Less than a year after the first man walked on the moon, space flight had become so routine it wasn’t covered by American television. Then a space accident on the thirteenth Apollo mission sparked the words, “ Houston, we have a problem.”
Captured in the 1995 movie, “Apollo 13,” the story of the ground crew’s race to bring the astronauts home provides one of the best innovation scenes available today. At one point, the crew is challenged to literally put a square peg in a round hole using only the materials available onboard the module. The impossible needed to be done … and quickly. The flight director (played by Ed Harris) captures the moment when he states, “Failure is not an option.”
One of the problems organizations face in trying to do innovation is that they seldom have a life-and-death, failure-is-not-an-option challenge that energizes creative thinking and action. Too often, we offer people a tepid “improve sales by 12.3%” kind of challenge and expect them to create heroic results.
One organization that has created challenges that truly motivate and sustain creative energy is Cirque du Soleil, the unique combination of theater and circus that produces 500 shows per year. A new book out by Lyn Heward, former president of Creative Content for Cirque du Soleil and John U. Bacon, The Spark: Igniting the Creative Fire That Lives Within Us All, offers some thoughts about how to engage energy. In a USAToday article, she is quoted as saying:
Sharing of ideas: " We argue about anything - what costumes to use, what athlete to hire. Our first idea is almost never our last."
Surrendering to your senses and living an experience: "The journey inward begins with technique but it can only progress if you allow yourself to move beyond the mechanics and into the moment."
The nurturing Environment: "The ideal office is a fantastical playground a place where an employee can see the world through the eyes of a child."
Challenges becoming creative catalysts: "Constraints - budgets, deadlines and limited resources - can be a fantastic motivator. Without them, your mind is not focused."
Keeping the job fresh: "Comes from the top. In all businesses, your people will rarely work harder than the boss.
But even Heward concedes that bringing creative energy to the workplace is easier said than done: A survey conducted by Harris Interactive last year shows that 55% of all Americans are unhappy with their jobs, only 20% feel passionate about their work, and a mere 15% feel energized by what they do.
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Engage Energy is the central module of the new Innovation Igniter Thinking Wheel series of 13 innovative thinking competencies. These thinking skills are critical for innovation and for the creative work required for today’s world. A 15-minute video module on “Engage Energy” is available at http://innovationigniter.com.
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