Innovators persistently leverage why and why-not questions to acquire critical insights.
- Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, and Clayton M. Christensen, The Innovator's DNA
It seems like innovation isn't easy; that's why countless books, articles, and blog posts are written on innovation and how to make it happen for yourself or for your business. But what the above tip is saying is that innovation doesn't always have to be such a complex process—sometimes, it's as simple as asking, "why?"
Why is "why" so powerful? Well, when we ask "why," instead of the other "w" questions, we skip the details cut to the heart of the matter. In terms of innovation, it makes us question the way things have always been done before. It makes us think outside the box. And when we do, it can make us innovate.
In their book, The Innovator's DNA, Dyer, Gregersen, and Christensen recount an excellent example of this phenomenon. They tell the story of Edwin Land, one of the founders of Polaroid. While on a family vacation, Edwin was cornered by one of the ultimate Zen masters of the "why" question—a three-year-old child, his daughter. As you have almost certainly experienced, no one knows the power of "why" like pre-school children. In this situation, Edwin's daughter was perplexed by the fact that she could not see the pictures her father was taking of her right away. "Why?" "Why?" "But why?" It is this simple but relentless questioning that pushed Edwin to invent the Polaroid process.
So experiment with the simplicity of leveraging "why?" in your own work or personal life. Is there a service or process or product you want to improve? Try asking yourself as many "why" questions about it as you can until one of them makes you sit up and take notice. That "why" is quite possibly your path to innovation.
Sometimes, asking the "why" questions and finding unbiased answers to them can be difficult on your own. ProSolutions can help be an outside set of eyes to examine your business and ask the right questions. Contact us to learn more.
