IDEA GENERATION THE SUMMIT OF BIG DREAMS

UNISA SMME SUMMIT

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA 22 – 23 SEPTEMBER 2014

………………………………………………………………… PRESENTATION

By

Sy Mokadi Researcher, Facilitator & Business Advisor

www.cradlemagj.co.za mokadisy@webmail.co.za

1 ©Sy Mokadi, September 2014

BUSINESS IS A GAME OF IDEAS

1. A human being without ideas represents a state of nothingness • and a human being with ideas but without strategy represents a state of

non-existence (absence of pursuit) • to tackle the state of nothingness, s/he needs lateral thinking (source of

impactful difference) • and to tackle the state of non-existence, s/he needs strategy (to deliver

impactful difference) 2. ideas are conception of business life and nurture business life: • ideas are not business; their successful implementation is business • without implementation of ideas, businesses are never born • without constant flow of ideas, businesses fail to refine their offerings • constant flow of ideas helps to “fix it before it is broken” (Toyota) 3. To generate ideas, look for problems, not opportunities: • problems are conduits for ideas; just as failure is conduit for success • we do not create ideas, we spot them in or through problems

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WHERE DO IDEAS COME FROM? • “Opportunity…often it comes in the form of misfortune or defeat””

(Napoleon Hill, 1937) • Ideas come from problems (more from funerals than weddings) • Problems are omnipresent satisfaction gaps: underserved, untapped or

niche markets, waiting to be turned into business opportunities • In the words of Kahlil Gibran (1926), “To you the Earth yields her fruit, and

you shall not want, if you know how to fill your hands” • Cardinal Lesson 1: The more profound the problem the more its impact

on people’s current or future happiness (e.g. electricity tariffs) • Cardinal Lesson 2: Seek profound problems; to find unique ideas • Cardinal Lesson 3: Not every idea is a sound business • An idea can sound brilliant but is it a sound business on evaluation? • “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when it’s the only one we have”

(Alain Chartier, cited in Timmons et al, 1985) • According to John Mullins and Randy Komisar, the ratio is 1:58, 1 out of 58

ideas works (cited in Robson, 2010) • “The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas” (Linus Pauling, cited

in May 2007)

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IDEA GENERATION IS PROBLEM SOLVING • Idea generation is finding markets in satisfaction gaps and

plugging satisfaction gaps with solutions • It is a choice between • red ocean ideas (sameness/saturation), where competitors bay for

one another’s blood: popular & wide open opportunities (car wash, salon, catering, clothing retail shop, bar, etc. and

• blue ocean ideas (uniqueness) where one dominates or owns the market: unpopular, risky & optimal opportunities

• Cardinal Lesson 1: If you can’t beat them, differentiate and if you want to beat them, differentiate (Leverage is keyword in business competition)

• In the words of Nelson Mandela: “We can change the world and make it better. It is in your hands to make a difference”

• Cardinal Lesson 2: Ideas do not create sustainable revolutions, unique ideas do; to change the world, go for unpopular, risky and optimal opportunities

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LATERAL THINKING QUESTIONS FOUNDATION OF UNIQUE IDEA GENERATION

• Lateral thinking is game-changing ability to spot unique ideas in obvious yet profound problems through three lateral questions

• When asked consistently, the three lateral questions nurture culture of curiosity, driver of unique idea generation

• What if - rejection of conventional solutions in search of better alternatives (Richard Branson’s Student Magazine)

• In sync with Picasso’s advice “…always work against, even against oneself” (cited in Podoksik, 2004), and

• Thomas Edison’s advice “There is a way to do it better – find it” • What am I/are we not doing versus what am I/are we doing

right or wrong – introspection to find the missing link • In sync with Socrates’ advice “The highest form of human

intelligence is to question oneself and others” • How did/do they do it – benchmark against the best with the aim

to leapfrog them

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CULTURE OF CURIOSITY Lateral Thinking Toolkit for Culture of Curiosity 1. lean towards the right-brain (creative brain) 2. visionary – spot unique future opportunities from obvious yet

profound problems 3. push boundaries – search for possibilities within limitations (display

transcendent behaviour) 4. experiment – decode complexities into simplicities 5. risk appetite – go against the grain; dare 6. self-efficacy to change the world – self-worth versus self-hate

(never ask: who am I to be the first to do this) 7. value patience – think, rethink and refine ideas (honour artistry) 8. disdain routine; embrace change (continuous improvement) –

routine is good for consistency and efficiency but bad for unique idea generation (change drives unique idea generation)

Steve Jobs called lateral thinkers misfits (rebels/pirates) Anita Roddick, founder of Body Shop, calls them delinquents (outcasts)

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LATERAL THINKERS

• Lateral thinkers are alchemists. “The real alchemist is one who learns the secret of turning everyday situations into gold, who learns how to make every situation serve him…the real alchemist understands that there are no such things as problems, only opportunities” (Kehoe, 1987)

• Lateral thinkers possess amazing foresight • Here are some whose breakthrough ideas were initially laughed at • J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter rejected by several publishers – seven Harry

Potter books sold 450 million copies in 67 languages, with a turnover of $900 million. Harry Potter Movie sequels set a movie industry record turnover of $7.7 billion

• I think there is a world market for maybe five computers: Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943

• There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home: Ken Olsen, Chairman and Founder of Digital Equipment Corp, 1977

• Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value: Marshall Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre

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LATERAL THINKERS

• This “telephone” has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us: Western Union Internal Memorandum, 1876

• Cardinal Lesson 1: Lateral thinkers do not ask what am I going to do better than yesterday but what am I going to do better than tomorrow

• Cardinal Lesson 2: Unique idea generation is art of foresight – ability to spot opportunities in the far future (from current problems

• Cardinal Lesson 3: A unique/original idea is likely to be laughed at and disappear into oblivion if its owner gives up easily

• Cardinal Lesson 4: Whilst most people may see a unique idea as unreasonable, even preposterous , “Greater than the tread of mighty armies is an idea whose time has come” (Victor Hugo, cited in Timmons et al, 1985)

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UNIQUE IDEA GENERATION MODEL©Sy Mokadi

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Profound Problems

Lateral Thinking

Culture of Curiosity

Unique Solution-Orientation

©Sy Mokadi, September 2014

THE PROBLEM • Unique Idea Generation is rare because of Fear • “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear

of failure. Fear of failure leads to failure” (Paulo Coelho, 1988) • Human beings are predisposed to fear to fail or fear to break from the pack • This predisposition influences preference for popular ideas, comfort zone • As a result, sameness (saturation) is common cause of failure, and • only the few break away from the pack and start sustainable businesses • Cardinal Lesson 1: the game of business is changed by defiant rebels and

outcasts (= entrepreneurs) who refuse to follow; no one becomes a leader by following the leader

• Cardinal Lesson 2: Fear is a form of inferiority complex; it enslaves, paralyzes its victim and derails him/her from DREAMING BIG

• Overcoming fear is a profound conquest; freedom from enslavement

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