INNOVATION IS ABOUT ARGUING....NOT BRAINSTORMING!!

How to argue productively?  Conduct deliberative discourse. 

Interesting idea.  I noticed this concept in a recent article in Fast Company by Daniel Sobol. 

Here is an excerpt:  

we use deliberative discourse--or what we fondly call “Argue. Discuss. Argue. Discuss.” Deliberative discourse was originally articulated in Aristotle’s Rhetoric. It refers to participative and collaborative (but not critique-free) communication. Multiple positions and views are expressed with a shared understanding that everyone is focused on a common goal. There is no hierarchy. It’s not debate because there are no opposing sides trying to “win.” Rather, it’s about working together to solve a problem and create new ideas.
So we argue. And discuss. And argue. A lot. But our process is far from freeform yelling.

Here are five key rules of engagement that we’ve found to yield fruitful sessions and ultimately lead to meaningful ideas.

  1.  No Hierarchy

  2.  Say No,  because

  3.  Diverse perspectives

  4.  Focus on a common goal

  5.  Keep it fun

Read the full article   here   

Fail often & quick.....then debrief to learn

The above is my first Cardinal Rule of Marketing. If you are not failing, it means that you're not trying many new things. And if you're not trying a lot of new things it's hard to generate a new product or service success.

I have found that the best marketing lessons are empirical. They are not often predicted or pre-planned. The key then becomes to figure ways to observe the behavior of our customers and not predict what they might do.

So how can this be done? At a reasonable cost? Start small....in a specific geography....or with one or two customers who are willing to work with you. Introduce your new product or service with that customer and follow up to observe the results. What's working....not working.....what needs to be changed?
Now take your learnings....revise the offering....and roll out on a broader basis.

Work this process, to get your organization comfortable with innovation. Test....observe....change.....retest......expand. It just may lead to success.
So happy failures......just do them quick and often!!

FAILURE & INNOVATION

Would you like to increase your chances to succeed? Just DOUBLE the number of failures in your firm!! How can this be? What does this mean?

It’s because most success is not planned or controlled. The great marketers learn to be great observers of behavior. If you want to have that “AHA” moment and trip over a great idea….you must try a lot of things.

This is difficult for most organizations. It depends on your culture of risk taking. Innovation requires taking some risks. In your firm, are people punished for making mistakes? Or trying something that does not work out? What is the reaction…..is it a learning opportunity or is the expectation that things work perfectly? If the latter, you will have a hard time encouraging your people to be creative & innovate. They will be afraid of punishment……i.e. they will avoid risks.

So, create an idea…..commercialize the concept…..find a way to try it with a limited audience i.e. with small costs…..then observe what works. Or what doesn’t work. Learn, revise it, try it again……then “AHA.” You just might surprise yourself and INNOVATE.