Examples of Developing Innovative Ideas

Examples of Developing Innovative Ideas

In my last post, I explained how one can develop innovative thoughts. I have given some practical examples of the implementation of Innovative ideas in job functions. All those were practical examples. Here, I am giving some interesting examples of how one can look at something from completely different angles, which is often referred to as ‘out of the box’ thought. I say, these are examples of developing innovative ideas. Many things happen around us daily and most of us look at it on the surface. Try to think differently and one day you can be an example of an innovative thinker.

Case 1

How long is one second?

Length of ‘one second’. How does it matter? Ek second pe naa train chut jata; yaa Sensex gir jata (neither you miss a train in one-second delay nor the share market crash).

However, can you realize how loooong is 1 second, Its too looong. I am explaining!

In my teenage, when I was an active sportsman and was participating in different events, the world record of 100 metres sprint was approx. 11seconds. It was not that we were taking one minute to run 100 metres. Our timing in the local club was also around 12 seconds. Just 1 second more only to touch the world record! Wow! Can you imagine that there are always more than a billion sprinters around the globe standing within the next one second of the world record? And all of them were practising hours daily round the years but could not manage to reduce so ‘looong’ time of one second.

I was thinking then, it is just one second…so why not I jump in last moment to cover it?
But in practice, I found that when you give everything, you are not left with the option or energy to jump. Such a shortcut is easy to suggest but impractical as an illusion.

Also, it is not 1 second. It is still more than ten metres to cross with no time left. In the same way, when crossing 100 metres in 10.5 seconds is impossible for millions, it can be a cakewalk for Usain Bolt (now the time is reduced to 9.x seconds). If performance can be raised to a higher level the tough things also become easier.

This is the reason Carl Lewis, Johnson, and Usain Bolt are so regarded as they could able to manage just 1/100 of a second from the trailer each and every time. And this 1/100 seconds brings fame and billions of dollars extra in life.

The third part of this thought is that I find the same thing happens in our daily life. If someone is not so intelligent or has less capability compared to his seniors in office, in their family or in society they always come under criticism. However, it may that one day he/she can outperform the people who are criticizing or attacking him/ her. Because the difference is visibly big but small in reality and can be marginalised or overtaken with consistence development of skills in contrary when other living in ecstasy.

Case-2

Reverse the Verse:

The efficient process is rhythmic like a verse. However, when the rhythm gets dislocated and cannot bring back the normal process, we can look the reverse way.
Easy to understand with some examples.
One manager asked his order processing team how they can make the lives of customers miserable, to list it out.
The responses were something like this –
 We shall work in a reactive manner.
 Shall not keep records and should not maintain follow-up process.
 Shall not reply to emails/queries prompt.
 Keeping documentation is not important when an order is executed.
 Shall not recheck the price minutely but shall go as in order.
 Month closing is not critical.
 Shall keep reasons ready that it is not my fault but someone else.
 Shall anticipate that the payment term is correct.
 Not important to take any approval.
 Shall work on it after I finish other work.
 For queries, shall put the ball in the other’s court and work when the reply comes, not my responsibility anymore.

Then the manager asked the team to reverse all these and that will become an efficient order processing system to achieve high customer satisfaction.

Case 3

Half Glass Full!

All of you must have gone through several professional trainings. What is the most correct answer in a training course when a trainer asks a question? It is not necessarily the most correct but usually, it is the answer that the trainer wants to hear to channelize his/her thought, irrespective of the answer being a blunt one or partly correct. In case you think differently or beyond boundaries and have a unique innovative mind then you can be stamped as odd.

What dumbfounds you were in your first training at your early professional life? You uttered, ‘What a great example!’ Most probably that is the ‘Glass and Water’ paradox to prove something. The question is presented like this, an interviewer asks an interviewee, “what do you see?” keeping a glass partly filled on the table in front of him.

What is that supposed to prove? Positivity and Negativity. Half glass full means you have a positive mind and half glass empty means you have a negative mind. What a childish conclusion!
In some cases, the trainer goes to the next step like Opportunities….Content…Satisfied…etc.
In fact, the question or example itself is a little blunt.

Why is this question blunt? Because the expected answer is ‘half glass full’ or ‘half glass empty’ to meet the requirement of the next explanations of the trainer. With ignorance of the vast hidden potential of this example. Blunt answer because –

i. How do we know if the water or liquid is ‘half’? Superficial! Is it not appropriate to say partly filled or empty?
I feel a better similar question can be what the basic colour of a Zebra is? Is it white with black stripes or black with white stripes?

ii. How one can be sure that it is water just by looking it? It can be any liquid. Is it not too simple a conclusion?

Anyway, let’s see what a better answer to the Half-Glass puzzle can be. Anticipating one has a scientific and analytical mind and does not conclude with half a picture.
What can be another answer of depth for ‘what you see?’

A. “H2O”. Not a very good answer but simple & scientific.
(Scientific Mind)

B. “Matching each other, though both are completely different substances (solid and liquid)”.
(Perfect Match)
This is very important in everyone’s professional life as well as family life. Two person’s thoughts, knowledge, habits, culture, attitude and even physical competencies usually never are equal like the Glass or Water. But they are perfect together and stable. Attitude to match each other, not competing but complementing leads to success.

C. “Vessel helps the liquid to be stable. Otherwise, the liquid can go to waste and damage other things.”
(Helping Hand, Cooperation, Empathy)
It is important, especially in corporate life, for managers to give protection to employees who have not yet found stability because of insufficient experience or any other reason but are positive and transparent. With time they can be turned into the most useful employees of the organisation.

D. “All three states of a substance are there. Solid & liquid which we can see. The vapour we cannot see but it is on top. So if we ignore that then it is a matter of time before the glass is empty.”
(Unseen challenges, Prediction, Vision)

E. “The liquid takes the shape of the vessel”.
(Accommodative, Humble)

F. “Two transparent creations together” or “the transparency which makes both visible”.
(I like this the most. Simple, Philosophical. As well as when the mind can see beauty first.)

Do you agree that these can be answers expected from people who can think in-depth, have an analytical mind as well as can be innovative by nature? Surely you have come across this question but ever these answers flew into your mind. If the answer is yes, then it is great. If the answer is no, no issue, it’s time to start deep thinking.

What can be a better example of looking at a problem from different angles, finding several alternative solutions and finding the best possible solution out of it? Intellect and innovative minds excel, every other thing is to build a strong foundation.

Sometimes innovative thoughts are not easy to digest but easy to reject. Not necessary that all agree with any innovative idea. Despite that, I am taking the courage to express myself in case some of you find it interesting. At least help you to cultivate a creative thought process.

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