In practice, highly creative organizations bring in outsiders who are not weighed down unduly by the “way things have always been done”. These outsiders come with a fresh perspective, and therefore exercise what can be described as “zero-gravity” thinking – that is, clear thinking which is unfettered by established practices, internal politics or any other impediments. Using a collaborative approach, these temporary team members can then push people to think outside the limits of their existing mindset.

Zero-gravity thinking addresses directly the human side of innovation. It is based on the fact every invention, every great idea and every breakthrough product is the brainchild of a real person or a group of people combining their thoughts and talents.
 

Why innovation is difficult for most organizations

When innovating, human nature is an obstacle which must be overcome. Our thinking is constrained by the fact we accept blithely what others have said and what the experts say is possible or impossible. All of this limits our field of vision and puts blinders on our thinking. To innovate successfully, we need to put aside what is known and let our imaginations run free. We need to break away from what we know, what our organization believes and what the experts in our field accept are the established boundaries.

Innovation is defined as “the development and application of an original idea which results in a valuable improvement being made”. Some innovations are breakthroughs (radical departures from what was used before) while others are incremental improvements on existing ideas.

Everyone loves the idea of being innovative because that can be highly profitable. If you or your organization can come up with a breakthrough idea, it can make a huge difference in the marketplace. Yet despite this appreciation of the benefits of being innovative, many organizations find it difficult to innovate.

Why is innovation so difficult?

• In some organizations, new ideas need to pass through numerous filters of various kinds before they get picked up on. These filters may consist of requiring management approval, needing resources to be made available or even something as simple as expecting new ideas to come from the top down rather than the bottom up. It isn't at all unusual for those filters to block off any encouraging new ideas which don't have the right backing or pedigree.

• Human nature often resists new and original thinking. People naturally assume if an idea is good, everyone would already be doing that. So in line with that sentiment, often people don't even bother to dream up new ideas.

• Company policy may require new ideas to be backed up with facts and figures which nobody has any chance of generating. Or all kinds of other stringent management policies may provide other disincentives.

• There is a tendency for organizations to have momentum – they want to keep doing what they have always done. Disruptive innovations which get in the way of the company's operations are therefore frowned upon and discouraged.

• All kinds of internal politics and turf wars can get in the way. People may be reluctant to integrate a new innovation because it will upset the current division of power and resources within the company.

There are, however, two key innovation inhibitors which most organizations find again and again:

1. GroupThink – the tendency of a group of people to agree with the people they work alongside rather than speaking their mind. In the business context, GroupThink stops people from stating their opinions openly and vocally. Instead, people become a little shy and go along with what the majority opinion is.

2. ExpertThink – sometimes described as “GroupThink on steroids”. ExpertThink means to follow the leader unquestionably and to accept the common wisdom about ideas without question or challenge. ExpertThink is more likely to be found in organizations which have a track record of notable success than in average organizations.

The Solution - Zero Gravity Thinking

If what an organization already knows makes it hard to innovate, then the solution is to introduce some Zero-Gravity thinkers on a temporary basis. Zero-gravity thinkers are team members who help everyone escape the weight of what is known so some creative thinking can take place.

Good and effective Zero-G thinkers have three primary characteristics:

2. Zero-G thinkers need to have renaissance tendencies – which is to say they need to have broad interests and capabilities rather than deep specialization in just one narrow technical area. Good Zero-G thinkers are generalists. They know a little about a lot of different topics and are perfectly comfortable taking a concept which works well in one field and using it in an entirely different application.

3. Zero-G thinkers need to have broad basic expertise – they need to be competent in an area that is related to the challenge at hand but is not specific or exclusive to that discipline alone. A good Zero-G thinker won't add more of what is already known by the team. Instead, a Zero-G thinker will inspire the team members to explore their world from a different perspective.

How To Make Zero Gravity Thinking Work In Practice

When it comes to innovation, there is no one-size-fit-all set of rules. All you can do is build a good foundation and then innovate from there. The following are the six key practices of Zero-G thinking:

1. Increase your detachment. Look at your business objective as if you were someone else... and then someone else... and then someone else entirely different.

2. Form weird combinations. Bring together two or more different ideas which normally would not be combined. Train yourself to look for weird combinations which work when put into practice.

3. Change the way you think. Change the way you think about thinking. Instead of always trying to be doing something, spend a few minutes reflecting and allowing new ideas to get noticed.

4. Define in detail first. Spend some quality time actually defining the problem first before you make an intensive effort to try and solve it.

5. Understand your constraints. Understand what exactly constrains your thinking at the present time and come up with some practical ways to lift those constraints, even if only temporarily.

6. Nurture Zero-G thinking. For most people and organizations, Zero-G thinking won't come naturally. It's something you'll need to work at and nurture.

Follow this link to view Case Studies from The Innovation Killer

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
                                                                         – Albert Einstein

“Insanity in individuals is something rare – but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.”
                                                                         – Friedrich Nietzsche

“The man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.”
                                                                         – Mark Twain

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”
                                                                         – Leonardo da Vinci

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