Defining Innovation
Innovation, innovate, innovator, innovant, innovative, innovatory, renovate, novation, these are but a few forms of the central concept within innovation - nova. Nova is Latin but it originates from the Indo-European neuos. Neuos meant new or now. Nova was a word that referred to "a star that bursts upon the sight" according to Shipley in The Origins of English Words. In Origins, Partridge uses the phrase, "a temporarily new star". Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary goes one step further in defining nova - "A star that suddenly becomes thousands of times brighter and then gradually fades to its original intensity." This is of course true for innovations as well. Innovations have a life cycle.
Innovation has a prefix and a suffix. The prefix in- has its roots in the Indo-European word en. En meant in, within or into. My guess is that its use in innovation implies that what is shining comes from within. The suffix -ion is used to note action or condition. This may be the root of one of the confusions about the use of the word innovation. It refers to both result and the result's way of becoming, how it came into existence.
Roget's International Thesaurus provides a structure for words in the English language, a system of inter-linked concepts. The concepts for innovation that they list are change, departure, novelty and originality. All forms of innovation are change, result in change, or take advantage of change, and may be the result of change within the person or organization. Originality seems to me to refer to what we call breakthrough change. Novelty seems to refer to what I call distinctive change. And, departure seems to refer to incremental change.
Innovation and creativity are often confused, and probably for good reason. Creativity comes from the Indo-European root ker, a prolific root. Shipley lists seven major groups of words that come from ker taking seven and one half pages to describe. He states that creativity comes from he sixth group in which ker means to grow. The Greek word khorus comes from that root meaning youth. And, the Latin goddess of growth was Ceres. Derivatives in this root have the implication of “springing forth”. Cereal, increment, and creature also follow this root. Three of the other seven groups have related meanings – bend, move, turn around; cut, pluck, gather; and harm, destroy.
Picasso understood the later concept when he wrote, “Every act of creation is an act of destruction.” We grow physically only by the destruction of other living things (Joseph Campbell calls this the original sin.) We convert one form of living thing into another allowing us to grow.
Partridge leans heavily on the Latin root creare – to produce, cause to grow, to come into existence. He also points out that this same root leads through procreare to procreation, the physical acts of conception and birth, hence creature.
Dictionary definitions and common usage confuse the issue even more, especially in art, as a work of art is created – not only the idea but the implementation.
Another related concept is ingenuity. It come from the very prolific Indo-European root gn. This root goes right to the core issue, the generative. It has come to mean clever, original, inventive, and resourceful.
Shipley states that gn (or gen) has two meanings that are intertwined – to beget and to know. Words like generate, genitals, generation, gender, and pregnant have to do with begetting. Through the Greek, gn became gnosis, knowledge, and our congnition, prognosis, diagnosis. Through Latin we get ignore, ignorance. Through the Germanic gn became kn and ken from which we get kin that are the result of kindling, and of course knowledge.
Shipley writes, “The association of these two sets of meanings in the one root shows the early sense of their essential unity: knowledge is power; to know how; to produce; to ken, to kindle. Savoir pour prevoir pour pouvoir is the neat French wording: to know, to figure ahead, to function. One may speculate that the notion of ‘knowing,’ the self examination it involves, and the need for a word to name it arose in human consciousness at about the same time men grew aware of the tie between copulation and conception. (conception and conceive, in later Latin, took the same dual application, genital and mental) I think therefore I am. I know, therefore I can. Again from the French (Paul Claudel): Naitre, pour tout, c’est connaitre. Tout naissance est un connaissance: To be born is to come to know. All birth is wakening to knowledge.”
Information is perceived and judged by humans in four forms – noise, data, knowledge or wisdom. To extract data from noise requires human creativity. To interpret, synthesize, analyze, summarize, and otherwise give meaning to data, i.e. turn the data into something of value that is actionable, produces knowledge, a process that also requires creativity. Wisdom results for the creative assimilation of knowledge gained from years of experience gained personally and from others.
Innovation at its core is all about information, usually data or knowledge. And, we have four methods of innovating – discover, invent, adapt, and adopt. We can adopt an innovation in a new setting where it becomes new again. We can adapt an existing innovation into a new application. We can invent, which strictly means combining existing information to new ways. Or, we can discover new information through searching deliberately. Sometimes in our deliberate search we uncover information of importance to another innovation. Explorers discovered new lands and peoples, and in the process discovered much additional information.
Often the connation for creativity is the creation of something that never existed before. This is unfortunate because in reality all purposeful human creativity, and thus innovation, is based on existing information. At the time of the creation of the universe, by what ever model you ascribe, the information clock starting running and the information gets more complex with the passage of time. We build on the information that has been discovered, invented, adapted or adopted before us.
Now the exception to the above is an accident. In genetics, we have the fortunate, and sometimes unfortunate, circumstance that genetic accidents occur. If the genetic accident is favorable, it may get integrated into the information that generates that life, i.e. DNA, and hence gets propagated through generations. The same thing can happen with creativity and innovation.
This is the hundred monkey parable – a hundred monkeys in a room with keyboards, eventually something useful is typed. Even if you did this, it would still take a human to read everything until something useful was discovered. The information produced in this fashion looks like noise.
This is not a useful methodology for innovation, although some use it as an argument against funding innovation – it’s unpredictable both as to significance and timing. In most cases however, the observation about innovation is correct – its timing and significance is unpredictable. But this is not caused by the hundred monkeys’ random touches of a keyboard. It is in fact a consequence of the nature of nonequilibrium conditions in complex situations.
A classic example of a complex, nonequilibrium situation is an earthquake. The complex network of forces that give rise to an earthquake is not in equilibrium. We can know that there will in all likelihood be an earthquake, but we can’t predict when or how large it will be. We do know that the probability of a given magnitude of earthquake decreases with the square of the intensity. This inverse square law holds for a lot of complex situations where nonequilibrium exists. Does it hold for innovation? We don’t know.
The remaining concept in this essay on defining innovation is what the innovation results in. For years we’ve had product and process innovations. We’ve found it useful to consider procedure innovations as well. In our lexicon, procedure describes the way people interact with other people. Process describes the way people interact with things. And, product describes the way things interact with things.
In Novations: Strategies for Career Management, Gene Dalton and Paul Thompson, define novation in the following way: “The word ‘novation’ is a legal term with a long history in English and American jurisprudence. It is unfamiliar to most people outside the legal profession, but better than any other word in the English language; the word ‘novation’ describes the complex process that provides the key to understanding the way individual careers unfold in today's organizations. The dictionary defines the term as ‘ . . . the substitution of a new obligation or contract for an old one by the mutual agreement of all parties concerned.’ We found that changing relationships are critical in moving from one stage to the next. But to make such a move, individuals must renegotiate a new set of obligations and expectations with all those around them. Delicate as these mutual negotiations are, they are compounded by the need to make psychological shifts with new self perceptions, new self expectations, and adjustments to new pressures. Novations proceed with such seeming naturalness for some people that few people around them even take note of the changes. But the majority of professionals have a very different experience. They often feel stymied and frustrated in their careers. These are the ones who fail to understand and successfully carry out novations.”
While this may be a useful term for a very specific form of procedure innovation, I do not see it useful in general.
Another term that is in use is business concept or business model innovation. Gary Hamel, Leading the Revolution, doesn’t specifically define business concept innovation, but he does give us some of its characteristics. “The goal of business concept innovation is to introduce more strategic variety into an industry or competitive domain. When this happens, and when customers value that variety, the distribution of wealth-creating often shifts dramatically in favor of the innovator.” Later he writes, “Business concept innovation is meta-innovation, in that it changes the very basis for competition within an industry or domain.” Still later, “Business concept innovation starts from the premise that the only way to escape the squeeze of hyper competition, even temporarily is to build a business model so unlike what has come before that traditional competitors are left scrambling.”
To me a business concept innovation is a collection of product, process and procedure innovations with the right mix of incremental, distinctive and breakthrough change. If it is the right mix, i.e. the mix creates unusual value for the customer, then a shift of wealth occurs.
So if innovation creates value for customers, it can create wealth. And, this is the ultimate effect of innovation, especially if you consider wealth in its old context – the common weal – well-being, prosperity and happiness for society.
Paul Schumann
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Friday, June 25, 2004
Innovation 2004
An ambitious initiative is underway that you should be aware of. Joyce Wycoff, The Innovation Network, has launched an initiative to:
- Create a collaborative learning process that gathers the collective experience, thinking and wisdom of a cross-section of innovation practitioners, consultants and academics in the emerging discipline of innovation.
- Synthesize the collective wisdom into an easy to use and understand report.
- Distribute the report as widely as possible through various associations and publications, which focus on organizational innovation.
The breadth of the initiative as well as the response to this initiate has been impressive. A web site, blog, wiki and survey have already been created. Numerous people have already contributed some of their expertise to the effort.
If you're interested in innovation, you not only need to be aware of this project, you should join it. Go to the Innovation 2004 web site. There you can explore the project, the results to date and determine how you would like to get involved.
Paul Schumann
An ambitious initiative is underway that you should be aware of. Joyce Wycoff, The Innovation Network, has launched an initiative to:
- Create a collaborative learning process that gathers the collective experience, thinking and wisdom of a cross-section of innovation practitioners, consultants and academics in the emerging discipline of innovation.
- Synthesize the collective wisdom into an easy to use and understand report.
- Distribute the report as widely as possible through various associations and publications, which focus on organizational innovation.
The breadth of the initiative as well as the response to this initiate has been impressive. A web site, blog, wiki and survey have already been created. Numerous people have already contributed some of their expertise to the effort.
If you're interested in innovation, you not only need to be aware of this project, you should join it. Go to the Innovation 2004 web site. There you can explore the project, the results to date and determine how you would like to get involved.
Paul Schumann
Innovative Search Engine
Want to try an innovative search engine? Then try KartOO. KartOO is a meta search engine with a graphical interface. KartOO launches your query to the most relevant set of search engines, gathers the results and compiles them in series of interactive maps.
KartOO uses a set of symbols to represent the type of source found, i.e. web page, home page, sponsored content, PDF, etc. The size of the symbol represents the significance to the search term. The graphical interfaces display the results in relation to each other. It displays the linkages and the key words that link them. When you move your cursor over a selection, the screen lights up illuminating the connections. At the same time, in a column on the left side of the screen, the description of the found content is displayed. Clicking on the site opens another page and the web page is displayed. Clicking on the key words modifies the search to include that key word. If you highlight the keyword just by moving your cursor to it and then move to the right column, there is a function to remove that keyword form your search.
As the results of the search are displayed, the left hand column displays the subjects contained on the page that are related to the search term. The colors represent a characterization of the subject, i.e. subject found in descriptions of several sites. A click on one of those subjects produces a search for that subject.
In the right column, the web site addresses that are on the page are displayed. Sponsored sites are shown there as well as KartOO commands.
The search box can accept many logical instructions. Look at the help page to find them. Some are different than other search engines. The search box can also except natural language questions, but make sure to include the question mark.
KartOO has some very powerful features. But, like any new tool, it requires learning. Try it on some difficult searches where you may be unsure about the search words. I have found it particularly useful in those situations.
Go to KartOO and give it a try. But don't just try it once. Go back several times until you get used to its difference.
Paul Schumann
Want to try an innovative search engine? Then try KartOO. KartOO is a meta search engine with a graphical interface. KartOO launches your query to the most relevant set of search engines, gathers the results and compiles them in series of interactive maps.
KartOO uses a set of symbols to represent the type of source found, i.e. web page, home page, sponsored content, PDF, etc. The size of the symbol represents the significance to the search term. The graphical interfaces display the results in relation to each other. It displays the linkages and the key words that link them. When you move your cursor over a selection, the screen lights up illuminating the connections. At the same time, in a column on the left side of the screen, the description of the found content is displayed. Clicking on the site opens another page and the web page is displayed. Clicking on the key words modifies the search to include that key word. If you highlight the keyword just by moving your cursor to it and then move to the right column, there is a function to remove that keyword form your search.
As the results of the search are displayed, the left hand column displays the subjects contained on the page that are related to the search term. The colors represent a characterization of the subject, i.e. subject found in descriptions of several sites. A click on one of those subjects produces a search for that subject.
In the right column, the web site addresses that are on the page are displayed. Sponsored sites are shown there as well as KartOO commands.
The search box can accept many logical instructions. Look at the help page to find them. Some are different than other search engines. The search box can also except natural language questions, but make sure to include the question mark.
KartOO has some very powerful features. But, like any new tool, it requires learning. Try it on some difficult searches where you may be unsure about the search words. I have found it particularly useful in those situations.
Go to KartOO and give it a try. But don't just try it once. Go back several times until you get used to its difference.
Paul Schumann
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Netwar & Smart Mobs
Bruce Hoffman writes about Netwar in his article, "Plan of Attack" in the July/August 2004 edition of Atlantic Monthly. "Insurgents in Iraq are forging improbable alliances to fight what some analysts call a 'netwar'", he writes. "The Iraqi insurgency today appears to have no clear leader (or leadership), no ambition to seize and actually hold territory (except ephemerally, as in the recent cases of Fallujah and Najaf), no unifying ideology, and, most important, no identifiable organization. Rather what we find in Iraq is the closest manifestation yet of 'netwar', a concept defined in 1992 by RAND analyst John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt as unconventional warfare involving flat, segmented networks instead of hierarchies and command-and-control systems (no matter how primitive) that have governed traditional insurgent organizations. The insurgency in Iraq is taking place in an ambiguous and constantly shifting environment, with constellations of cells and individuals gravitating toward one another - to carry out armed attacks, exchange intelligence, trade weapons and engage in joint training - and then dispersing never to operate together again."
This sounds an awful lot like what author Howard Rheingold calls "smart mobs". In his book, Smart Mobs (2002) he writes, "Location-sensing wireless organizers, wireless networks, and community supercomputing collectives all have one thing in common: They enable people to act together in new ways and in situations where collective action was not possible before. An unanticipated convergence of technologies is suggesting new responses to civilization's founding question, How can competing individuals learn to work cooperatively?" Rheingold defines smart mobs: “Smart mobs consist of people who are able to act in concert even if they don’t know each other. The people who make up smart mobs cooperate in ways never before possible because they carry devices that possess both communication and computing capabilities. Their mobile devices connect them with other information devices in their environment…”
I've not heard about the Iraqi insurgents' use of technology. Rheingold describes a number of instances where smart mobs engaged in a form of netwar:
- Overthrow of President Estrada in the Philippines (2001)
- The Battle of Seattle (WTO) (1999)
- Gasoline price protest in Britain (2000)
- Violent political demonstration in Toronto
- Critical mass demonstrations in San Francisco
If technology is not driving the insurgency of Iraq, then due to the situation they are in, they were forced to adopt or invent a procedure innovation. And, that means that maybe this new way of working together collectively with others is "in the air", ready to be caught by any group.
Look for an extensive book review of Smart Mobs in the next edition of The Innovation Road Map Magazine.
Bruce Hoffman writes about Netwar in his article, "Plan of Attack" in the July/August 2004 edition of Atlantic Monthly. "Insurgents in Iraq are forging improbable alliances to fight what some analysts call a 'netwar'", he writes. "The Iraqi insurgency today appears to have no clear leader (or leadership), no ambition to seize and actually hold territory (except ephemerally, as in the recent cases of Fallujah and Najaf), no unifying ideology, and, most important, no identifiable organization. Rather what we find in Iraq is the closest manifestation yet of 'netwar', a concept defined in 1992 by RAND analyst John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt as unconventional warfare involving flat, segmented networks instead of hierarchies and command-and-control systems (no matter how primitive) that have governed traditional insurgent organizations. The insurgency in Iraq is taking place in an ambiguous and constantly shifting environment, with constellations of cells and individuals gravitating toward one another - to carry out armed attacks, exchange intelligence, trade weapons and engage in joint training - and then dispersing never to operate together again."
This sounds an awful lot like what author Howard Rheingold calls "smart mobs". In his book, Smart Mobs (2002) he writes, "Location-sensing wireless organizers, wireless networks, and community supercomputing collectives all have one thing in common: They enable people to act together in new ways and in situations where collective action was not possible before. An unanticipated convergence of technologies is suggesting new responses to civilization's founding question, How can competing individuals learn to work cooperatively?" Rheingold defines smart mobs: “Smart mobs consist of people who are able to act in concert even if they don’t know each other. The people who make up smart mobs cooperate in ways never before possible because they carry devices that possess both communication and computing capabilities. Their mobile devices connect them with other information devices in their environment…”
I've not heard about the Iraqi insurgents' use of technology. Rheingold describes a number of instances where smart mobs engaged in a form of netwar:
- Overthrow of President Estrada in the Philippines (2001)
- The Battle of Seattle (WTO) (1999)
- Gasoline price protest in Britain (2000)
- Violent political demonstration in Toronto
- Critical mass demonstrations in San Francisco
If technology is not driving the insurgency of Iraq, then due to the situation they are in, they were forced to adopt or invent a procedure innovation. And, that means that maybe this new way of working together collectively with others is "in the air", ready to be caught by any group.
Look for an extensive book review of Smart Mobs in the next edition of The Innovation Road Map Magazine.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Strategic Thinking
In the latest edition of The Innovation Road Map Magazine (Vol. 1, No. 2) Gregg Edwards describes the four abilities that develop the capability of strategic thinking:
1. Visionary time frame, or the ability to see the true potential of ever-larger new enterprises and then tenaciously actualize that truth.
2. Perspective, or the ability to cull from ordinary impressions the most consequential patterns of events and to evaluate their significance from many perspectives.
3. Comprehension, or the ability to quickly assemble all salient factors into strategies and to understand their implications at many levels.
4. Flexibility, or the ability to strategically organize both action and learning – to take advantage of and be responsive to unknowns as they become known.
However, as Edwards points out, it is not just these four abilities, but the four taken together as a whole that creates strategic thought. The synergy of the four, taken together, when actualized create results that appear to many as “magic”. The four abilities are not sequential but simultaneous and strategic thinkers constantly interplay the results of the four types of thinking with each other, almost in real time.
Edwards describes the development and application of strategic thinking to businesses, economic development and nonprofits.
To read the article, visit The Innovation Road Map Magazine and request free access to the magazine.
Paul Schumann
In the latest edition of The Innovation Road Map Magazine (Vol. 1, No. 2) Gregg Edwards describes the four abilities that develop the capability of strategic thinking:
1. Visionary time frame, or the ability to see the true potential of ever-larger new enterprises and then tenaciously actualize that truth.
2. Perspective, or the ability to cull from ordinary impressions the most consequential patterns of events and to evaluate their significance from many perspectives.
3. Comprehension, or the ability to quickly assemble all salient factors into strategies and to understand their implications at many levels.
4. Flexibility, or the ability to strategically organize both action and learning – to take advantage of and be responsive to unknowns as they become known.
However, as Edwards points out, it is not just these four abilities, but the four taken together as a whole that creates strategic thought. The synergy of the four, taken together, when actualized create results that appear to many as “magic”. The four abilities are not sequential but simultaneous and strategic thinkers constantly interplay the results of the four types of thinking with each other, almost in real time.
Edwards describes the development and application of strategic thinking to businesses, economic development and nonprofits.
To read the article, visit The Innovation Road Map Magazine and request free access to the magazine.
Paul Schumann
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Going to Abilene and the Wizard of Oz
"We're off to seethe Wizard! The wonderful Wizard of Oz!"
The Wizard of Oz is one of the most enduring, and endearing, of the modem children's stories. But is it really a children's story? It is, but it's not limited to that function.
I have seen the Wizard of Oz movie on TV more times than I can remember, watching it each year, when it was repeated, with my children. Each time I enjoyed it. And even though my children are now grown, I relish an excuse to watch it again with my grandchildren. Adults are not supposed to enjoy fairy tales like that, you see. So, we need an excuse, like children or grandchildren.
I believe that the Wizard of Oz succeeds because it achieves some things on three levels. First, obviously it is well crafted. The acting, characterization, singing, and dancing are all good. It even makes dramatic use of the then relatively new technology, color, by starting the movie in black and white, then switching to color when Dorothy arrives at Oz.
Characterizations, performance, photography, special effects, and music all come together for an entertainment experience, excellent for its time. And, like all other excellence it transcends time.
On the second level, it's a moral story. Home is really wonderful although the grass looks greener elsewhere. Your problems are at least your problems at home and manageable. You have it within yourself to be happy. It's always there and you hold the key. No one but you has the key or the door. You must open it yourself. Everyone has courage. The only difference is, some have been recognized for their courage. You have a brain. It's just that some have a diploma. Everyone has a heart. All you have to do is care to activate it. In other words, you are what you are.
On the third, and deepest level, it's an allegory about the gold standard for currency. The yellow brick road (gold) leads to the emerald city (paper money) in the land of Oz (ounces). Dorothy comes from Kansas and represents middle America's "everyman." The Strawman who has no brains represents the farmers who in the eyes of the author, Frank Baum, aren't able to analyze the effects of change of the gold standard.
The Tinman who has no heart is American industry which is technology-driven and has no concern for people. The Cowardly Lion is the politicians who talk big but who are afraid to fight. The Wizard of Oz is the person behind the whole facade, who literally is pulling the strings and turning the knobs to control the illusion of stability and power. Drugged by the narcotic of the good life, represented by the poppy field, Dorothy almost doesn't make it to the Emerald City. She and her band are awakened by cold reality, the snow, just in time and successfully complete their journey. The Land of Oz is populated by Munchkins, the little people or the silent majority. The good and wicked witches represent the author's perception of which section of the country is beneficial or harmful.
When the troupe arrives at the Emerald City, they are denied access to the Wizard. They take risks and defeat the wicked witch; only then do they find that the Wizard is a sham. Exposed by the dog, Toto, (a tot?) who child like, not having been trained to be awed by the trappings, gets right to the heart of the matter. Only then do they realize they have had the power within themselves all the time to make change and grow. The Wizard is truly wise, but his image has prohibited him from acting as he was capable. It is the nature of human culture, as we entrust more and more power to a position or individual, to accompany that power with an image and protocol that isolates the person from the people. The more power, the more isolation, and the harder it is to lead.
The Wizard of Oz is not just a simple story, but a complex narrative on three levels. It's the depth of the story with the excellence of its articulation that creates an almost timeless classic. I believe the same is true of all great literature and movies. Look at the latest super popular movies. You'll find that they too operate on several levels. And pleasure results when there is harmony in the communication.
Charles Smiley described a different kind of journey in his story - The Abilene Paradox (Managing Agreement: The Abilene Paradox, Charles W Smiley, Community Development Journal, Vol. 17, #1, 1982).
It was July in Coleman, Texas. The summer heat was brutal, 105 in the shade. The relentless West Texas wind was blowing fine grained topsoil through the air. However, the afternoon was bearable, even potentially enjoyable. The air-conditioning was work-ing. There was cold lemonade and beer, and a baseball game on television. It had the makings of an agreeable day.
Then my father-in-law suddenly said, "Let's get in the car, and go to Abilene. We can have dinner at the new restaurant." My first thought was, "Why? It's over 50 miles to Abilene. It's insane to drive in this dust and heat. His car doesn't have air conditioning."
However, my wife chimed in with, "Great idea. I'd like to go. How about you, Chuck?" Since my own desires were obviously out of step I replied, "Sounds good to me," and then I added, "I hope your mother wants to go." "Of course I want to go," said my mother-in-law. "I haven't been to Abilene in weeks."
We proceeded to get into my father-in-law's car, and drive to Abilene, My first and worst thoughts were confirmed. The heat was death in the afternoon. We were soon covered with a fine layer of dust that was, in turn, covered with a layer of sweat. The food was atrocious and the service terrible.
Four hours later we returned to Coleman; hot, exhausted and miserable. We sat in the front room for a long time in silence. Then, to be sociable, and break the silence, I said, "Great trip, wasn't it?" The three of them stared at me with hostility. Finally, with considerable irritation, my mother-in-law said, "Well, to tell you the truth, I hated the trip. I went along because the three of you. seemed so enthusiastic. I would have stayed home if you hadn't pressured me into going."
My wife looked shocked. "Don't blame me. I went along to be accommodating. We were crazy to leave the house in this heat." My father-in-law entered the conversation abruptly: "Listen, I never wanted to go to Abilene. I thought you might be bored. You visit so seldom I wanted you to enjoy yourself. I usually watch the ball game."
After this outburst of honesty and recrimination we all sat back in silence. Here we were, four intelligent people, who, by choice, had taken a 100-mile trip across a forsaken desert in a furnace-like temperature through a cloud-like dust storm to eat unpalatable food at a second-rate restaurant. None of us had wanted to go. It didn't make any sense.
The Abilene paradox occurs in organizations as well as families. It occurs when organizations take action that is in contradiction to what the individuals in the organization really want collectively to do. This action usually defeats the goals the organization is trying to achieve. The Abilene paradox results from the inability to manage agreement.
Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tinman, and the Strawman came together for a purpose. There was no paradox here. They all wanted to go to the Wizard of Oz. They each wanted to improve themselves. Banding together with common purpose, they accomplished their objective. They reached the Wizard. However, it was the process of the collaborative, purposeful effort that proved to be enlightening. Through the adventure they learned about themselves. So they accomplished their goals not in the manner they thought but through the process of pursuing a shared vision.
This is a metaphor for organizational progress. Without the shared vision, the common purpose, the organization falters. With it, progress is made. But, progress made is not always by the path envisioned.
As Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you're going, you might end up somewhere else." This is true. It is also true that even if you know where you are going, you might end up there by a different route.
Individuals play a vital role in managing agreement. If anyone had had the courage to speak up, Smiley and his family might not have ended up going to Abilene. Let's not go to Abilene! Let's go visit the Emerald City!
And, doesn't that take a road map, maybe an innovation road map...
Paul Schumann
"We're off to seethe Wizard! The wonderful Wizard of Oz!"
The Wizard of Oz is one of the most enduring, and endearing, of the modem children's stories. But is it really a children's story? It is, but it's not limited to that function.
I have seen the Wizard of Oz movie on TV more times than I can remember, watching it each year, when it was repeated, with my children. Each time I enjoyed it. And even though my children are now grown, I relish an excuse to watch it again with my grandchildren. Adults are not supposed to enjoy fairy tales like that, you see. So, we need an excuse, like children or grandchildren.
I believe that the Wizard of Oz succeeds because it achieves some things on three levels. First, obviously it is well crafted. The acting, characterization, singing, and dancing are all good. It even makes dramatic use of the then relatively new technology, color, by starting the movie in black and white, then switching to color when Dorothy arrives at Oz.
Characterizations, performance, photography, special effects, and music all come together for an entertainment experience, excellent for its time. And, like all other excellence it transcends time.
On the second level, it's a moral story. Home is really wonderful although the grass looks greener elsewhere. Your problems are at least your problems at home and manageable. You have it within yourself to be happy. It's always there and you hold the key. No one but you has the key or the door. You must open it yourself. Everyone has courage. The only difference is, some have been recognized for their courage. You have a brain. It's just that some have a diploma. Everyone has a heart. All you have to do is care to activate it. In other words, you are what you are.
On the third, and deepest level, it's an allegory about the gold standard for currency. The yellow brick road (gold) leads to the emerald city (paper money) in the land of Oz (ounces). Dorothy comes from Kansas and represents middle America's "everyman." The Strawman who has no brains represents the farmers who in the eyes of the author, Frank Baum, aren't able to analyze the effects of change of the gold standard.
The Tinman who has no heart is American industry which is technology-driven and has no concern for people. The Cowardly Lion is the politicians who talk big but who are afraid to fight. The Wizard of Oz is the person behind the whole facade, who literally is pulling the strings and turning the knobs to control the illusion of stability and power. Drugged by the narcotic of the good life, represented by the poppy field, Dorothy almost doesn't make it to the Emerald City. She and her band are awakened by cold reality, the snow, just in time and successfully complete their journey. The Land of Oz is populated by Munchkins, the little people or the silent majority. The good and wicked witches represent the author's perception of which section of the country is beneficial or harmful.
When the troupe arrives at the Emerald City, they are denied access to the Wizard. They take risks and defeat the wicked witch; only then do they find that the Wizard is a sham. Exposed by the dog, Toto, (a tot?) who child like, not having been trained to be awed by the trappings, gets right to the heart of the matter. Only then do they realize they have had the power within themselves all the time to make change and grow. The Wizard is truly wise, but his image has prohibited him from acting as he was capable. It is the nature of human culture, as we entrust more and more power to a position or individual, to accompany that power with an image and protocol that isolates the person from the people. The more power, the more isolation, and the harder it is to lead.
The Wizard of Oz is not just a simple story, but a complex narrative on three levels. It's the depth of the story with the excellence of its articulation that creates an almost timeless classic. I believe the same is true of all great literature and movies. Look at the latest super popular movies. You'll find that they too operate on several levels. And pleasure results when there is harmony in the communication.
Charles Smiley described a different kind of journey in his story - The Abilene Paradox (Managing Agreement: The Abilene Paradox, Charles W Smiley, Community Development Journal, Vol. 17, #1, 1982).
It was July in Coleman, Texas. The summer heat was brutal, 105 in the shade. The relentless West Texas wind was blowing fine grained topsoil through the air. However, the afternoon was bearable, even potentially enjoyable. The air-conditioning was work-ing. There was cold lemonade and beer, and a baseball game on television. It had the makings of an agreeable day.
Then my father-in-law suddenly said, "Let's get in the car, and go to Abilene. We can have dinner at the new restaurant." My first thought was, "Why? It's over 50 miles to Abilene. It's insane to drive in this dust and heat. His car doesn't have air conditioning."
However, my wife chimed in with, "Great idea. I'd like to go. How about you, Chuck?" Since my own desires were obviously out of step I replied, "Sounds good to me," and then I added, "I hope your mother wants to go." "Of course I want to go," said my mother-in-law. "I haven't been to Abilene in weeks."
We proceeded to get into my father-in-law's car, and drive to Abilene, My first and worst thoughts were confirmed. The heat was death in the afternoon. We were soon covered with a fine layer of dust that was, in turn, covered with a layer of sweat. The food was atrocious and the service terrible.
Four hours later we returned to Coleman; hot, exhausted and miserable. We sat in the front room for a long time in silence. Then, to be sociable, and break the silence, I said, "Great trip, wasn't it?" The three of them stared at me with hostility. Finally, with considerable irritation, my mother-in-law said, "Well, to tell you the truth, I hated the trip. I went along because the three of you. seemed so enthusiastic. I would have stayed home if you hadn't pressured me into going."
My wife looked shocked. "Don't blame me. I went along to be accommodating. We were crazy to leave the house in this heat." My father-in-law entered the conversation abruptly: "Listen, I never wanted to go to Abilene. I thought you might be bored. You visit so seldom I wanted you to enjoy yourself. I usually watch the ball game."
After this outburst of honesty and recrimination we all sat back in silence. Here we were, four intelligent people, who, by choice, had taken a 100-mile trip across a forsaken desert in a furnace-like temperature through a cloud-like dust storm to eat unpalatable food at a second-rate restaurant. None of us had wanted to go. It didn't make any sense.
The Abilene paradox occurs in organizations as well as families. It occurs when organizations take action that is in contradiction to what the individuals in the organization really want collectively to do. This action usually defeats the goals the organization is trying to achieve. The Abilene paradox results from the inability to manage agreement.
Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tinman, and the Strawman came together for a purpose. There was no paradox here. They all wanted to go to the Wizard of Oz. They each wanted to improve themselves. Banding together with common purpose, they accomplished their objective. They reached the Wizard. However, it was the process of the collaborative, purposeful effort that proved to be enlightening. Through the adventure they learned about themselves. So they accomplished their goals not in the manner they thought but through the process of pursuing a shared vision.
This is a metaphor for organizational progress. Without the shared vision, the common purpose, the organization falters. With it, progress is made. But, progress made is not always by the path envisioned.
As Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you're going, you might end up somewhere else." This is true. It is also true that even if you know where you are going, you might end up there by a different route.
Individuals play a vital role in managing agreement. If anyone had had the courage to speak up, Smiley and his family might not have ended up going to Abilene. Let's not go to Abilene! Let's go visit the Emerald City!
And, doesn't that take a road map, maybe an innovation road map...
Paul Schumann
Friday, May 21, 2004
Blinded by Our Expertise
A wonderful bird is a pelican
His bill will hold more than his belican.
Dixon Lanier Merritt
Gliding only inches above the water, a group of pelicans sped past me as I walked the beach. It was near sunrise. Three layers of clouds provided the color for the sunrise over the ocean. The high clouds were already white with the full rays of the sun. The middle clouds were turning pink and orange, catching the first rays over their horizon. The lower clouds were still dark and ominous since they were not yet illuminated. Like the past, present, and future, the clouds provided a changing perspective of the sunrise. The past brightly lit for anyone to see. The present is rapidly changing. And, the future only poorly outlined. As if to amplify on this observation, the waves breaking along the shore, due to the tide, broke behind me first, alongside me next, and in front of me last. A cascade of sound coupled with the visual image.
The sun emerged over the clear ocean horizon. It was as though a ball of fire was plucked from a fiery cauldron of liquid. It seemed to emerge, change shape, and drip some of its fire back into the ocean. As the last edge of the sun cleared the horizon, an elongated drop seemed to form, due no doubt to reflection and refraction, adding to the effect of a cauldron source. It's no wonder that myths started the way they did. Our world is marvelous and not easily explainable if we only observe it, really see it, and not let symbols get in our way.
The pelicans rode what looked like a "ground effect," a compression of the air between the wings and the surface of the water. Without beating their wings, they sailed along in the troughs of the waves for long periods. Then they seemed to ride up the face of a wave, giving them a push higher into the air where they flapped their wings a few times and resumed gliding, skimming the surface of the water. What a marvel of perfection! The pelicans were exercising the skills that they had been given. Highly specialized and adapted to their environment, they seemed to revel in their abilities.
The brown pelican that inhabits the Florida coast where I observed them is a very large bird. It can have wingspans of up to 7.5 feet and flies with long wing strokes, alternating with glides. It commutes to work. Because of its flying skills, it has been known to fly for hundreds of kilometers between its nesting area and feeding area. I observed them every morning going to fish and every evening returning. The pelican prefers to nest in areas that are undisturbed. As a result of this and because of its susceptibility to DDT (making its eggshells too thin), it is becoming a rare bird. The pelican has been known to exhibit altruistic behavior, caring for its disabled. Groups have been known to provide food for a blind member no longer able to fish. In Europe, the pelican has been used as a symbol for man's altruistic activities.
The brown pelicans' manner of fishing is extraordinary.
They fly at heights up to 70 feet and with very specialized vision spot a fish swimming in the water below. The pelican sets its body into a dive, folds its wings, and plummets headfirst into the water, scooping up the fish in its bill. They are spectacular to watch: a marvel of skill and specialization carried out to perfection.
A common disability among the brown pelicans is blindness. Repeated diving with the tremendous impacts on the head damages the eyes and blindness results. The very practice of the skill so carefully perfected damages the pelican's vision, one of its highly developed abilities, necessary for the use of its other skills.
This is also what happens to people. We become so highly specialized and efficient at the practice of a skill that its repeated use blinds us to change and opportunity.
The development of a paradigm both enables progress to be made and hinders change - a paradox.
History has recorded many cases of experts making bad predictions. They were not sensitive to events occurring around them. They were not able to see what was really happening:
"For a century, as you know, steam has been the principal railroad motive power. It still is and, in my view, will continue to be."W.C. Dickerman, President American Locomotive Co.
"The abolishment of pain in surgery is a chimera. It is absurd to go on seeking it today. `Knife' and `pain' are two words in surgery that must forever be associated in the consciousness of the patient. To this compulsory exacerbation we shall have to adjust ourselves."Dr. Alfred Velpeau (l839)
"Nothing has come along that can beat the horse and buggy."Chauncey Depew, U. S. businessman
"I cannot imagine any condition which could cause this ship to flounder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modem shipbuilding has gone beyond that."E. J. Smith, Captain of the Titanic
"The bow is a simple weapon, firearms an very complicated things which get out of order in many ways, a very heavy weapon tires out soldiers on the march. Whereas a bowman can left off six armed shots a minute, a musketeer can discharge but one it two minutes."Colonel Sir John Smythe (1591)
"That is the biggest fool thing we have eve r done. The [atomic] bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives."Admiral William D. Leahy (1945)
I continued my walk along the beach, watching several more groups of pelicans play with the air and the water. There was no one else in sight but there were numerous footprints in the loose sand piled high by tides and the actions of the waves. It was just past high ride and the water had receded somewhat. Walking was tough in the trek over the sand. I moved down closer to the water's edge where there were no footprints. The walking was easier, but I had to keep my eyes open to avoid getting my feet wet by an occasional high-performer wave.
Walking over other people's tracks is always difficult and uninteresting. For a team of horses pulling a wagon, the scenery only changes for the lead horse. In addition, it's easier to get confused by other people's tracks. In Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne, Pooh goes hunting for a Woozle. Joined by Piglet, they continue their search, following a set of tracks. As they walk, the number of tracks increases. They become frightened by the alarming number of Woozles that they are following and quit. Only then do they find that they have walked in circles and followed their own footprints.
When you walk along the water's edge on sand recently uncovered by a receding tide, you explore new areas not seen before. Your footprints clearly mark your path and will last until another tide washes them away.
There are cycles in innovation. There are time periods when bursts of innovative activity occur. We are in one of those time periods now.
Those who wish to make technological progress will dance with the tides of change, using multiple expert skills. Those who dare to deviate from the paths of others, who risk getting their feet wet, will develop innovations, like footprints, that will last until the tide returns 50 to 60 years from now.
Don't be blinded by your specialization. Don't be frightened by all the tracks in front of you. Many of them are yours. Move away from the footprints of the others and dance with the tides of change.
Paul Schumann
A wonderful bird is a pelican
His bill will hold more than his belican.
Dixon Lanier Merritt
Gliding only inches above the water, a group of pelicans sped past me as I walked the beach. It was near sunrise. Three layers of clouds provided the color for the sunrise over the ocean. The high clouds were already white with the full rays of the sun. The middle clouds were turning pink and orange, catching the first rays over their horizon. The lower clouds were still dark and ominous since they were not yet illuminated. Like the past, present, and future, the clouds provided a changing perspective of the sunrise. The past brightly lit for anyone to see. The present is rapidly changing. And, the future only poorly outlined. As if to amplify on this observation, the waves breaking along the shore, due to the tide, broke behind me first, alongside me next, and in front of me last. A cascade of sound coupled with the visual image.
The sun emerged over the clear ocean horizon. It was as though a ball of fire was plucked from a fiery cauldron of liquid. It seemed to emerge, change shape, and drip some of its fire back into the ocean. As the last edge of the sun cleared the horizon, an elongated drop seemed to form, due no doubt to reflection and refraction, adding to the effect of a cauldron source. It's no wonder that myths started the way they did. Our world is marvelous and not easily explainable if we only observe it, really see it, and not let symbols get in our way.
The pelicans rode what looked like a "ground effect," a compression of the air between the wings and the surface of the water. Without beating their wings, they sailed along in the troughs of the waves for long periods. Then they seemed to ride up the face of a wave, giving them a push higher into the air where they flapped their wings a few times and resumed gliding, skimming the surface of the water. What a marvel of perfection! The pelicans were exercising the skills that they had been given. Highly specialized and adapted to their environment, they seemed to revel in their abilities.
The brown pelican that inhabits the Florida coast where I observed them is a very large bird. It can have wingspans of up to 7.5 feet and flies with long wing strokes, alternating with glides. It commutes to work. Because of its flying skills, it has been known to fly for hundreds of kilometers between its nesting area and feeding area. I observed them every morning going to fish and every evening returning. The pelican prefers to nest in areas that are undisturbed. As a result of this and because of its susceptibility to DDT (making its eggshells too thin), it is becoming a rare bird. The pelican has been known to exhibit altruistic behavior, caring for its disabled. Groups have been known to provide food for a blind member no longer able to fish. In Europe, the pelican has been used as a symbol for man's altruistic activities.
The brown pelicans' manner of fishing is extraordinary.
They fly at heights up to 70 feet and with very specialized vision spot a fish swimming in the water below. The pelican sets its body into a dive, folds its wings, and plummets headfirst into the water, scooping up the fish in its bill. They are spectacular to watch: a marvel of skill and specialization carried out to perfection.
A common disability among the brown pelicans is blindness. Repeated diving with the tremendous impacts on the head damages the eyes and blindness results. The very practice of the skill so carefully perfected damages the pelican's vision, one of its highly developed abilities, necessary for the use of its other skills.
This is also what happens to people. We become so highly specialized and efficient at the practice of a skill that its repeated use blinds us to change and opportunity.
The development of a paradigm both enables progress to be made and hinders change - a paradox.
History has recorded many cases of experts making bad predictions. They were not sensitive to events occurring around them. They were not able to see what was really happening:
"For a century, as you know, steam has been the principal railroad motive power. It still is and, in my view, will continue to be."W.C. Dickerman, President American Locomotive Co.
"The abolishment of pain in surgery is a chimera. It is absurd to go on seeking it today. `Knife' and `pain' are two words in surgery that must forever be associated in the consciousness of the patient. To this compulsory exacerbation we shall have to adjust ourselves."Dr. Alfred Velpeau (l839)
"Nothing has come along that can beat the horse and buggy."Chauncey Depew, U. S. businessman
"I cannot imagine any condition which could cause this ship to flounder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modem shipbuilding has gone beyond that."E. J. Smith, Captain of the Titanic
"The bow is a simple weapon, firearms an very complicated things which get out of order in many ways, a very heavy weapon tires out soldiers on the march. Whereas a bowman can left off six armed shots a minute, a musketeer can discharge but one it two minutes."Colonel Sir John Smythe (1591)
"That is the biggest fool thing we have eve r done. The [atomic] bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives."Admiral William D. Leahy (1945)
I continued my walk along the beach, watching several more groups of pelicans play with the air and the water. There was no one else in sight but there were numerous footprints in the loose sand piled high by tides and the actions of the waves. It was just past high ride and the water had receded somewhat. Walking was tough in the trek over the sand. I moved down closer to the water's edge where there were no footprints. The walking was easier, but I had to keep my eyes open to avoid getting my feet wet by an occasional high-performer wave.
Walking over other people's tracks is always difficult and uninteresting. For a team of horses pulling a wagon, the scenery only changes for the lead horse. In addition, it's easier to get confused by other people's tracks. In Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne, Pooh goes hunting for a Woozle. Joined by Piglet, they continue their search, following a set of tracks. As they walk, the number of tracks increases. They become frightened by the alarming number of Woozles that they are following and quit. Only then do they find that they have walked in circles and followed their own footprints.
When you walk along the water's edge on sand recently uncovered by a receding tide, you explore new areas not seen before. Your footprints clearly mark your path and will last until another tide washes them away.
There are cycles in innovation. There are time periods when bursts of innovative activity occur. We are in one of those time periods now.
Those who wish to make technological progress will dance with the tides of change, using multiple expert skills. Those who dare to deviate from the paths of others, who risk getting their feet wet, will develop innovations, like footprints, that will last until the tide returns 50 to 60 years from now.
Don't be blinded by your specialization. Don't be frightened by all the tracks in front of you. Many of them are yours. Move away from the footprints of the others and dance with the tides of change.
Paul Schumann
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