?" HIM: "I didn't. That part I gambled on..." ME: "So if it had landed with the unmarked side up, then what would you have done." HIM: "I don't know - but it didn't happen that way. The trick worked. If it didn't, I'd have figured out something else..." As I learned with a lot of magic tricks, there is a certain amount of bluff and confidence that it will work the way you thought it would. And there is a lot of being sure of yourself to make whatever happens look like it's what you wanted to have happen. When I speak to people about their leadership style, I sometimes hear people say "I am not sure what I am doing, or if what I am doing is the right thing." I think we all have times of self doubt about the next action we are about to take, or the next proposal for a client, or the next initiative we are putting forth. And the truth is, it may not work. If we understand the risks involved, and agree to move forward with confidence anyway, then we will make whatever happens work. Not trying the trick because it might fail is the only real failure. So remember the rules: How do I do this? - JUST DO IT Am I doing it right? - YES See where it takes you. Throughout the many workshops I have done for companies, I have heard the same refrain: customers complain a lot. And I agree. In my dealings with my own customers, I know that comments are a huge issue to bear, and they seem relentless sometimes. And constant - regardless of the excellent customer service that you provide, and the quality of your goods or service. The key that I always say is: "How do you Rumpelstiltskin that customer complaint?" That is, how do you take the straw, and turn it into gold? It's hard to do. The first step is, can you hear what the customer is saying? What gets in the way of listening to their comment? Your ego? Your perception of them as a crazy crackpot? In my experience, even the most crackpot complainer has something to offer, some perspective that can help me to innovate. If I can find a way to get past my own ego, I can figure out how to use their comments and learn more about my product, my customer base, and how people interact with my brand. I was doing a CEO training session in San Francisco, and one CEO was talking about a specific customer who constantly contacts his company to complain. When I asked him what his business was, he told me it was a winery. At that moment, I had to bring up that when a consumer goes into the grocery store in California, they have a choice of MANY different types of Chardonnay. If a customer calls to complain, they are not talking about your wine (they could have made any other choice), they have an affinity to your BRAND, and that is what let them down. Somewhere in that passionate complaint, there is a lesson that you can use to innovate. So find ways to listen to what customers say - and to turn that straw into gold. Just remember to Rumpelstiltskin that complaint. For multiple tools to help your customer service team to transform straw into gold, contact Andrew for a quote. When I first started working in theater, a friend of mine shared with me the 'Rule of Three.' You can only accept an acting job that is offered if you have two out of these three components: 1. It's people you want to work with, 2. It's a role or words you want to say, 3. The money is really good. With these three components in mind (People, Words and Money) you can then measure each new project against this yardstick to see if it is a good fit for you. If you end up taking on a project with only one of these components, the end result is that you feel used and not creatively challenged. It leaves you resentful about the project and spinning your wheels. When I have spoken to groups about the Rule of Three, I encourage people to create their own. What are the three things that you need in order to be productive at work? Perhaps: 1. The right people, 2. The resources to accomplish the project, 3. The desire to create something important. Whatever your three are - spend a few minutes asking yourself 'what is necessary for me to feel fulfilled?' Is the money enough, or do I need something else? And if so, then what is that thing, or multiple things, that will make the project something you believe in working on? The rule of three provides you with clarity to know that when you take on a job, client, or project, you KNOW you will do your best. You have actively made that choice, rather than having the choice made for you. And if you are given a project to accomplish, figure out how to make it something that works for your measurement tool. Ask to have the project goals altered, or to work with the people you want to work with, or to get paid more to accomplish the goal. When you are motivated to do your best, and because you have made the choice that this is the right thing to do based on your needs, then you have already found a big part of success. For more information on having KeyNote presentations and workshops, click here to contact us. Many people look at the theatrical work that my company does onstage and they say "it's amazing that this is unscripted!" Or more often it is "So, what part was scripted, and what part was improvised..." The idea that things are constantly being created in the spot using a few simple rules is mind boggling, and somewhat impossible for people to believe. The truth is - Improvisation is an act of constant innovation. We take what the audience gives us and create a theatrical work that amazes, engages and involves the audience as active participants in the process. The audience leaves the theater knowing they had a part in the end product that was created. Wouldn't that be great for your business? If each employee left with the thought that they were a part of the whole, that they had an amount of control over the larger piece that has been created? These rules for engagement in improvisational theater cross over to any phase of work, to any industry. They can help shape how your company operates, giving each of your employees the chance to leave each day feeling like they are a part of the larger organization. These tenets: Being willing to play, finding the drive / commitment in what you do, listening and building on offers with your team; these are all skills that we strive for in our organizations. So why would people look at Improv and say 'what can you teach me about business?' The answer is: a lot. One of the best things that I have ever found to describe the process of 'yes, and' is a box of mismatched legos. What can you build with them? ANYTHING! With each piece you have a short thought process to go through:
And you have to be willing to play. To see your vision alter based on what you have. Not many of us running companies can scrap all our resources and buy new ones. We use what we have to accomplish the goals we set out. When a piece doesn't fit, we save it. We use what we can and remember that the next structure might need completely different pieces. The process of building an organization has sometimes been described as 'walking backwards. ' We see what we need better in reverse than we did going forward. In that moment, we used what we had to do what we needed to do. So the next time you are stuck on a decision - write down all the resources you have as 'Building Blocks' and see if there is a new way to arrange them. What can you build this time? ANYTHING! Learn how 'Yes, and..' training can support new idea generation and innovation in your business. From Wikipedia: "The Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship holds that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, wrote the plays and poems traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare. Since the 1920s, the Oxfordian theory has been the most popular alternative Shakespeare authorship theory." I have heard this theory for years, that there is no possible way that a person of such humble origins could be responsible for brilliance. This theory is the same as saying that any child growing up poor in an intercity environment could never amount to anything. Many times when I am working with teams I will have people say "Tom doesn't like to do anything outgoing..." Then once we start, Tom does the thing that blows everyone away by being adventurous and innovative. The comment afterwards is always "I didn't know you were capable of that!" As I approach teams, I know that each and every one of the people on a team have their own skills. They each fall into a role to play, and they sometime play that role reluctantly. However, they have far below the surface that they don't bring to work, or show to their co-workers. And sometimes that part they keep inside can be a game changer for their career, and your businesses future. So - next time you say "There is no way that Sally will go with this new business idea...." give her a little credit and ask her. Maybe she has been waiting to be asked. Maybe, your idea is just what she was looking for. Everyone has the potential to be extraordinary. It's only the limitations that others place on us that can hold us down. Learn how 'Yes, and..' training can support new idea generation and innovation in your business. |
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