Tag Archives: creativity

Nurturing the Seeds of Innovation

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I have been preparing to teach the summer AIM Program course on creating business solutions and have been thinking about the seeds of innovation. Where exactly do these seeds come from and what helps them to germinate? What forces stifle them, preventing them from growing and maturing? We will explore all of these points in the course and this post reveals some of my thoughts on the early stages of the innovation process.

Nature vs. Nurture

Ideas can come from many places but I have found they sprout from well-cultivated soil. Nineteenth century chemist Louis Pasteur said, “chance favors only the prepared mind.” Innovation may seem to spring up in unexpected ways and in unique places but it comes as a result of preparation, observation, and hard work. It comes from days, months, or even years of thinking, pondering, and studying a problem.

Are innovators born or made? A 1973 study of fraternal and identical twins showed that while there is some genetic predisposition toward creativity, most of it is learned. That is good news for people who don’t think they are natural innovators.

Creative Ecosystem

How does an organization foster creativity and innovation? How do they build an ecosystem that allows and encourages everyone to think beyond the immediate issues? Companies such as 3M and Google allow employees time to explore ideas outside the scope of their job. But it takes more than time to foster creativity, it takes an atmosphere or ecosystem that encourages experimentation and allows failures. Thomas Edison is purported to have said, “I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” It is not easy for an organization to allow time and effort for “ways that won’t work” but this is part of the preparation necessary for that big breakthrough idea.

Barriers to Creativity

We often place barriers to innovation and creativity. These may come in the form of hardened ideas about “how we do things around here” or inflexible rules and regulations. Examples of companies fighting barriers are Tesla and Uber. In March 2014, New Jersey, among other states, banned direct sales of Tesla automobiles in the state because they did not comply with the decades old “dealership” model. Tesla traditionally sells cars directly through small storefronts and not through the conventional dealer and service center model. New Jersey reversed that ban a year later. Uber faces similar barriers. Traditionally, taxi companies are highly regulated and limited by municipalities. Drivers work for a taxi company that pays franchise fees to the city. Uber drivers are not full-time employees, they are only contractors, so the whole regulation and fee structure begins to fall apart. Several cities initially banned Uber from operating in their area because its business model did not conform to the traditional standard. Tradition can often be the greatest enemy of innovation.

Thoughts

To those who will join me in the business solutions course this summer, I look forward to an exchange of ideas on ways to promote and stimulate innovation for individuals and organizations. With proper preparation and dismantling of barriers, creativity can flourish and can lead to invention and new revenue sources. Let me know your thoughts.

Author Kelly BrownAbout Kelly Brown

Kelly Brown is an IT professional and assistant professor of practice for the UO Applied Information Management Master’s Degree Program. He writes about IT and business topics that keep him up at night.

Looking For Innovation In All The Wrong Places

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Photo of lit lightbulb facing opposite direction of unlit bulbs.Our AIM course “Creating Business Solutions With Technology” will be starting soon, so I have been thinking a lot about innovation. This is an important course in the AIM Program where we explore the landscape necessary to innovate. Our students learn how to create an environment where new ideas can flourish and be converted to a competitive differentiator for the individual or organization. So, how can we create business solutions?

Innovators Are Born

In his new book “Originals,” Adam Grant dispels the myth that innovators are born, not nurtured. In fact there are multiple types of innovative people. There are those who can create solutions for new problems and those who can create new products or processes out of existing components. Both are effective in developing new ideas and both are needed to lead new product teams. Innate curiosity is the critical trait among those who devise solutions, and that can be developed in an individual or in a team.

How Do I Foster Innovation?

If everyone in the organization is capable of coming up with new and creative ideas, how do I tap into that to become competitive in the marketplace? A simple way to foster a creative environment is a suggestion box. Sometimes it takes someone outside of the organization to come up with a new idea because they are not entrenched in the daily operations and are not shackled by the current constraints. They are free to think beyond the real or perceived boundaries.

However, a suggestion box will fail if the organization does not embrace risk and new possibilities. If suggestions are rejected simply because they are too risky or do not align with current products and services, then the box will soon be empty. We talk a lot in our course about the organizational culture. Are they risk averse or are they open to new ideas and new ways of doing things? Companies such as 3M and Google require employees to set aside time each week just to think and create and innovate.

Procrastinators Unite

Grant makes another point that gives me hope, that procrastination is not always a bad thing. He suggests it is actually a way for creative people to mull over ideas on before they are introduced. He cites examples of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Abraham Lincoln both of whom were both editing and rewriting their famous speeches the night before or even right up to the speech. Innovation does not always follow a neat timeline; it may be messy and unorganized. The important point is that it is possible to harness that creative for positive change.

Thoughts

As I prepare for our upcoming class I realize that innovation and creativity do not always follow prescribed rules. The innovative people in your organization may not always be who you expect. It could be the janitor who devises a better seating layout as she works and thinks night after night, or it could be the IT worker who devises a better distribution process by connecting disparate data points. Encourage innovation in your organization and learn to look for it in the usual and unusual places.

Author Kelly BrownAbout Kelly Brown

Kelly Brown is an IT professional and assistant professor of practice for the UO Applied Information Management Master’s Degree Program. He writes about IT and business topics that keep him up at night.

The Gift of Creativity: The Advent of 3D Printing

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Boy intently watches 3D printerI have been reading a lot lately about 3D printers and scanners. The price of these printers is approaching consumer level, albeit the wealthy consumer level. Some of the initial hurdles have been eliminated, such as lack of raw materials and poor printing quality. With the maker movement, there is a push to make this technology available to more people so they can print their own designs and inventions. I believe the 3D printer has the potential to unleash creativity and create breakthrough items.

3D Printers

3D printers use raw materials such as plastic filament, metal powder, or carbon fiber to transform digital designs into solid, workable products. Makerbot, a manufacturer of 3D printers, scanners, and supplies makes a model that costs as little as $1,300. The same company also maintains the website Thingiverse, which is a repository for shared digital designs that can be used with 3D printers. There are designs for jewelry, household items, and tools like wrenches, knives, or scissors. You can share your designs, or borrow designs for use with your own 3D printer.

Innovative Ideas

3D printing is opening up a whole new world of possibilities and an alternative to mass produced items. Mike Toutonghi, a Seattle area technology manager, developed a conductive material to be used in a 3D printer after trying to help his son create an electromechanical rocket for a science project. He now has a Kickstarter campaign to create a company to further develop this material, which makes it possible for anyone to create their own solderless circuit board. I am already thinking about the possibilities.

Hershey announced a partnership with ChefJet earlier this year to print 3D chocolate. NASA is testing methods for printing food in a zero-gravity environment. If soon we can print chocolate and pizza, what other foods can we create?

Medical research companies such as Organovo are developing methods for printing human tissue in a process they call 3D bioprinting. While this raises ethical concerns—for example, imagine if people start printing their own six million dollar man—it also creates incredible opportunities. Someday we could conceivably print whole organs and not have to rely on donations to replace failing systems.

Education could be revolutionized by the technology. I saw a working 3D printer two years ago in a high school science classroom. Teachers can use them to demonstrate concepts for the visual and tactile learner, and students can use them to develop, draw, and print a model or concept. Students could gain skills in product development, design, and manufacturing all at the same time.

Thoughts

I am excited about 3D printing and the possibilities it represents. The price is dropping to the point where I could justify adding this tool to my home office. I would love to be able to print a new gear for my bicycle, or replicate that dish I broke last week, or work on a new circuit board for an invention that will change the world.

What would you create with your own 3D printer? Perhaps 2015 is the year we get one and find out for ourselves.

Author Kelly BrownAbout Kelly Brown

Kelly Brown is an IT professional, adjunct faculty for the University of Oregon, and academic director of the UO Applied Information Management Master’s Degree Program. He writes about IT and business topics that keep him up at night.