Innovation (or The Art of Asking Questions)

One question I get asked a lot if I’m out with people who don’t know what I do for a living is, ‘how did you think of that?’

I’m not usually introspective (I’m pretty shallow), but the more I reflected the more the question intrigued me. It’s something I’ve thought about a lot. 

So, here’s my answer: I listen. I watch. I ask why.

(Me in active watching and listening mode - photo)

It’s that simple, or that hard. 

Human beings are an incredibly versatile and adaptable species, being able to survive in almost any situation whatever the circumstances - this makes us able to work around problems instead of solving them.

Add that to the educational system that rewards learning by rote instead of learning how to learn and we’ve got a perfect storm of not listening, not watching and not asking questions.

As children we all have creativity - ‘why can’t we have tomato ketchup with roast chicken?’ but we learn to adapt to our surroundings and not stand out, to toe the line and behave.

Innovation comes when we watch, we listen and we ask ‘why is it like that?’

But after innovation comes ’the idea'…which is whole other kettle of fish…TBC.

by Simon Heap