Moving at the Speed of Creativity - Passionate Champions, Innovation and Multidisciplinary Teams

Passionate Champions, Innovation and Multidisciplinary Teams

Published by Wesley Fryer in creativity, disruptive-technology, leadership, schoolreform on February 14th, 2007

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At the recommendation of Tim Wilson, I listened today to a podcast of the ITConversations interview with Curt Carlson, President and CEO of SRI International. The podcast runs 25 minutes. Carlson’s 2006 book (written with William Wilmot) was “Innovation: The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want,” and in the podcast Carlson discusses several key ideas from the book.

Several things stood out for me in the interview. The first was the critical importance Carlson and SRI place on “passionate champions.” At SRI, if they don’t have a self-identified (note the critical importance of that prefix “self”) for a project, they don’t do the project. Without a passionate champion, they know from experience that most projects will fail, even if the problem being addressed is a critical one and the resources available are formidable and appropriate. My question in response to this idea is, are we seeking to cultivate learners in our classrooms who are “passionate champions?” Are we encouraging teachers in our districts to be passionate champions? Where is the passion in your school, or in your classroom? Chances are you will find some passion on the athletic field. But is there passion in the classroom? Are teachers quashing passion and creativity more than they are encouraging it? In some cases, I think that is the case. Carlson’s exhortation to leaders to identify and actively SEEK “passionate champions” is directly applicable to our educational contexts. We need to facilitate project-based learning activities that address BIG, significant challenges which engage students and invite them to become “passionate champions.” I don’t think we’re doing that often enough in many educational settings.

The second idea Carlson mentioned that resonated with me is the vital importance of multidisciplinary teams. This supports the idea I shared last week at the OTA conference in my session on “School 2.0,” when I discussed the need for us to end strict departmentalized learning in our schools. It also reminds me of ideas shared by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Jonathan McDowell in a podcast about “NASAâ€™s Vision for Human Space Exploration.” I discussed this in a December post titled, “Idea cross-pollination and inspiring scientists.” The solutions we need to the problems which matter in our world increasingly require multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary thinking. Our schools should acknowledge this as they transition to a School 2.0 model, by moving beyond discrete, discipline-based learning models. Yes, I know, I am talking about a radical revolution in our educational culture by making such a suggestion. But that is exactly what is needed.

Is a focus on “best practices” in competition with innovation and creativity? Carlson maintains that “innovation is a discipline” and can be systematically applied. He uses the example of playing a musical instrument, like the piano. If you don’t know how to hold your instrument, how to place your hands, and how to play scales, you will be sharply limited in your ability to create and innovate. Innovation can be tranformatively released when a systematic and disciplined approach toward encouraging creativity is applied. This is not about teaching executives how to make and throw paper airplanes or sending people on rafting trips. Organizations need to focus on listening to customers, identifying opportunities, and being willing to constantly reinvent themselves to meet the needs and changing context of their employees as well as customers.

Carlson asks a great rhetorical question in the context of organizations, which rings true with me in education. His question is, “Do you want your culture changed?” Almost without exception, if you ask someone this question the answer you will get is, “No!” In fact, the answer might be “@$*&^#$% No!” This is often the case when we talk with teachers about any type of instructional idea that represents cultural change. Take Skype. Why does a free, interactive, global videoconferencing software solution have relevance in K-12 or university classrooms? In a culture focused on the one-way transmission of content and ideas, it doesn’t. In a 21st century educational landscape where collaboration is not cheating, it is an expectation of how we work– a tool like Skype that permits instant messaging as well as realtime videoconferencing is priceless. The introduction of digital technologies, and particularly digital technologies which invite user-created content and creative expression, can be particularly disruptive and culture-threatening. I found Carlson’s thoughts along these lines to be quite valuable and thought provoking.

Carlson suggests asking different questions instead of saying, “Do you want your culture changed?” Instead of asking for support of change, ask others how WE can make a bigger impact, achieve our shared goals, work on more important projects, work more productively, and put in place the “best practices” we can learn from others in our same field. When we ask those questions and move together toward solutions, the culture will change as a result.

Team building is difficult in ANY context. Carlson suggests leaders building teams should focus on:
- Sharing a vision
- Building a culture where the individual contributions of each team member are valued, important, vital to success

His closing ideas about the mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida and the plan he wrote before he was elected is remarkable. His goal is to create “the greatest city in America,” not just a “good city.” “Rick Baker is a champion for innovation and best practices” according to Carlson. The commitment to be “the greatest” and share a vision is key: it is not about running to a line but running through the line. I think those ideas also apply directly to us in education as we strive to prepare students NOT ONLY for a series of tests kids will take at the end of the year, but also for success in LIFE. We need to help our kids prepare to not just cross the finish line, but run THROUGH the line with strength, power, and energy in reserve to meet the challenges as well as opportunities that await them AFTER they finish “the race.”