The gents at Freakonomics point to a fascinating study - and paradox: The irony is that as a society, we’re constantly talking about how much we value creativity. And yet, the study implies that our minds are biased against it because of the very nature of its novelty. Going forward, perhaps it’s not that we need to get better at producing creative ideas, but at learning how to accept them. Freakonomics » Why We Desire But Reject Creative Ideas The Bias Against Creativity: Why People Desire But Reject Creative Ideas. (original study) … [Read more...]
St. Stevens Day, or, How Steve Jobs Solved the Innovator’s Dilemma
At the risk of piling on the beatification bandwagon, an interesting post from the good folks at Harvard Business Review. The author argues that Jobs solved (Clayton Christensen’s) Innovator's Dilemma upon returning from the wilderness, citing the radical changes he made at Apple. You know the ending: the case of Jobs and Apple is an excellent illustration of the difficulty, rarity and reward of “solving the dilemma.” I was equally struck, however, by some of the language employed. He notes (emphasis mine): Apple talks a lot about its … [Read more...]
The Innovator’s DNA, or More Disruption
From Clay Christensen and friends, of Innovator's Dilemma fame. In a new book, Christensen and coauthors Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen investigate what characterizes innovative individuals and how these traits transfer to the organization. Five habits of mind...characterise disruptive innovators: associating, questioning, observing, networking and experimenting. Innovators excel at connecting seemingly unconnected things...companies that have the highest “innovation premiums”...display the same five habits of mind as individual innovators. … [Read more...]
Orchestras at the Cross Roads
Jesse Rosen, President and CEO of the League of American Orchestras, provides a clear-eyed view of the challenges facing orchestras in his plenary remarks from the League conference this month. The fundamental issues he highlights in community relevance, governance, stakeholder cooperation, and financial "clarity" are important considerations for cultural leaders in all disciplines. … [Read more...]
OpenIDEO – Home
IDEO, as you may know (including those of you who have studied the organization in one of our seminars) is one of the world's top product design firms. OpenIDEO is their open innovation site where they use crowdsourcing to develop ideas for addressing social issues. The site is interesting in its own right, but I wanted to highlight it because it is such an interesting example of an organization finding a way to embody in technology the thing that is unique about them, and use technology to extend that experience to a much larger audience. … [Read more...]
Business has much to learn from the arts
A wry, brief paean to the arts and what the world of business has to learn from them. Many businesspeople, for their part, assume that artists are a bunch of pretentious wastrels. Bosses may stick a few modernist daubs on their boardroom walls. They may go on corporate jollies to the opera. They may even write the odd cheque to support their wives’ bearded friends. But they seldom take the arts seriously as a source of inspiration. Studying the arts can...help companies learn how to manage bright people. Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones of the … [Read more...]
Disrupting College
Clay Christensen and his team at Innosight Institute apply Christensen's model of disruptive innovation to higher education. It is a compelling presentation of the systematic barriers that keep the higher education sector from meeting its mission, the role that online learning technology and new providers are playing in changing the sector, and the way the business models of established institutions stop them from responding effectively. So why do we care in the arts and culture sector? I see powerful similarities between the structural issues … [Read more...]
An Optimist’s Tour of the Future
As arts organizations face an increasing number of challenges, it might help us all to lighten the load by “unlearning” some things – Matt Ridley sketches out what a few of those things might be. Matt Ridley on An Optimist's Tour of the Future - WSJ.com. … [Read more...]
Why Can’t Big Companies Solve Big Problems?
Organizations - and society - face complicated problems that require nuanced solutions. Hybrid thinking crosses traditional boundaries and enables ideas to mix together to create innovative solutions to those problems. The question is, how do you enable that type of flexible thinking in your organization? Why Can't Big Companies Solve Big Problems? | Co.Design. … [Read more...]
Stealing Fire: Creative Deviance in the Evolution of New Ideas
A different look at how you create break-through innovation. Stealing Fire: Creative Deviance in the Evolution of New Ideas - Academy of Management. … [Read more...]
The Zombie Workplace Survival Guide
Just in time for Halloween, the Harvard Business Review blog offers tips for combating the four contagions that create a zombie workplace — "where creative people and good ideas disturbingly molder." The Zombie Workplace Survival Guide - H. James Wilson and Kevin Desouza - Research - Harvard Business Review. … [Read more...]
How the Magazine Industry Can Save Itself
This is an interesting piece from FastCompany about the challenges of content providers, which I think has important implications for arts organizations. "In the internet age, distribution isn't a competitive advantage. But highly curated content can be. " How the Magazine Industry Can Save Itself | Co.Design. … [Read more...]
Mapping Business Models
This post introduces an interesting, knowledge-game approach to understanding and developing an organization's strategic direction. It includes a mapping tool and suggestions for how to create a team session which can be focused in any number of ways - "at the very least the game leads to a refined and shared understanding of an organization’s business model. At its best it helps players develop strategic directions for the future by outlining new and/or improved business models for the organization." We've used similar mapping tools for … [Read more...]
Nonprofits, Innovation, and Performance Measurement: Separating Fact from Fiction
A recent study from Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies on constraints on innovation in the NP sector (incl. arts specifically). Limited resources cited as constraint on both innovation itself and the ability to perform rigorous program evaluation in service of identifying innovative programs. Folk wisdom of correlation between organization size and innovation is also challenged: "Innovative activity was particularly pronounced among the larger organizations, challenging the common assumption that organizations become less … [Read more...]
Leaders in co-creation? Why and how museums could develop their co-creative practice with the public
This paper explores increasing co-creation in museums as a means to creating better, more relevant and innovative programming and exhibits. Using performing arts examples and business literature, Govier argues that collaborative development and co-creation should be pursued with more in mind than audience development/engagement or educational programming and outreach. While the research focuses on the application of these concepts for museums, the ideas are relevant to all arts and culture organizations. Found via Nina Simon's summary … [Read more...]