If at first you don't succeed
20/12/2011
Having recently read two captivating books by Paul Arden, the Executive Creative Director for the world famous advertising group Saatchi & Saatchi, Whatever you think, think the opposite and It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be, I feel we as individuals and as companies need to remember some intriguing points highlighted in the books.
Paul aims to give logical answers to everyday questions, most of which appear obvious, but then again don’t all questions when you know the answers?
In this incredibly fast-paced and competitive climate we all identify with Einstein’s quote ‘There’s no greater sign of insanity than to simply carry on doing the same thing over and over and to expect a different result’. To keep the same attitude; to carry on delivering the same exact services, even though people’s needs are changing; to stand still while your customers and your competitors move forward – could be considered insane.
Innovation is an important key to success. And it can’t just be a strategy written on paper to be talked about once a year, or a half-remembered value statement, but must be instilled through each and every employee. We need to give people the confidence and the opportunity to try out and test promising ideas. After all what is a good idea? “One that happens is, if it doesn’t, it isn’t” (Arden).
Yes, I agree that being wrong can be a risk, however most of the time people are too afraid of suggesting ‘daft/stupid’ but potentially ‘creative/different’ ideas because of what others may think, not because of the outcome. Can you think back to a meeting where a suggestion has been made and the room falls quiet and eyes start rolling? Ultimately innovation is about taking risks and risks are a measure of people - are those that don’t take risks trying to preserve something that may be stopping faster success or success at all? Ultimately there are two aspects of peoples’ risk taking – the type or style of risk and the level of risk. I understand that not all risk is necessary and must be measured, however may we agree that some risks have a future?
Of course we should keep sight of our long term ambition or goal, but the ability to innovate and keep changing is what splits the good from the great. I often feel that too many individuals and companies are far too conscious of the consequences of failing, so many keep to the rules and never seek to push the boundaries. ‘Success’ and ‘failure’, two very different words with very different meanings however paradoxically the idea presented by Arden, that these words can’t be divided as success breeds failure, appears quite rational? It’s an insight that I think may help us all at some point.
Another quote from Arden I particularly like is ‘if you can’t solve a problem, it’s probably because you’re playing by the rules.’ More than ever clients are seeking more innovative new ideas, faster and at better rates. In order to stay in the game, so to speak, we must keep the ideas rolling out of the box in order to create spectacular work.
It is an inevitable part of innovation that mistakes are made and ideas are created and discarded. However it is only by making mistakes, ‘failing’, that we succeed faster by learning what works and what doesn’t. Would you agree with Arden that ultimately the person/company who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything?