A recent WSJ headline notes that at 3M, “Innovation Comes in Tweaks and Snips.” Apparently, 3M CEO George Buckley had recently charged staffers to find cheaper ways to make products like respirator masks as a way to improve products and cut costs, suggesting that in hard economic times like these, innovations can be found “at the bottom of the pyramid” rather than in pursuit of a single “grandiose invention.”
Certainly, innovation can come in many shapes and sizes, but the brand of iterative chicken scratching suggested in this charge raises serious questions about the definition and terms around “innovation.” For example, can any/every iterative maneuver, be it cost cutting, process improvement, or otherwise tweaking and snipping, be considered “innovation”? Where are the lines drawn around an “ah-hah moment” born of the elusive “creative spark,” and simple problem-solving? Are we wrong to lump the concepts of innovation, invention and creativity into the same category? Is being “skillful” the same as being “innovative”? What about resourcefulness? And, where does novelty come into play?
With operations in more than 65 countries, 75,000 employees, and global sales of over $23 billion, 3M leadership must remain engaged on all levels of the innovation pyramid in these tough economic times. No stranger to innovation, Buckley’s training as an electrical engineer combined with a broad knowledge of physics and thermodynamics led to many patented, industry-changing inventions including early prototypes of the front-loading washing machine. In his role as CEO of 3M (current tagline, “Innovative Technology for a Changing World”), Buckley is both an idealist and a realist when it comes to innovation. The cost-cutting exercise around the respirator masks belies the depth of Mr. Buckley’s creative nature.
In 2007, I had an opportunity to sit down with Mr. Buckley to talk about the dynamic of creativity. An intensely curious and widely read man, he described himself as a life-long-learner, drawing upon ancient history, biographies, classical music and the arts. Buckley is comfortable talking in broad abstract terms or in the vernacular of the pragmatic, Fortune 500 business leader that he is. Introverted and thoughtful, driven to a state of near constant scanning and observation, absorbing, processing and critiquing, Buckley believes that the creative process occurs at the intersection of intuitive vision, specialized “deep” knowledge, and opportunity. He believes that creative discovery is something other than linear processing that “comes on another level of awareness … part genius, part maverick … a willingness to risk, to go out into an unknown realm.”
Always PUSHing the future, Cecily Sommers concurs, citing two categories of innovation: 1) problem-solving through ideation (brainstorming around a challenge or opportunity and then choosing the best option); and 2) leaps in logic (blue-sky dreaming … asking the broad “what if” questions). Sommers suggests that the creative process applies in both approaches, and that moments of insight are found in each. She also notes that iteration is fundamental to the innovation process as a whole.
I suspect that value to society, or “social value,” is also a factor in determining the innovative quotient of a product or process. Resourcefulness, for example, can be a component of innovative behavior, however it does not necessarily deliver social value. If you’re lost on a deserted island, there will be great personal value in being able to forage for food, fashion shelter out of palm fronds, and create an imaginary friend out of found objects …. But, where is the value-add for mankind?
Novelty, toys and games can claim some real estate in the sphere of creativity, innovation and invention as well. Think Nerf ball. Invented by journalist-turned-toy-mogul, Reynolds Guyer, the Nerf was a literal game-changer, challenging the once unbreakable rule that “you can’t throw a ball in the house.” The invention of the Nerf spawned an industry of fun, neon-colored, foam-based weaponry and continues to score millions in revenue every year.
Finally, in this sampler platter on innovation, we need to consider context. One man’s failure is another man’s innovation. Take the ubiquitous, highly innovative 3M product, the Post-it note. In the context of the 3M research department, inventor Spencer Silver’s attempt to formulate a new super-sticky adhesive was a failure. Years later, however, colleague Arthur Fry conceived the application for Silver’s easily removable glue compound that we celebrate today.
NOTE: In recent efforts to “make the Post-it brand more relevant and ‘cool and hip’ (their words) with members of Gen X and Y, 3M marketers have launched “Project Things We Forget” into the social media marketplace. The project website has attracted 770,000 visitors; has 13,000 fans and 700 friends on facebook; 1,500 followers on Twitter; 700 devotees on stumbleupon; feature stories on over 674,000 sites; and a review on Singapore’s largest radio station. Woot!
Post-Note: As for the challenge to 3M respirator researchers – consumers can breathe a sigh of relief; an ultra-low-cost respirator mask will be released into the marketplace next month. Aaaachooooot!
