The hard work of doing
Taking a moment to reflect on the classes of the week, one thing has become unmistakeably clear: it is more important to do than to think. Not that thinking isn’t an important process and one that arguably differentiates us from many of our neighbors on this little blue ball, but in itself thinking isn’t likely to lead to innovation. The reason is simple: lots of people think. Lots of people have good ideas, but they’re based solely on experiences they’ve already had. In order to spark imagination or alter perspective, one must create new experiences in a purposeful fashion which will ultimately lead to an unexpected discovery. “Fail often to succeed sooner” as David Kelley is often quoted speaks to the heart of that. By doing (in more scientific circles: “experimenting”), it’s possible to see in more than just the mind’s biased eye what works and what doesn’t.
Of course, the kicker is that “doing” is arduous. It’s not nearly as glamorous as sitting in a windowed conference room ruminating about “the next big thing”. It doesn’t solely involve meetings in Palo Alto coffee shops or apples falling from trees. It’s real honest hard work.
I’m continuing to learn that lesson through each of my classes. My Visual Language course strives to teach us to perceive the world in a different way – to notice the nuances of color and texture, contrast and values. Spending several hours on Saturday night painting the heads of hundreds of nails, I can attest to the fact that doing is a lot of work. The hope is of course that through these experiments, whether manifestations of color theory or prototypes intended to solve a problem, that a new perspective arises. It’s often said that innovation stems from looking at the same thing and seeing it differently. Getting to that point involves going through the motions of creating potentially hundreds of prototypes which will never see the light of day. It means reflecting on each of them to learn what works and what doesn’t so the next set can be thoughtfully refined. My Human Values course is teaching me that it really is important to go for volume, not only in initial brainstorming but also in concept sketches, physical prototypes, and so on. This is a place where corporations often cut corners or don’t take the time to schedule appropriately because the fruit of the labor can’t accurately be predicted or measured.
MBA-style leadership often involves sitting in a room, discussing possible options to reach sales targets or address customer complaints, and in some form or another verbally deciding on a plan of action. An execution schedule is then built based upon that plan and work commences. The vital flaw of course is that no one knows that plan will actually work because it hasn’t been tried. It could be argued that it’s based on the acquired experience of those in leadership positions, but that line of reasoning ensures that nothing new will ever be attempted (it hasn’t been discovered yet so how can it be?). To make the situation worse, schedules often don’t accommodate the eventual iteration necessary to adjust a plan that’s had no more vetting than what’s offered by a conversation around a conference table.
The lesson I’m learning through personal experience is that getting to a great solution or realization takes a lot of work. It can’t always be accurately planned or measured, but it’s a necessary step in the process. I’m resigning myself to the fact that it’s time I must put in to create great designs. The best solution usually won’t be the first or even the 10th one I try. Each one takes work, although the amount varies depending on the stage in the process; a rapid prototype can speak volumes when it comes to both communicating and vetting out possible ideas. Final products, crafted to a high level of quality, also take a very large investment of time and resources (in this case, my own), but lead to a result that feels much more polished than if that time hadn’t been put in. These are all lessons which can be mapped to the world of business as well. I’ll continue to think about the parallels, but for now, my personal realization is that spending a lot of time on projects comes with the territory. I’m confident that what I learn and the quality of my designs will reflect the time I put in, and am also confident in the realization that thinking just isn’t enough.
Leave a Reply