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Innovative Minds Don't Think Alike

A few weeks back the New York Times published a brilliant piece on the "curse of knowledge", a phrase that means that once you’ve become an expert in a particular subject, it’s hard to imagine not knowing what you do. When it’s time to accomplish a task those in the know get it done the way it has always been done, stifling innovation as they barrel along the well-worn path.

The article suggests this is why engineers often design things that are only useful to other engineers, or why business leaders face obstacles in conveying new ideas to the rank & file staff.

There are implications in the ad agency business as well...where media, technology and consumer behavior are all constantly changing. Agencies race to hire so-called "experienced" experts who only give the appearance of knowledge. Perhaps doing that actually limits innovation.

Chip Heath says in the article: “People who design products are experts cursed by their knowledge, and they can’t imagine what it’s like to be as ignorant as the rest of us.”

To innovate in marketing and creativity, people are badly needed who can think more contrarily and ask provocative optimistic questions -- and then translate those new ideas into simple, relevant, language for others.

This entry was posted by Hashem Bajwa, on 28 January 2008. You can leave your response.

“Innovative Minds Don't Think Alike”

  1. Blogger Tom O'Brien Says:
    7:21 AM  

    Hi Hashem:

    One fascinating thing from the work we do (online anthropology) is that we are never category experts. We always start with a clean sheet of paper and use our tools to discover what is going on in the conversations.

    This is a challenge from a new business perspective, b/c companies tend to want vendors with deep category experience - but perhaps there is value to no category experience - a fresh set of eyes sees very different things than the experienced set of eyes.

    Tom O'B
    http://motivequest.com

  2. Anonymous . Says:
    2:04 AM  

    Hello Haseem Bajwa,

    Over the past few months i have been getting idea's for commericals and advertising for many types of buisness. I have been writing the idea's down and trying to pursue my idea's, while doing so i have been doing research in the advertising market to see if i can pursue a carrer out of being creative and coming up with idea's. I came across your post and got inspiration that being young, 19, will actually help. I have been looking for buisness's hiring and everbody is wanting 2-5 years experience. If you have any advice i would really appreciate it, my email adress is JohnT_Blevins@yahoo.com

    Thank You,
    John Blevins