It was great to get back to the Social Media Marketing World conference in sunny San Diego. This session on innovation was a nice way to get the day started. Duncan Wardle, a former Disney cast member, led the session. He embodied the Disney spirit as he shared ideas and strategies for being more creative.
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” ~ Walt Disney
Wardle began the discussion around the barriers to creativity. The top two were a lack of time and culture. There is no time to think. Additionally, most people are risk-averse.
Creativity as Wardle defines it is “the habit of continually doing new things in different ways to make a positive difference to our working lives.”
Kids vs Adults
He went on to ask what was the difference between kids and adults as far as creativity. Basically, kids have no fear and they continually ask why, why, why? They keep this up until school breaks them of their creativity.
Kids think expansively whereas adults think reductively.
Wardle shared a number of ideas to help break out of this reductive mindset. He encouraged us to use the Pixar Plussing technique during meetings. He also pointed out that we tend to become confrontational when we are across the table from each other. But by posting the presentation around the wall and reviewing it, a group begins to think more expansively. Finally, Wardle suggested rephrasing requests for help. For example, “Can you help me think about this another way?”
What If?
One of the more enlightening parts of his presentation was the “What if?” topic. He asked the question, “what if you could break the rules?” He then outlined how the process worked. First, you would rapidly list all the rules on a topic. Next, you would rapidly write down absurd what if questions related to the rules. Finally, you think about what the possibilities could be. Wardle provided a number of examples showing how the process worked. These articles provide more information.
- Break the Rules to Reveal Innovation Opportunities
- Four Powerful Innovation Tools for Creative Thinking
If you want to think differently, you need to surround yourself with people different than you. Diversity is innovation.
Outside Your Industry
We also need to look outside our industry for innovation. I was turned onto this idea while in the Air Force. It is one of the reasons I go to diverse conferences. I am looking for new ideas that I can bring back to my discipline.
Wardle provided an exercise to help discover these good ideas. First, write down the challenge you are trying to solve. Second, list who else is good at the challenge. Finally, identify what exactly they are good at doing to resolve the challenge.
Other Tips for Innovation
Wardle rapidly shared other ideas for innovation:
- Rename jobs, e.g., Disney calls customers… guests and they call employees… cast members.
- Spend a day with your customers and consumers.
- Stay curious. No fresh stimulus in results in no new ideas out. Set up a regular reading habit. A good book to start with is my book, Read to Succeed.
- Follow Google’s lead and provide time to think. Have a day once a month when there are no meetings, no emails, etc.
- Be brave. “The opposite of bravery is not cowardice but conformity!” ~Robert Anthony
- Artificial Intelligence is coming. Wardle shared four core traits that cannot be programmed:
- Creativity
- Imagination
- Curiosity
- Intuition
Wardle provided a lot to think about. It was a great way to start the conference.
