Sean Park Portrait
Quote of The Day Title
There's no bad time to innovate.
- Jeff Bezos

The wrong sort of risk.

It’s pretty obvious that banks and others in the financial markets have taken many risks they either did not understand or – more likely – that they managed poorly.  Unfortunately – and at the risk of being accused of a broad generalization – they suppressed a different kind of risk taking – aka creativity.  Creativity in terms of new ways of thinking about their business, their customers, their way of looking at the world.  Tim Brown of IDEO reminds us in this great talk that ‘adult behaviors’ get in the way of new ideas; adults worry too much about what everyone else will think.  Financial services firms are perhaps the most ‘adult’ of all institutions.  All work, no play.  And so questions are not asked.  And group-think dominates.  And the cliff beckons…

Taking yourself too seriously has to be one of the best ways to end up looking ridiculous.  I wonder if the lesson will be learned.  Pass me the toys.  

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Permalink||Comments|Filed under 'Management, Miscellaneous, People'
Opportunities in banking… Free market in talent.
  • JD Long
    Shoot.. I forgot the link. Here it is:

    http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo....
  • JD Long
    As mentioned above he gave a good hour long presentation at Stanford. Link below. When I grow up I want to work at IDEO. Sounds like one of the best places on earth!
  • I had the opportunity to meet Tim at TED Africa last year and as you would expect is a really interesting and nice guy. I'm absolutely certain that the kind of environment they cultivate at IDEO is not just for design firms, or ad people or any other industry that is ostensibly about 'creativity'. EVERY bloody business is ultimately about creativity.
  • I saw Tom Kelly talk about Innovating for life last week in Stanford, he was a really inspirational speaker. He emphasized the difference between acting child like (unashamed creativity) and childish (immature), such a shame when people (in The City) mistake one for the other and miss out on the benefits of creative thinking...
  • Thought-provoking material - not unpalatably radical for managers either (pleased he did not promote the mescaline angle further). I firmly believe in the opportunity here but am wary of the risk that boards interpret this only as a siren call for occasional team-building "outings" and exercises.
    Rather they must recognise the need for radical cultural change - delivering a sustainable, trusted environment which genuinely promotes and rewards creativity.
    Reaching that point may require them to have some playtime themselves.
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