Overview: My personal
bias—I love the work that Adam Grant does. So, read no further if that Originals, Grant teaches us how to develop new ideas and how to vet
them; how to pitch those ideas to others; when to trust our gut and when not
to; the difference between power and status and so much more! He also busts
some interesting myths like how successful entrepreneurs are not hyper-risk
takers—rather, they hedge their bets; how the creative problem solvers are
often not experts in their fields; and, how procrastination can be your
friend—every writer in the world should now rejoice! Grant uses academic studies, stats and stories
from unexpected places to punctuate a well-orchestrated text. For example, he tells
about how the show “Seinfeld” barely made it to TV and how it took a very
special NBC executive with broad, varied experience to have the courage to put
his reputation on the line. And as a huge Seinfeld fan, I personally salute him!
Finally, I would encourage you to read Sheryl Sandberg’s foreword, because not
only does she do a very good overview of the book while praising the author for
his talent, but she also praises Grant for his empathetic heart. When
Sandberg’s husband suddenly died, Grant dropped what he was doing and flew
across the country to be with her in her darkest hours. Grant, like his book,
is an Original!
1.
Generating
Original Ideas: Grant warns us to question the default—the status quo. He
urges us to remember that people write rules and we can rewrite them when
necessary. To get more good ideas, we need to increase the odds by taking more
“swings,” like a baseball player who takes more at-bats hoping to increase his
batting average. Also, by broadening your base of knowledge and widening your perspective,
you can be far more creative. He notes that Nobel Prize winners were more
likely to paint, dance, and play music than their peers. Grant also suggests
using peers to get accurate feedback. Bosses give too many false negatives, and
we give ourselves too many false positives.
2.
Championing
Original Ideas: Grant offers some unusual but useful insights about
creativity. For example, when you take risk in one area but have another area
of more stability in your life, you‘re more likely to be successful in the new
endeavor. Successful entrepreneurs take this bet-hedging approach. Next, as
counterintuitive as it might seem, when pitching ideas, it’s best to point out
first several reasons why people might NOT support your idea. This has a
leveling effect and puts you more on the audience’s side, making you seems much
less like a con artist. To get people used to your idea, repeat it often (10 to
20 times) but in short bursts. Also, connect it to other ideas that are already
known and accepted. Often, analogies and comparisons help. If your ideas are radical or you’re known as
a radical, try to temper your approach. Start lower and slower on the emotional
scale to not upset or antagonize. Connect to group values and customs.
3.
Manage
Emotions: When motivated or committed, focus on the future goal. However, when
uncertain, focus on your progress. Trying to use your will to calm yourself down
is difficult, if not impossible; so divert anxiety into positive enthusiasm. Also,
when you see an unjust/unfair situation of another person, focus on helping the
victim, not punishing the perpetrator—more good than bad will happen. Finally,
whether in a difficult job or relationship situation, the four responses to
dissatisfaction are exit, voice, persistence and neglect. Based on their level
of commitment and feeling of control, people tend to respond in one of these
four ways.
4.
Creating
Original Ideas: Grant offers some help in this arena. Run innovation
tournaments—employees come up with ideas, develop proposals and evaluate them.
Winners get a budget and help implementing their ideas. Play “kill the company”
by getting in groups and planning how to attack your own products or services—then
take the threats and address them. It’s like opposition research—taking the
other side of a debate to figure out your opponent’s attack. Use all employees
(including accountants, lawyers, and other less traditional operations types)
to propose new products and services—builds a culture of creativity and
innovation. Do the opposite! Take a widely held assumption or truth and ask, what
if or when is the opposite true? A perspective change helps us all look at an
idea in a new way.
5.
Building
a Culture of Originality: Don’t just hire for cultural fit, but cultural
contribution. Oftentimes fit means conformity—the opposite of originality. Find
complementary and necessary strengths, not similarity. Have entry interviews
(not just exit interviews) to find out what new employees like to do, why they
chose the company, and their unique perspective. Seeking problems, not
solutions, creates inquiry, not advocacy. Invite and extol the contrary voice
in meetings; it adds to the originality. And it encourage dissent.
6.
Miscellaneous
Gold: There’s a ton of content in this book. To be effective, a leader has
to have both positional power and earned status or credibility of those around
her/him. Stand for something, not just against the status quo. When pitching a
product or idea, start off with flaws—it actually builds credibility! Women and
men are treated differently when they speak up due to stereotyping. But when
women speak up for others (being communal) they’re more likely to get respect.
Grant challenges assumptions and shows when it’s good to procrastinate, why and
when older innovators outperform younger ones.
The kind of web browser you select may predict how creative/original you
are!
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant (Viking Press, 2016), reviewed by Steve Gladis, February 2016.
Posts
