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Experience innovation right here.. Systems
Thinking, Powerful Conversations and Accelerated Innovation are
three frames that JB Innovation offers to take you and your culture
to the next level of innovation. The following puzzle and exploration
through real world examples of thinking, communicating and coordinating
action will help you to understand the power of innovation.
The Nine Dot Puzzle with a twist or two Draw nine dots on a piece of paper arranged in a square like those below. Take a pen and without lifting it from the paper see how few straight lines you can draw to connect all the dots? Several solutions are provided with tips for you to create your own. How few straight lines can you use to connect your dots? Here is a 5-line solution.
A 5-line solution:
Can you find a 4-line solution? What if your organization's, community's, family's or personal future depended upon it? Think about your thinking. Be the observer of the way you observe the world. Challenge your assessments. What are the relationship between the elements of the system or problem? What is the role or purpose of each element in the system - the pen, the paper, the dots, the lines? What is the purpose of the system? Here is a clue to a 4-line solution. Or, skip to a 4-line solution and also learn how different thinking can lead to profitable innovation in the real world.
A clue to a 4-line solution to the Puzzle: Change
the relationship between two elements in the problem:
Many people make the assumption that you must stay within the box. As soon as you consider drawing your lines outside of the box, the following 4 line solution emerges. We have observed that this solution emerges quicker if you just put your pen to the paper and draw. We have also found that collaboration also accelerates innovation. Here is the 4-line solution...
How
could this apply to profitable innovation in the real world?
A real world example - Individual Innovation: Creative thinking can be valuable for individuals. Scott now has a new career incorporating his passion and his strengths because in 2002 he imagined several possible futures for himself - some that seemed risky and even crazy. He shared his visions with others and many of the perceived conflicts and risks evaporated with these conversations. Discover the value of your ideas through conversations for understanding, possibilities and coordinated action. See
another example: Commentated Pictures can
help share a vision
A real world example: Commentated Art Individual ideas are often useful for solving corporate puzzles. This vision of communication with a recorded commentary from the artist helped inspire others in the company to create a common vision for communication. The common vision is yielding great rewards for the organization.
Try a 3-line solution and learn more about innovation from real world examples.
Change your thinking again and try for a 3-line solution. Hint: Try changing the relationship between two other elements in the puzzle. Here is a tip and here is a 3-line solution.
Tip for a 3-line solution: Consider the size of the dots in relation to the configuration of the dots.. Consider magnifying the size of the dots. What if the dots are not pin points, but are saucers?
A 3-line solution:
By changing the relationship between the size of the dots and the size of the square a 3-line solution is found. See
a real world example of group innovation
A real world example - Group Innovation: The members of the collections department of a large financial services firm assumed that their target of generating $90 million in additional collections was almost impossible. Working together with stakeholders, applying a proven accelerated innovation process, including systems thinking, they surprised themselves by coming up with ideas for $240 million in new collections! Try
for a 1-line solution and also see an example of organizational
innovation. Hint: Try changing the relationship between two other
elements in the puzzle.
Tip for a 1-line solution: Consider adapting the relationship between the dots, keeping the shape, but changing their size.
A 1-line solution: Consider magnifying the size of the pen and then adapt the configuration of the dots: Draw the dots very small and very very close together. Then, draw one thick line through them with the thick pen! That's
stupid you say! We agree. See an example of organizational innovation and discover which was the best solution to the puzzle
A real world example - New Product Innovation: An
oil company searching for new products assumed that an artist who
didn't drive a car could not be helpful in finding new oil products
for cars. The company did not want the artist involved in a new
product innovation workshop. In the end the artist was allowed to
participate and she came up with an idea for a new oil for old cars.
It is now a multi-million dollar product.
Summing the experience up We
believe that any solution beyond the four-line solution (just "outside
of the box") is great. We believe that the challenge is not
to stop at the first answer we like, our boss or client likes. Go
beyond "good." Search for ideal.
We suggest that you first consider your ideal evaluation criteria
and then through a process of seeking deep understanding of the
system and considering new possibilities, come up with as many ideas
as you can Congratulations!
You made it through our puzzle and you practiced some systems thinking.
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