HBR's current issue has a great article on fostering collective creativity by Pixar's Ed Catmull.
Two of Pixar's principles really jump out at me.
First they don't fall into the trap of seeking business results through predicable behaviour. Mr. Catmull discusses the need to constantly resist the temptation to follow formula. I'd say they have succeeded to date, as I have not seen Pixar make the same movie twice.
Second their communication protocol is wide open. They do not demand that communication follow reporting or accountability lines. This is very powerful as many top executives are "too busy" so they set inputs to reporting lines. (which I regard as tragic)
Pixar's Operating Principles:
1. Everyone must have the freedom to communicate with anyone.
2. It must be safe for everyone to offer ideas.
3. We must stay close to innovations happening in the academic community.
I really encourage you to buy a copy of the mag or you can acquire the article here: HBR
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Natural Abrasion
A couple weeks ago I attended some Facilitation training here at Critical Mass. When asked at the outset what I hoped to get out of the sessions I replied; " to better manage the natural abrasion that occurs between "creatives" and "management". This response was humoursly received by all, but it didn't take long before it was regarded as our defacto theme for the training.
Now a couple of days ago the twittisphere provided me with a gem of a presentation by Roger Martin. This post is an encouragement to watch it. (linked below) This post is also my journal, as I just had to summarize the presentation for future reference.
By all accounts Mr. Martin acknowledges this abrasion, or in his terms, tension, and provides both business people and designers a framework and language for relating to each other. The basis of this framework is the notion that the business camp demands RELIABILITY, whereas the design camp demands VALIDITY.
Ok so a couple fast definitions.
Reliability - produces the same thing or result over and over again. Limiting the number of variables increases it.
The problem with reliability is it will never introduce something new.
Validity - production of an output that meets an objective.
Expanding the number of variables increases it.
The problem with validity is it can only be substantiated by future events.
Mr. Martin provides 5 perspectives and communication tips for both camps. As with the definitions above these are inversely associated.
Validity oriented people take note:
1. Take design unfriendliness as a design challenge
Embrace it, don't fight it, make it worth overcoming.
2. Empathize with design unfriendly elements
Walk the talk of empathetic approaches and apply them to your client, CEO, etc.
3. Speak the language of reliability
Sorry I cannot summarize all this - basically all the business terms that douse your spark.
(Insert reason for Fiscal pillar here)
Remember the language of validity is just as foreign.
4. Use analogies and stories
Unfortunately you cannot regress the past to show a future state, so you need to use something similar (analogy) instead.
Find a story about something that proved to be reliable.
This approach provides quasi past data, which your reliability minded audience could grasp.
5. Bite off as Little a piece as possible to generate proof.
Validity oriented people usually want to express the whole story, however this compounds the lack of reliability and can seriously backfire.
A "beta" approach or phased releases can be effective as they provide substantiation in short intervals.
Now the 5 inversely related tips:
These are for business minded people who understand the need to engage creative minded in order to innovate. Look these over it will help you with the prompt to empathize.
1. Take inattention to reliability as a management challenge
2. Empathize with reliability unfriendly elements
Respect the creative process, it is ok to know it is not 100% reliable.
3. Speak the language of validity
This can be hard as it generally requires enthusiasm for the unknown. “This will be great”. “This has never been done before”.
4. Share data and reasoning but not conclusions.
5. Bite off as Big a piece as possible to give innovation a chance.
Find ways to stretch investment tolerances. True strategy is not 100%
predictable.
The whole idea here is to make these relationships more fun and rewarding. Embracing these ideas will bring the two sides together forming very healthy companies and organizations.
Mr. Martin poses the question; “what is the biggest Validity oriented business in the world?” He answers with Ideo, and estimates their annual earnings in the tens of millions.
Whether Ideo or Wingnut Films, the point is these are relatively small companies on the corporate stage. The really big businesses got huge by being primarily reliably oriented.
This explains the relentless supply of design unfriendliness.
Like I said this is a prompt to watch the video, hopefully this has peaked your interest.
BTW the facilitation training was very good and provided some excellent tools, such as Focused Conversation and Consensus Workshop, both of which I’ll improve with the insight provided here.
LMK what you think.
Link to source video: Roger Martin, Rotman School of Management
Now a couple of days ago the twittisphere provided me with a gem of a presentation by Roger Martin. This post is an encouragement to watch it. (linked below) This post is also my journal, as I just had to summarize the presentation for future reference.
By all accounts Mr. Martin acknowledges this abrasion, or in his terms, tension, and provides both business people and designers a framework and language for relating to each other. The basis of this framework is the notion that the business camp demands RELIABILITY, whereas the design camp demands VALIDITY.
Ok so a couple fast definitions.
Reliability - produces the same thing or result over and over again. Limiting the number of variables increases it.
The problem with reliability is it will never introduce something new.
Validity - production of an output that meets an objective.
Expanding the number of variables increases it.
The problem with validity is it can only be substantiated by future events.
Mr. Martin provides 5 perspectives and communication tips for both camps. As with the definitions above these are inversely associated.
Validity oriented people take note:
1. Take design unfriendliness as a design challenge
Embrace it, don't fight it, make it worth overcoming.
2. Empathize with design unfriendly elements
Walk the talk of empathetic approaches and apply them to your client, CEO, etc.
3. Speak the language of reliability
Sorry I cannot summarize all this - basically all the business terms that douse your spark.
(Insert reason for Fiscal pillar here)
Remember the language of validity is just as foreign.
4. Use analogies and stories
Unfortunately you cannot regress the past to show a future state, so you need to use something similar (analogy) instead.
Find a story about something that proved to be reliable.
This approach provides quasi past data, which your reliability minded audience could grasp.
5. Bite off as Little a piece as possible to generate proof.
Validity oriented people usually want to express the whole story, however this compounds the lack of reliability and can seriously backfire.
A "beta" approach or phased releases can be effective as they provide substantiation in short intervals.
Now the 5 inversely related tips:
These are for business minded people who understand the need to engage creative minded in order to innovate. Look these over it will help you with the prompt to empathize.
1. Take inattention to reliability as a management challenge
2. Empathize with reliability unfriendly elements
Respect the creative process, it is ok to know it is not 100% reliable.
3. Speak the language of validity
This can be hard as it generally requires enthusiasm for the unknown. “This will be great”. “This has never been done before”.
4. Share data and reasoning but not conclusions.
5. Bite off as Big a piece as possible to give innovation a chance.
Find ways to stretch investment tolerances. True strategy is not 100%
predictable.
The whole idea here is to make these relationships more fun and rewarding. Embracing these ideas will bring the two sides together forming very healthy companies and organizations.
Mr. Martin poses the question; “what is the biggest Validity oriented business in the world?” He answers with Ideo, and estimates their annual earnings in the tens of millions.
Whether Ideo or Wingnut Films, the point is these are relatively small companies on the corporate stage. The really big businesses got huge by being primarily reliably oriented.
This explains the relentless supply of design unfriendliness.
Like I said this is a prompt to watch the video, hopefully this has peaked your interest.
BTW the facilitation training was very good and provided some excellent tools, such as Focused Conversation and Consensus Workshop, both of which I’ll improve with the insight provided here.
LMK what you think.
Link to source video: Roger Martin, Rotman School of Management
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Technique revisited
More on a Technique for Getting Ideas
I’ve had some great feedback on the previous post (unfortunately they didn’t come through comments on this blog)
I recently revisited Paul Ardens amazing book “It’s Not How Good You Are It’s How Good You Want to Be.” and it turns out this is where I first learned of “Technique”.
Arden’s book is a must read for anyone driven by originality.
Here is a quote from Arden on Young’s book.
“It doesn’t give you ideas, but it helps you sort out what you want to say and helps you arrive at an original and relevant solution.”
My first encounter with this quote led me to search out the book and create the previous post. (Here I thought I needed to improve my del.icio.us habits when in fact it is my old school bookmarking that failed me.)
Here is a great post from Shawn at Anecdote summarizing Young’s 5 steps. Amazon has the book as well. I’ve ordered a copy as I’m curious to see the differences between it and the PDF linked to in the previous post.
For CM readers, I'll be adding this book and Arden's to our company library.
In my mind this is the essence of creative process. Would you agree?
I’ve had some great feedback on the previous post (unfortunately they didn’t come through comments on this blog)
I recently revisited Paul Ardens amazing book “It’s Not How Good You Are It’s How Good You Want to Be.” and it turns out this is where I first learned of “Technique”.
Arden’s book is a must read for anyone driven by originality.
Here is a quote from Arden on Young’s book.
“It doesn’t give you ideas, but it helps you sort out what you want to say and helps you arrive at an original and relevant solution.”
My first encounter with this quote led me to search out the book and create the previous post. (Here I thought I needed to improve my del.icio.us habits when in fact it is my old school bookmarking that failed me.)
Here is a great post from Shawn at Anecdote summarizing Young’s 5 steps. Amazon has the book as well. I’ve ordered a copy as I’m curious to see the differences between it and the PDF linked to in the previous post.
For CM readers, I'll be adding this book and Arden's to our company library.
In my mind this is the essence of creative process. Would you agree?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Technique for Getting Ideas
In my post Creativity or Ideas Have Two Forms, I ask; "How do you manufacture ideas and concepts?" Well I found someone who is bold enough to answer and share the principles of his creative process. I'll be damned if I can recall where I found, James Wood Young (need to improve my del.icio.us habits), so I'm forced to introduce him somewhat out of context.
Suffice it to say he is an 1940's era "Ad Man".
Young wrote a text titled: "A Technique for Getting Ideas" and I'm going to share it with you, but first some encouragement, questions and affirmations,
Young's text is quirky and it took me sometime to relate to his voice, but he does an excellent job of delivering his 5 steps in a fun and unknowingly historic manner. I strongly encourage you to digest the whole thing by following the principle of his first step, disciplined gathering of specific material.
Young describes an individual approach to ideation.
As you review his methods ask yourself, "can we apply these principles in team or group environment?" Future posts will explore this further.
Young's text is affirming for me in many ways as he stresses the need to see relationships, constantly fill your mind and "submit ideas to the criticism of the judicious".
You can find a PDF of A Techique for Getting Ideas here.
Enjoy
Suffice it to say he is an 1940's era "Ad Man".
Young wrote a text titled: "A Technique for Getting Ideas" and I'm going to share it with you, but first some encouragement, questions and affirmations,
Young's text is quirky and it took me sometime to relate to his voice, but he does an excellent job of delivering his 5 steps in a fun and unknowingly historic manner. I strongly encourage you to digest the whole thing by following the principle of his first step, disciplined gathering of specific material.
Young describes an individual approach to ideation.
As you review his methods ask yourself, "can we apply these principles in team or group environment?" Future posts will explore this further.
Young's text is affirming for me in many ways as he stresses the need to see relationships, constantly fill your mind and "submit ideas to the criticism of the judicious".
You can find a PDF of A Techique for Getting Ideas here.
Enjoy
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Fiscal Acumen
This post introduces the Fiscal Pillar and completes the foundation for this blog.
Creativity and Fiscal Acumen?
Contrary to first blush these are not mutually exclusive concepts.
We're talking commercial creativity, our clients pay us to help them increase returns and remove barriers to growing their businesses and organizations.
I have no problem stating fiscal ineptitude will rapidly decrease credibility and opportunity. This pillar permits some coaching, knowledge sharing and business POV's that are sometimes held hostage by the account, sales or finance masters in our midst.
Ultimately the creative leader is charged with the seemingly disparate goals of driving ROI to both their client and host organization. Competency here is entirely dependent on understanding business models, pricing structures, industry verticals, market influences, consumer behavior and competitive analysis.
Advanced strategic thinking and business comprehension will lead to selling the right work in turn connecting the Fiscal Pillar to the Client & Creativity Pillars.
Sounds like a formula for advancing your portfolio to me.
Practically, creative people are tasked with informing account plans, project plans, budgets, work orders and estimates. The effort can be dry as toast and distracting. Elevated fiscal competencies ensure accuracy and efficiency in developing these essential business records and permit a quick return to the more inspired aspects of creative roles.
Lets pry the lid off the Fiscal Pillar in more detail in future posts.
Creativity and Fiscal Acumen?
Contrary to first blush these are not mutually exclusive concepts.
We're talking commercial creativity, our clients pay us to help them increase returns and remove barriers to growing their businesses and organizations.
I have no problem stating fiscal ineptitude will rapidly decrease credibility and opportunity. This pillar permits some coaching, knowledge sharing and business POV's that are sometimes held hostage by the account, sales or finance masters in our midst.
Ultimately the creative leader is charged with the seemingly disparate goals of driving ROI to both their client and host organization. Competency here is entirely dependent on understanding business models, pricing structures, industry verticals, market influences, consumer behavior and competitive analysis.
Advanced strategic thinking and business comprehension will lead to selling the right work in turn connecting the Fiscal Pillar to the Client & Creativity Pillars.
Sounds like a formula for advancing your portfolio to me.
Practically, creative people are tasked with informing account plans, project plans, budgets, work orders and estimates. The effort can be dry as toast and distracting. Elevated fiscal competencies ensure accuracy and efficiency in developing these essential business records and permit a quick return to the more inspired aspects of creative roles.
Lets pry the lid off the Fiscal Pillar in more detail in future posts.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Team Leadership Pillar
In order to effectively lead a team one must need a team.
This post explores effective leadership characteristics and behaviors.
Natural & Appointed Leadership
Natural leaders readily create or accept more work than they're capable of producing themselves. The complexity, volume or time requirements of the work demand this person actively engage a team in order to meet stakeholder expectations.
These leaders ask for help and empathize with the help when they get it.
Appointed leaders are provided with a team or a previously established need for one. Appointments may assign leadership accountabilities but they do not make leaders. Some people are rewarded with team leadership positions due to their fiscal, client leadership or creative development abilities. These strengths are all encouraged and explored in the other Pillars of Success, however excellence in one pillar does not imply advanced competencies in another.
It is important for creative organizations to create a meritocracy that fosters and recognizes natural leadership, in turn appointing and sourcing proven people into formal leadership roles.
Pillar Parallels & Connections
When we bring a team into the scenario the interdependencies of the 4 Pillars reveal themselves. If this blog were for creative lone rangers it would be called 3 Pillars of Success.
This pillar is about leading people and teams through the idea and execution phases of the Creativity Pillar. It also provides the context for the internal client referred to in the Client Leadership Pillar. Another parallel is scope confirmation provided to the end client is often used to brief and engage team members.
The Leadership Gig
Creative leaders with a solid track record often choose to find the solution versus create it themselves. This approach requires them to effectively represent the problem to their team and engage them with brainstorming and ideation techniques proven to remove paradigms. With multiple minds applied to a problem this leader is more likely to find answers, which lead to new concepts.
Equally important to articulating the problem is articulating the chosen concept. Engaging a team in building out the concept and making it real is an art in itself. Senior leaders understand various development methods and the resulting team competency requirements. They can clearly delegate and evaluate task artifacts for fidelity to concept.
They critique the work not the person.
Progressive creative leaders advance through succession planning.
These leaders understand the need to bring new and entry-level personnel into all phases of the project in order to get to know them and not overlook their potential. Leaders seek and coach team members who display competencies in all 4 Pillars allowing their organization to scale while providing project diversity for themselves.
Checking the Ego
In my experience most people with overly high opinions of themselves don't build the best teams, nor do they create the best solutions. Generally I regard self-centered behavior as a destructive trait rather than a creative one. The leadership behaviors described here require a vision of excellence and a grace that encourages individual growth.
Have a look at your portfolio, my bet is the best work is associated with strong leadership, either your own or someone who effectively engaged you.
This post explores effective leadership characteristics and behaviors.
Natural & Appointed Leadership
Natural leaders readily create or accept more work than they're capable of producing themselves. The complexity, volume or time requirements of the work demand this person actively engage a team in order to meet stakeholder expectations.
These leaders ask for help and empathize with the help when they get it.
Appointed leaders are provided with a team or a previously established need for one. Appointments may assign leadership accountabilities but they do not make leaders. Some people are rewarded with team leadership positions due to their fiscal, client leadership or creative development abilities. These strengths are all encouraged and explored in the other Pillars of Success, however excellence in one pillar does not imply advanced competencies in another.
It is important for creative organizations to create a meritocracy that fosters and recognizes natural leadership, in turn appointing and sourcing proven people into formal leadership roles.
Pillar Parallels & Connections
When we bring a team into the scenario the interdependencies of the 4 Pillars reveal themselves. If this blog were for creative lone rangers it would be called 3 Pillars of Success.
This pillar is about leading people and teams through the idea and execution phases of the Creativity Pillar. It also provides the context for the internal client referred to in the Client Leadership Pillar. Another parallel is scope confirmation provided to the end client is often used to brief and engage team members.
The Leadership Gig
Creative leaders with a solid track record often choose to find the solution versus create it themselves. This approach requires them to effectively represent the problem to their team and engage them with brainstorming and ideation techniques proven to remove paradigms. With multiple minds applied to a problem this leader is more likely to find answers, which lead to new concepts.
Equally important to articulating the problem is articulating the chosen concept. Engaging a team in building out the concept and making it real is an art in itself. Senior leaders understand various development methods and the resulting team competency requirements. They can clearly delegate and evaluate task artifacts for fidelity to concept.
They critique the work not the person.
Progressive creative leaders advance through succession planning.
These leaders understand the need to bring new and entry-level personnel into all phases of the project in order to get to know them and not overlook their potential. Leaders seek and coach team members who display competencies in all 4 Pillars allowing their organization to scale while providing project diversity for themselves.
Checking the Ego
In my experience most people with overly high opinions of themselves don't build the best teams, nor do they create the best solutions. Generally I regard self-centered behavior as a destructive trait rather than a creative one. The leadership behaviors described here require a vision of excellence and a grace that encourages individual growth.
Have a look at your portfolio, my bet is the best work is associated with strong leadership, either your own or someone who effectively engaged you.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Client Leadership Pillar
This post introduces the Client Leadership Pillar.
A client is defined as an individual or organization that is engaging professional services to solve their problem(s). In the 4 Pillars model clients can be both internal and external to ones parent organization. The key to success in this pillar is to earn the trust and approval of the client stakeholder so the best work is fully considered and ultimately implemented.
Every elevator pitch in history has been to a known or prospective client.
Stakeholders defined.
Generally stakeholders are; the client, the client's customers (everyone serves) and the firm or agency hired to solve the agreed problems. Anyone who benefits from the solution is a stakeholder.
The right problem
One of the biggest obstacles to connecting with a client is fully understanding the right problem to solve. Client provided insight to their problems is often lacking in clarity.
A creative professional understands various methods of inquiry to ensure the scope of the problem is well understood in order to create innovative solutions that drive returns to all stakeholders. Creative professionals will research or seek information on the end customers needs and issues in order to fully understand their pain points and issues.
Market and competitive audits also serve to drive insights to potential solutions.
This information is often presented in project, creative and insight briefs, however the agency chooses to summarize and clarify scope and direction.
Persuade or sell, either way the client needs to be convinced.
Salesmanship, presentation and relationship skills are essential in order to build client rapport.
Agencies rarely decide for their client, they recommend.
A recommendations merit is often rationalized in relation to competitive, market and customer conditions, development methods, media strategies and material choices.
All creative professionals seeking to advance their portfolios or reputations face the need to persuade and sell their clients on the right solution.
In my experience the most successful creative professionals vest themselves in the work and see their projects through to completion. These leaders understand project success extends client relationships, sells new clients, builds portfolios and improves customer experiences.
This blog is not about prescribing a master how to, it is about exploring all aspects of a professional problem solvers career with the hope of sharing experiences, methods, successes, failures, results and ideas.
A client is defined as an individual or organization that is engaging professional services to solve their problem(s). In the 4 Pillars model clients can be both internal and external to ones parent organization. The key to success in this pillar is to earn the trust and approval of the client stakeholder so the best work is fully considered and ultimately implemented.
Every elevator pitch in history has been to a known or prospective client.
Stakeholders defined.
Generally stakeholders are; the client, the client's customers (everyone serves) and the firm or agency hired to solve the agreed problems. Anyone who benefits from the solution is a stakeholder.
The right problem
One of the biggest obstacles to connecting with a client is fully understanding the right problem to solve. Client provided insight to their problems is often lacking in clarity.
A creative professional understands various methods of inquiry to ensure the scope of the problem is well understood in order to create innovative solutions that drive returns to all stakeholders. Creative professionals will research or seek information on the end customers needs and issues in order to fully understand their pain points and issues.
Market and competitive audits also serve to drive insights to potential solutions.
This information is often presented in project, creative and insight briefs, however the agency chooses to summarize and clarify scope and direction.
Persuade or sell, either way the client needs to be convinced.
Salesmanship, presentation and relationship skills are essential in order to build client rapport.
Agencies rarely decide for their client, they recommend.
A recommendations merit is often rationalized in relation to competitive, market and customer conditions, development methods, media strategies and material choices.
All creative professionals seeking to advance their portfolios or reputations face the need to persuade and sell their clients on the right solution.
In my experience the most successful creative professionals vest themselves in the work and see their projects through to completion. These leaders understand project success extends client relationships, sells new clients, builds portfolios and improves customer experiences.
This blog is not about prescribing a master how to, it is about exploring all aspects of a professional problem solvers career with the hope of sharing experiences, methods, successes, failures, results and ideas.
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