Which type of brainstorming is more effective; fair idea exchange in a structured environment or a random, unplanned debate? If you guessed the former, you’d be wrong, according to research by author Jonah Lehrer. Scientific studies continue to debunk the myth that traditional brainstorming works. You see, the human brain needs chaos for creativity to arise. But finding a way to control chaos allows business leaders to tap into it more often and more effectively. Take a look at the evidence...

Creativity at the intersections

Why would lack of structure create better ideas? Because combining existing disciplines is one of the most successful ways that people innovate. For example, how often have you heard a new movie described as, “It’s X meets Y!” Yet when we see the film, we don’t find it to be some boring rehash. It’s something that feels entirely new and exciting. The same thing works in other fields besides entertainment. Combining existing paradigms can lead to new and creative thinking. Scholars and business owners utilize this power when they place big thinkers from various departments near each other at workplaces, increasing the chance for accidental encounters and conversations. In fact, Steve Jobs purposely designed the architecture of Pixar’s headquarters for different kinds of people to have chance encounters. Before you go out and find an oddly shaped building for your next project though, know that design thinking like this isn’t just useful in architecture. You can incorporate it into other aspects of business...

Corporate innovation and the OODA loop

You don’t have to manufacture chaos. Business is chaotic by default. The corporate environment is more uncertain today than ever before. And the key to turning that uncertainty and risk into an advantage is a short feedback loop, or OODA loop, as developed by military strategist John Boyd.

OODA stands for :

●      Observe

●      Orient

●      Decide

●      Act

Basically, the faster you learn, the faster you adapt.

Although the OODA loop sounds straightforward and decisive, Boyd himself used a chaotic method of study in order to come up with it. He synthesized research from seemingly unrelated fields that included philosophy, science, military history, and psychology.

Here are some tips on putting OODA into practice:

To observe in a useful way, take a look at your own situation as well as your competition’s situation. Know what you are doing and what others in a similar field or position are doing.

To orient effectively, you then find the opportunities available due to the information you have observed. If you see that you are doing several things wrong, you orient to make a change.

To decide the right course, you select the change that matches your new orientation or direction.

And then you act. This is the step many people neglect. But here’s the thing -- if you orient or decide incorrectly, you can always re-orient and decide a new path. These aren’t mistakes. They are pivots on your path to success.

What are you waiting for? Start innovating and take action on your ideas.

References‍

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/01/30/groupthink

https://www.businessinsider.com/mits-building-20-is-proof-that-only-a-certain-kind-of-brainstorming-really-works-2012-2

https://taylorpearson.me/ooda-loop/

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