This isn’t for everyone, so if you’re not the daring type of person, then go and read something else and save yourself the stress. However, if you are a thinking person who likes to push the envelope that little bit further with each new thing you do, then this will be right up your street.
Innovation means breaking things. Nothing that you currently do can be holy. If it isn’t moving forward and moving the bottom line, you’ve got to break it.
Right now we’re working on Like Minds Conference, Autumn 2010. We’re breaking a lot of stuff. We’ve taken everyone of our assumptions about what traditionally makes a great event, and we’ve broken a lot of stuff.
One instance is panels. I’ve never been happy with how they work, and I’m so thankful for Dave Lutz who shared this post with me, the comments of which encouraged me to go ahead and break what I didn’t think worked in the first place.
Lesson? We need that nod from our peers to say – “yeah, break it.”
Breaking things means we find out what works. Consider good ideas that aren’t just profitable ideas. I remember telling one person this ‘incredible idea’ I had, but was so glad that he could help break it and instead move me onto an idea that was breaking and making new things.
I guess I’ve found that the best ideas of mine are those that break the norms.
Your Leading Thoughts
- What isn’t moving the bottom line? Why haven’t you broken it?
- What norms are you currently breaking?
Scott, you've stimulated my thinking.For me, breaking what isn't profitable is a commercial norm. For example…Breaking relationships that drain precious resources and add nothing of value;Breaking attachments to great ideas that have no clear and direct path to profit;Breaking perceptions about what constitutes success e.g. that high volume fans = profit??;Breaking unsustainable work practices that exhaust people & fail to deliver the cash;Breaking the need to follow what everybody else is doing just to feel safe and tribal.In my world, 'breaking' is just another manifestation of diamond focus and developing a strong NO.Best, Robin
You know where I got the title from you – YOU!I love these words here Robin, because all of this breaking is about, as you say, developing a strong NO.I wish more people would read these words of yours here, because they need to be what we do on a regular basis – challenge the traditions!Scott
Thanks, mate.Breaking is so easy to say. It's the doing it that becomes hard – and that's what makes it so valuable from a commercial perspective. The online world is to a large extent a world of 'yestivities' – cultural momentum built around popularity, consensus, agreement and 'yes' e.g. growing the numbers by getting known and being liked. 'Breaking' stands out. It shocks. It calls the bluff on your need to be liked, friended, followed and popular. It becomes an inconvenient conversation stopper – and yet, done effectively and consistently, becomes remarkable, liberating, energising and exciting.Robin
Oh I like this! That's very quotable!True words Robin. It is easy to talk about it and hard to do. I'm in the midst of breaking things right now actually
Challenging the establishment, convention and norms – love itAlso love the concept of LikeMinds and looking forward to 28-31 October – when can we register? Frustrating ;-(Similarities between Like Minds and Charles Leadbeater who writes on innovation strategy and author of the seminal We-Think which charts the rise of mass, participative approaches to innovation (Profile Books) Leadbeater sketches his 'We-Think' concept of mass creativity. According to him, new forms of social networking and multi-user collaboration announce the arrival of a society in which participation will be the key organising idea – great book which breaks it!
What specifically are you breaking? To what end?
Hey StephenI'll be sure to check out the book. You of course are someone who has been breaking it for years.How do you know what not to break?Scott
Robin it's with the key areas of my life. It's more about me breaking the processess that I previously thought had to be gone through and the tasks that I was doing which were redundant.Hard to type – easier to skype!
Scott
Hey Scott, I'm running a bit behind on reading this week. Thanks for the shout out! Can't wait to hear how your sessions at LikeMinds go this fall! If you keep shaking things up and delivering value in new ways, you're going to have a sell out crowd. You're going down the right road, but it gets more challenging as attendance increases. Just keep being a King Maker and you'll do great!
Thanks for the support Dave. I certainly feel I have such a network who are helping me, I really can't describe the encouragement you give me.Can't wait to meet you and Jeff!
H-m-m. Is breaking things, which I'll call traditions, not for everyone? Or is it that some people don't want to break traditions?Just playing with your opening statements. I think we get comfortable with the ways things are and have always been. I believe that in many cases we have exalted tradition far beyond its true value. We made tradition an icon of holiness, our touchstone, guardian, guide and stay. It feels as comfortable as our favorite jeans. Have we done that simply because tradition encourages our innate resistance to change? Rememberance of the past should give us courage, amid things passing away, to try new things and stride forward into a new day. Newness and life is out front, not behind. We should embrace more willingness to hang question marks on the things we've always done and break things. For me, it leads to more innovation, success, learning and progress.
Hey JeffAs always, an honour to get your insights. I think, yes, tradition has a comfort to it. We get things handed down to us – things that stick around – and they feel comfortable.The adage is that “if it isn't broken, don't fix it” – but often something may not be broken and still be unprofitable.This is of course what you are saying anyway, and it's good to hear that you guys feel the same way – it comforts me!Scott