By Ian J. Cook, CHRP

Knowing the ‘right’ answer is arguably less important than asking the right question. The right question is most often one that we have yet to ask. To no small extent, the questions we ask define our potential to innovate.

What do Frank Zappa, Albert Einstein and your business have in common?

Debunking the Art of Innovation

One of the many memorable moments I have had in Vancouver was listening to an outdoor concert by the Mothers of Invention playing Frank Zappa’s music. Whether or not you like Zappa’s music there is no denying he is one of most innovative and creative musicians of our time.

Anyone who has dabbled with strings, keys, sticks or mouthpieces knows that learning to play an instrument is not easy or natural. Zappa did not just pick up a guitar and launch into his searing complex riffs on day one. Learning to become world class takes something very special.

So what does it take to become a musical innovator and what lessons does this hold for organizational life?

In his recent book, “Talent is Overrated”, author Geoff Colvin presents a well researched analysis of what it really takes to become world class in any pursuit. As the title implies, Colvin takes aim at the popular mythology surrounding ‘innately gifted’ world class achievers. Malcolm Gladwell tackled the same theme in “Outliers” and the two authors’ findings corroborate the less glamourous truth about what it really takes to get to Carnegie Hall. As the old joke goes: “Practice, Practice, Practice.”

A Diversity of Practice

World class performance requires world class commitment to practice. Not all great performers are great innovators so innovation cannot just be linked to more practice. At least, not just one form of practice. So what should we practice if we want to be more innovative?
One thing we need to practice is combining the diverse views that come from diverse people. If innovation comes from establishing a new perspective then the more perspectives we can successfully combine the more opportunity there is for innovation. This link between innovation and diversity was covered by Neil McEachern in our last issue.

Practice is Relative to Perspective

A story about Albert Einstein provides insight into the question of innovation. He is said to have developed his theory of relativity by picturing himself traveling through the universe on a beam of light. It was not upon the blackboard, but first within Einstein’s imagination that E=mc2 was born.
Changing perspective or applying a different metaphor is often the first step towards creating new outcomes. For example, Apple originally developed from the perspective of making personal computing simple and Google grew from the perspective of making all information accessible.

Training Ourselves to See Anew

Edward De Bono becomes our guide for this part of the journey. His work into the dynamics of thinking showed that brains are in fact hard wired to see similarity and pattern. Our world is so complex and full of information that our whole system of perception and cognition is wired to filter in similarity and filter out or discount difference. Innovation by its nature stands apart from this bias for familiarity.

Case in point: if you buy a red car you suddenly notice more red cars than before. In reality there are no more red cars – we are just now pre-disposed to notice them.

One way we get past our bias for familiarity is to practice our powers of observation. Although we are naturally oriented to see familiarity, fortunately we are not constrained to only see the same things. Observation is a learnable skill and practice can lead to the opportunity to create a new perspective.
Most innovative people I know constantly and intensely observe things that are new to them and most often record these observations. Their daily life is a quest for the new. Through their practice of observation they grow their capacity to innovate. The majority of their observations may find no further expression than a page in a notebook, however this is not failure. What counts is that when the opportunity arises, these individuals have a store of unique perspectives to draw from.

Practicing the Art of Failing

Failing is another thing we need to practice. Fortunately, the education system is changing, but many of us have had the capacity to own and celebrate, our failures trained right out of us.

A successful innovation most often emerges from getting 100 things wrong before getting one crucial aspect right. If we are not practiced in handling our reactions and the responses of others, we are likely to lose both intrinsic motivation and external support. If we fear looking silly or being considered strange, we stop our innovative abilities.

Accessing Value-Oriented Innovation

And now – with a promise to practice, question, and observe – we are ready to practice innovation.

My preferred definition of innovation includes the notion of doing something new that delivers value – not just new for newness’ sake. To begin your practice of innovation start by identifying an area where HR could provide more value. Build up your store of observations, unique or different approaches and look at this situation from multiple different perspectives.

For example if Marketing or Finance or IT had to solve this, what would they do? If I was an employee how would I solve this? If I wanted people to pay for this, how should it be done? If I had to solve this by spending my own money what would I do?

The questions and perspectives are endless, the key is to ask plenty of questions and involve many perspectives and not go with the first answer.
The potential rewards from successful innovation make the practice required worthwhile.

Ian J. Cook MA, MBA, CHRP is the architect and driving force behind the HR Metrics Service. As the Director of Research and Learning for BC HRMA he and his team are keeping HR professionals up to date on the best in HR knowledge and practice.
(PeopleTalk: Winter 2010)