5 Ways to Innovate: Cobbling Together Brilliance, One Step at a Time

Challenge: Come up with a brilliant, innovative idea right now.

Ready, set GO!

So, did you do it?

Of course not. It’s a ridiculous challenge, to force instant innovation. And yet, this is the type of thing we ask ourselves, our teams, and our organizations to do all the time.

The problem is that innovation and the creative process are hard to “force.” A far better approach is to develop a mentality of innovation that understands that great ideas are often built up, one step at a time.

My friend and fellow speaker Toni Newman recently shared this great TED talk titled, “Where Good Ideas Come From,” by Steven Johnson, that addresses this issue.

The video is embedded below. If you don’t have the time, ability, or inclination to watch the whole thing, I have summed it up in a nutshell below, along with 5 steps from the world of Ding! Happens and Improv Comedy you can use to put these ideas into action.

[ted id=961]

In a Nutshell:

The premise of the talk is that good ideas and innovations come not in “eureka” moments when we are in solitude, but rather as a slow hunch.

Here are a few quotes from the video that sum it up nicely:

• An idea is a network. A new idea is a new network of neurons that have never fired together before.
• When you build an “open innovation system” you will be lead to creative ideas the originator never dreamed of.
• More often than not, new ides are cobbled together from whatever parts happen to be around nearby.
• “We take ideas from other people, from people we’ve learned from, from people we run into in the coffee shop, and stitch them together in new forms and create something new.”
• For innovation, you want to have new, unpredictable collisions between people with different backgrounds.

These ideas are very similar to ideas from the Ding! Happens school of thought. We don’t wait for brilliant inspiration. Rather, we trust our creativity, take a step, adjust, and see where things might lead.

What You Can Do:

Here are 5 things you can do put these ideas into action:

1. Take Little Steps – In my keynote presentations and workshops, I do an exercise where I have two people work together telling a story, each of them contributing only 2 words at a time (you can see a video example here). By working together this way, the partners create a story that is funny, entertaining, and that neither of them would have come up with on their own. This is similar to the approach of “cobbling new ideas together.” You don’t have to have it all figured out (and in fact you shouldn’t). Take a small step, then adjust and take another, then another, and so on…  
2. Think in Terms of “Yes, And” – Think of the line, “we take ideas from other people…and stitch them together.” This requires applying the “yes, and” mindset. When others have ideas, rather than saying, “yes, but” and dismissing them out of hand, say, “yes, and” and see how you can use and build of off them.
3. Practice Connecting Ideas – One of the most effective ways to flex your creativity is to connect 2 seemingly unconnected ideas. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel; you just need to see how someone else’s innovation can be applied to your world.
4. Explore Your Curiosity – Many innovations begin not with a clearly defined business objective, but rather from an individual with a genuine curiosity who asks, “what if…?” Tap into your fun, playful, childlike curious side. This is a great mentality for improv, for creativity, and, when applied properly, for business.
5. Embrace Chaos – Chaos is generally seen as a negative. However, when harnessed, chaos can be a tremendous force for creativity. I’m not suggesting that you upend your world. Just realize that chaos leads to unexpected variables. Unexpected variables force you out of your comfort zone. And outside of your comfort zone is where innovation happens. So let go of a little bit of control and embrace the chaos…

The next time you and/or your team is struggling to adapt, improvise, or innovate, stop looking for that eureka moment and start creating brilliance one step at a time.

How About You?

Your turn! Share the “best practices” you, your organization, or your clients implement to foster innovation and encourage “slow hunches” in the comments below!

***

Want additional advice and resources on developing your creativity and using improv comedy skills to generate new ideas? Then fill in the form on the right column of this page and get samples from Improvise to Success! and Say, “Yes, And!” along with the full How to Think Quick! MP3