According to author John Sweeney, embracing that all-important mindset of discovery requires looking at innovation in a completely different way--as a set of behaviors that can be cultivated and practiced. The goal is to bring the behavioral side of innovation to the forefront of the conversation.
What can we do to make our company more innovative? What are some things I can do to make myself more innovative?
Innovation demands that we open our minds to all possibilities as a way to find our own personal path to success and solution. The goal is to bring the behavioral side of innovation to the forefront of the conversation. If we all choose to simply spend more time in a mindset of discovery instead of a mindset of fear, our lives and this world can become richer, more productive, and more innovative.
The definition of the mindset of discovery emerged from more than 55 years of improvising off and on stage at the Brave New Workshop. Without this kind of mindset, it's nearly impossible to create and collaborate at the rapid pace our stage requires with the added stress of a live audience. We would have failed at growing and prospering as a business if we hadn't embraced this mindset.
Improvisation has been found to be an amazing vehicle to practice the behaviors and mindset needed for successful innovation. Here are some lessons learned about improvisation:
Make everyone on stage look better than you at all times.
Reframe mistakes as steppingstones toward success.
The fastest way to build something is to be in a culture of agreement.
Serving your teammates and the audience will lead to far greater success than serving yourself.
Although the intention of this book is not to teach someone how to improvise, especially on stage, it's important to at least explain why improvisational performance has been such an essential part of developing the mindset of discovery and an understanding of how that mindset can help others offstage.
Source: John Sweeney: The Innovative Mindset: 5 Behaviors for Accelerating Breakthroughs
George E. L. Barbee: 63 Innovation Nuggets for aspiring innovators