Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 45 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: These Movies Will Help You Innovate and Work Better
— From The Little Black Book of Innovation: How It Works, How to Do It by Scott D. Anthony
What happens when you don’t have enough resources to innovate or to do what the gurus and the books say you should do? A modified version of this question is what author Scott D. Anthony received from a workshop attendee.
It is not uncommon to feel that there are never enough resources, and the answer, according to Anthony in his book The Little Black Book of Innovation, comes from pop culture: movies. Specifically, the author cites these movies to help you innovate and work better: Under the Dome, Zombieland, and Honey, I shrunk the kids.
Under the Dome is a book by Stephen King (the king of horror) made into a movie, where the residents of Chester’s Mill, a fictional town, suddenly find themselves trapped under a dome covering the entire town. “The dome lets in enough air to let people live but blocks out everything else,” says Anthony.
“People too frequently approach innovation like the residents of Chester’s Mill, that is, they feel as if they have to do everything themselves, but the best innovators are constantly looking to connect with outside resources. Break free of the dome and find outsiders who are keenly motivated to help you. […] Sometimes innovators seem to think they get extra credit for doing things themselves. In fact, the best innovators have a degree of humility in that they recognize their own limitations. […] The resources at your disposal need not end at your floor, building or–if you are in a large company–department. The world can literally be your oyster if you look at it in the right way. Breaking free of the dome can help you extend your resources.”
Zombieland is a gory movie in which lots of zombies get killed. The point of mentioning this movie has nothing to do with the plot itself, but merely as a reference to “zombies, the walking undead,” says the author.
“If you look closely at the way most companies approach innovation, you see a surprisingly high number of zombie projects. That is, projects with little hope, some of which have been officially shut down, but linger on. Individuals suffer from this zombie-project problem as well: ask how many items on your to-do list really matter… Time management experts suggest that you are probably working on too many things that seem urgent but really aren’t that important. So, start by cutting out the 30% of things that are shuffling zombies. If you are a senior leader in a large corporation, you have to look for zombie divisions or product lines too.”
Honey, I shrunk the kids serves as an apt metaphor for finding resources for innovation, says Anthony. “Cut the size of the zombie projects by 30-50%. Why? Small teams almost always move faster than large teams. Well-oiled teams with a single master can be powerful, but they are the exception… These efforts to reduce the team size allow you to increase focus and financial resources on high-potential ideas that are getting close to a major inflection point, or on new initiatives. You aren’t magically creating more resources here, you’re just making sure that you get the most of your resources by organizing appropriately.”
And there you have your pop-culture answer to the question on how to innovate when you don’t have resources galore. Thinking about the lessons in these movies will help you innovate and work better!
Have you seen any other movies that have sparked ideas for business or innovation? Please share them in the comments here, I’d love to know.
ACTION
TODAY: Make a list of all the activities and projects in which you are currently working. Find the zombies and kill them or shrink them. Of the remaining activities that you are involved in, where can you escape the dome? What can you delegate, outsource or simply ask for help to someone who can do it faster, better, cheaper, or just more efficiently and effectively, overall?
FUTURE: Whenever you find yourself filled with zombie projects (yes, just as the “real” zombies, these projects are relentless…) get in your best zombie-exterminator mindset and get rid of them. Make these movie references a part of your vocabulary to help you innovate, work better, and be more effective when you need to, they come in very handy!
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