Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    

I agree there are issues of scale - but there are many examples of
innovation happening in large organizations. 

The NASA space program in the 60s is one the largest mass innovation
efforts in history. About 500,000 people in total worked on the various
innovations required to put a man on the moon.  How did they do it?
Two factors: 1) Delegation. They were able to divide projects into
sub-projects and give individual project teams high autonomy, but clear
points of integration 2) Clear vision. JFK provided a very clear goal
for everyone to innovate around. So while people were coming up with
ideas, it was all framed around a unified, and very crisp, goal (Put a
man on the moon by 1970).

Of course, some large organizations have more executive centered
innovation - that there are only a handful of thought leaders who are
coming up with ideas, and much larger force of people who are executing
those ideas. The stereotype of film production is a good example of
this: there may be 200 or 400 people working on a major film
production, but only 10 or 20 who are seen as creative directors. Even
the actors may not play major creative roles in *defining* what the
project is.

From all the research I've done it's clear there are many ways to make
innovation in large organiations work. Some factors are cultural (how
much involvement do people expect to have). Others are leadership (is
the creative leader charismatic or persuasive enough to get large
numbers of people to follow - Think Alexander the great). And some are
process: is the way in which new ideas are proposed and decided upon
transparent to everyone? 
  

    

(scottberkun), it's hard to believe that two weeks have already gone by.
Thanks so much for joining us, this has been a pleasure. And thanks to you,
(esau), for leading this conversation.

Though we're got a new guest in our virtual "center stage" now, you're
welcome to stick around and continue as long as you wish. If you have other
things calling you away, I hope you'll at least check back a couple times to
respond to any late incoming questions.

such as: Now that "Myths of Innovation" is in the can, so to speak, you've
probably got another project in the works. What is it, (scottberkun)?
  

    
Yes, thanks for spending your time with us, Scott.
  

    
Great posts from so many participants. This was fun.
  

    
Yes, thanks for being here!
  

    
Thx Cynthia & Scott and all the folks who posted! It was fun and I'll
check back now and then.

Plan is to write fiction for awhile and start on another non-fiction
book in the fall. 
  

    
Thanks for writing the book and coming here to talk about it.  The
conversation gave me a better understanding of this tricky magic stuff
called innovation.