Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Musings on Innovation

Yesterday, on Edward Boches' Creativity_unbound website, he posted an article about innovation calling for face to face contact. While I think there are notable examples -- The Postal Service's created-by-mail album from 2003 for one -- for the most part I tend to agree.

Boches speaks to the fact that there is no lack of ways for people to inexpensively and easily get together over long distances. Technology is (theoretically at least) on our side, and yet somehow meeting in person still seems to produce more interesting results. That makes sense to me because I think that while successful technology mirrors already existing human desires (shout out to Ross McLean) such as connection, sharing, etc, the very fact that it allows you to be separate can remove some of the risk that often breeds great ideas.

So with that said, here are some off-the-top-of-my-head bullets for innovation in an ad agency -- both technology related and in general:

We need to move from Ownership to Stewardship:
I think it makes people nervous as some agency-folk talk more and more about how it's no longer okay for one person (or job title) to own the creative idea. I feel for them. I like to think I have something unique to offer my team, and I think most people feel the same way. But I also think the 'anti-' sentiment is a bit overblown. No one's saying you can't still be the expert. You just have to be comfortable knowing that all the people around you -- from account people to planners to media folks to clients to anyone else within hearing distance -- is a storyteller in their own right. So now, expertise means allowing yourself to transition from ownership to stewardship.

Collaboration doesn't mean holding hands and singing Kumbaya:
One of my biggest technological pet peeves is the ability to put people on mute, come to a consensus, and speak only once you've reached a universal point of view. I'll admit it's a love-hate relationship since it's 'a la mode' and I do it as well, but most days I wish we could just remove the mute button from the phone. Because the mute button is exactly the kind of technological barrier that makes a conference call very different than getting together in person and hashing out the idea.

In a typical face-to-face conversation, multiple people become co-authors of the story: they explore several pathways, challenge assumptions, and bring together different experiences and tastes. There can be banter or full-out argument, but in the end, they have to be willing and able to look someone in the eye to stand up for their beliefs, and to show others in the discussion that they're listening to their ideas in return. It's a high stakes situation that can produce some uncomfortable moments, but also leads to those great 'I never thought of it that way' moments.

In a typical conference call, none of that holds true. When we share only the end result, we come closer to ultimatums than discussions. We rely on our own knowledge to be enough to solve any problem rather than understanding that in sharing our thought process with others we can gain clarity and new opportunity. And it means that since there was no process -- no rungs on the ladder that lead to the feedback/idea/decision -- no one has any legs to stand on when they ask the question "had you considered looking at it like...?"

This leads me to a brainstorming experiment which I haven't tried but think would be interesting:
Try to have the same conversation in different formats. In person, over the phone, in a letter, in a presentation, via online chat. See how ideas and questions are articulated differently, and use those differences to hone in and move forward.

Make time for change:
Another pet peeve of mine is billing hours to specific job numbers. There never seems to be a job number for 'I'm going off on a tangent that I think could be the next awesome idea,' and so, as we bill by the hour, we default to solving only problems we've been been tasked with solving, in the way that is outlined by the job number that was opened. In short, we've defined our value as doing only what's requested of us (by others who may be equally task driven) rather than by being true innovators who also get the job done on a day-to-day basis.

While I don't have numerical proof that it works, I would point to Google and Crispin as examples of companies that get results from not only allowing but demanding innovation. Whether you love them or hate them, when's the last time you thought about either of those companies "man, those guys are so boring. So status quo." Google allows each employee a certain percentage of their week to work on their own personal projects. Crispin, last I heard, didn't make their employees fill out time sheets. The message to employees is clear: accountability isn't about hours, it's about ideas. Wearing your best business hat and heart, do whatever you need to do to keep us moving forward.

Getting a new perspective isn't as new-age as it sounds:
Everywhere I've worked has had a different seating arrangement. As a Planner I've sat on a floor with other Planners, scattered randomly around the agency next to people of all titles and job functions, with my Account team, and with my Creative teams. I don't think there's one right way to do it, but I do think there are guidelines. Namely, sit close enough to the people on your account to be able to get a lot of face time, but sit close enough to people who are not on your account that you continue to be surprised by new information and new perspectives. One of my favorite seating arrangements was when I sat on a floor full of Planners. With that arrangement, I was surrounded by people with the same overarching goals and job function I had, but who had no knowledge of the specifics of my account. It meant bigger conversations -- new ideas or methodologies you wanted to run by someone rather than talk of budget line items, client personalities or the mundane of your specific account. It meant having a more 'global' perspective on the agency and on your own work.

With all that said, I can only wrap up with the following:
I believe the potential for greatness is worth the cost of a plane ticket.
I believe we need to get out of our comfort zones more often.
I believe that while it's uncomfortable to say you're striving for innovation, it probably won't happen unless you do.