Chris Wrote: Can we expand at all on stories of mothers and bosses hating innovation. I wonder if there is a way of talking up the 'so you don't want innovation' to such absurdity that even managers or bushes start begging for it.
I am not sure that the strategy would actually work, but there are multiple examples of what you are talking about. The most famous one (at least in the US) is the story of Post-its at 3M. The innovation occurred in a totally messy way (didn't follow any known procedure) and the Management of 3M did their very best to ignore, starve, and squelch the new thing. Despite all of that, the little Post-it triumphed (made money) -- and at that point company policy changed. Suddenly the new innovation was trumpeted as the result of the vibrant, forward looking, boundary breaking environment of 3M. Ha :-) ho Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of chris macrae Sent: Friday, November 05, 2004 9:40 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Muddling Through Can we expand at all on stories of mothers and bosses hating innovation. I wonder if there is a way of talking up the 'so you don't want innovation' to such absurdity that even managers or bushes start begging for it Not quite incidentally: http://www.knowledgeboard.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?ap=1&id=133031&d=pnd&date format=%25o-%25B this thread explains why I believe that every network or alumni group should now be sharpening their most startling story. It's illustrated by a mathematical network that can demonstrate the high probability of our extinction within 3 generations=63 years= 9 (thirds of generations- one of which the US is consigned to under leader Bush's 7 year itch) I know we have lots of startling stories but I wonder if OST alumni have one that most fits the way of explaining what OST people know best that most other people will never know until they experience Open Space Chris macrae, wcbn...@easynet.co.uk Some startling networks I love at http://chrismacrae.blogspot.com/ -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: 05 November 2004 12:25 To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Muddling Through Chris wrote: Why is management that says it wants to innovate so afraid of mess? I guess that is pretty simple. Most managers are trained and paid to avoid messes. Not too long ago (and maybe still) the shorthand answer to the question: What is good management? -- was "Make the plan, manage to the plan, and meet the plan." In short -- always be in control and never make a mess. Your Mother wouldn't like it and neither will your Boss. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of chris macrae Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 1:46 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Muddling Through Maybe I mis-worded what I was trying to say. Why is it we live in a world where an organisation that asks for consultant or facilitation help expects first a proposal that makes everything look neat and controllable rather than one that says well the messes we will need to go through before we will have a chance of knowing what next to do are: ... I think I met a comfort in terms of confidence in understanding that mess is the first step into any real innovation; ideally confidence to rip up crap proposals of the sort that make innovation sound tidy and controllable before you start... Why is management that says it wants to innovate so afraid of mess? Cheers chris ---- -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: 04 November 2004 18:03 To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Muddling Through Chris -- I think helping them to feel comfortable with the mess may be wasted effort. I think a more productive approach might be to help them to see there is no option -- and then get on with the business. Actually, I think the very dis-comfort of the moment may be the most useful thing going down just now. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
