CHAPTER 13 On Creative Spirit
STOP! Take a deep breath. Let’s rediscover what an ideas culture is re-
ally all about and, along the way, remind ourselves that it’s about stepping
back from the digital world of ones and zeros and, instead, looking towards
the analogue world of dusty libraries and aroma-filled coffee shops.
So, how do you establish an idea generation culture? How do you open
the proverbial floodgates and unleash an endless supply of new and origi-
nal ideas? Is it possible to adopt strategies that allow us to reliably generate
meaningful ideas, which we can then execute skillfully? I believe, by adopt-
ing a simple mental framework and embracing a core set of strategies, it is.
I believe the process involves three factors: first, priming the brain;
second, empowering a conductor or orchestrator of ideas; and third, con-
sidering space as a facilitator.
The first part of the idea-generation equation lies in ensuring the
brain is sustained and regularly nurtured with knowledge, keeping it well
stocked with fuel. The second part of the equation lies in finding a conduc-
tor to enable primed brains to work well in harmony. The third part of the
equation lies in encouraging chance collisions, facilitating the regular col-
lision of primed brains with one another. When these parts of the equation
come together, ideas flow in abundance.PuTTing TheoRY inTo PRaCTiCe
Don’t take my word for it, however — many successful companies adopt
much the same process. As we’ll see through a series of examples later in
this chapter, world-class companies like Apple, Pixar and Google employ
similar strategies to ensure that their companies are overflowing with
great ideas. Let’s take a look at one example in a little more detail.
You may or may not have heard of 3M, but you’ll most certainly have
heard of its many innovative products. Post-it notes and Scotch Tape are
just two of a seemingly endless series of ideas which grew out of 3M’s
creative approach to building an ideas culture and allowing innovation to
flourish.