Page 211 - Free the Idea Monkey

You like to hire people who know Sometimes it is easier to appear
everything about the way business ruthless when you are just being
is done in your industry. You hire objective. The classic example is
consultants that way: “Can you the CEO who comes in and does a
show me a case study that demon-

strates how you have solved this reorg. They are able to look past

problem before in our industry?” personal relationships and make

When it comes to innovation, decisions based on job function
I am bearish on bears and bullish and performance. Another exam-
on bulls. I think you should be too. ple is an outside expert who dis-

You hire employees that way: misses a new technology because
“I see here on your resume you it is cumbersome. They don’t
have been working in our indus- know the people who have sunk
try for quite some time. You must their heart and soul into this tech-
know Bill, Judy and Ralph. Those nology for the past three years.

guys are brilliant!” You may have trouble being ruth-

You build RFPs that way: less because you know too much
“Please list other companies in our about the possible implications of
industry for which you have solved a tough decision.
similar challenges.”

You even choose your learning that way. You tell your employ-

ees: “Folks, I want each of you going to at least one industry confer-

ence and to join at least one industry round table.”

And then the unthinkable happens: you get blindsided by “begin-

ner’s luck.” Somebody who knows nothing about your business

comes along and has the audacity to completely reinvent it.

iTunes? Beginner’s luck.

NetFlix? Beginner’s luck.

eBay? Beginner’s luck.

Twitter, Cirque du Soleil, Mountain Equipment

Co-op are examples of companies started by peo-

ple with no industry experience. So was personal

finance Mint.com and scores more we could men-

tion (everything from Amazon to Zip Car).

196 S O L V I N G T H E I N N O V A T I O N N I G H T M A R E