innovation engine: Attitude, knowledge, resources, habitat, culture, imagination (14)

1. Reframe problems (19)

2. emphasize to change point of view (21)

3. ask why (22)

4. see Derek Sivers on Ted

5. framing and reframing of problems also opens up the door to innovative new ventures (27)

6. creativity and humor usually come from shifting the frame (30)

7. A great way to experiment with connections on a day-to-day basis is to use metaphors and analogies (43)

8. The four core tenets for brainstorming are deferring judgment, generating lots of ideas, encouraging unusual ideas, and combining ideas (53):

9. standing

10. there should be a lot of space, like all the walls and windows, where to write

11. The people invited to a brainstorming session should have different points of view and expertise on the topic

12. The framing of the topic is a critical decision (56). For example: “What is the most fanciful birthday experience we could create for Mike”

13. It is helpful to fill the room with things that will stimulate the discussion, like tape, scissors, cardboard, rubber bands, and so forth.

14. Real rules exist for effective brainstorming the most important of which is that there are no bad ideas

15. start with an exercise such as How would you design eyeglasses if we didn’t have ears? Again, this exercise stretches the imagination and prepares everyone for the real work.

16. creativity needs some constraints (for example short time for exams, limited resources for budget movies). It enhanced when you reward both success and failure and punish inaction (122)

17. engagement and exploration are also enhanced when the process includes some uncertainty and surprise. Intermittent rewards lead to more robust behavior.

18. you can make all types of activities more engaging by turning them into a game. For example the initiative run by Volkswagen, called Fun Theory. (123)

19. when you play, you are having fun. When you have fun, you feel better about yourself and your work. And when you feel better , you are much more creative and deliver more. (144)

20. Thomas Edison: ““I have not failed. I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.”” (151)

21. When students are given explicit instructions, when they are told what they need to know, they become less likely to explore on their own. (153)

22. “Genius is the ability to make the most mistakes in the shortest period of time.”(154)

23. by looking at “failures” as “data,” we enhance everyone’s willingness to experiment.

24. see khosla ventures, tinkering school, start up chile (http://www.startupchile.org/), http://www.xprize.org/

25. move fast, break things

26. reframe wording

27. Your beliefs are shaped by the language you use, and the language you use is shaped by your beliefs. (179)

28. creativity is influenced by your knowledge, imagination and attitude/what you know, you do (skills) and how you feel

29. the people with whom we work, because each of these factors contributes to our ability to generate new ideas. (192)

30. • Your attitude sparks your curiosity to acquire related knowledge. • Your knowledge fuels your imagination, allowing you to generate innovative ideas. • Your imagination catalyzes the creation of stimulating habitats, leveraging the resources in your environment. • These habitats, along with your attitude, influence the culture in your community. (194)