Facing a Resource Crunch? Read On!

Recently I read an excerpt from a new business innovation book wherein the author went to great lengths to instill the need to provide sufficient resources for every innovation effort, without which the effort would be almost certain to fail. The cited leadership's frequent failure to ensure adequate resources as the single most important reason for innovation failures.

Hogwash! Not only is the author wrong, his perspective is downright dangerous to the heart of the innovation effort. Frequently when addressing a client's desire to instill greater innovation within their organization, I will define a strategy that purposely restricts access to resources. Why? Simple. When we are faced with severe limitations, most groups either quickly give up or wade into the fray determined to succeed despite the their circumstances.

When I think of difficult, in fact, perilous circumstances, my mind turns to the Apollo 13 near disaster. You will recall that following an onboard explosion enroute to the moon, Houston Ground Control was faced with several problems. First, was how to turn the spacecraft around and head it back to earth. The next arose a few days later when the crew began to suffer carbon dioxide poisoning. In response to this second dilemma and his engineering staff's analysis that no in flight repair was possible given the crew's available resources, the Flight Director gathered the engineering team together. He placed them in a room with only the equipment which the crew had onboard, which he unceremoniously dumped onto the table from several sacks and told them they had just hours to design a solution that the crew could replicate. He also told them that failure was not an option.

The result? With only minutes of oxygen remaining, the engineering team talked the astronauts through the construction of carbon dioxide scrubbers, fabricated from a sock, a carbon filter cartridge of the wrong size, a few other odds and ends and a roll of duct tape. This innovation saved the lives of the three crew members and possibly the future of the Apollo program.

Copyright 2005 by John Di Frances.

John Di Frances is an internationally recognized organizational legacy expert and motivational speaker. http://www.difrances.com


Learn To Trust That Gut-Feeling

It just might save your lifeThink of the many times... Read More

Fire Evacuation Drill with a Difference

I had been given the task to organize a fire... Read More

Facing a Resource Crunch? Read On!

Recently I read an excerpt from a new business innovation... Read More

How To Be An Innovator In A World Of Change

Innovators are opportunity-oriented.What's the hidden opportunity in that problem? Where... Read More

Penny For Your Thoughts?

Every artifact, every tool, everything ever designed or created by... Read More

How to Turn Nothing Into Something

Excerpted from the Jim Rohn Weekend Seminar-Excelling in the New... Read More

Improve Your Small Talk - Gain Big Dividends!

Do you hate to make small talk? If so, you... Read More

Business Innovation ? the Value of Decision Makers

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Business Innovation ? Confidence in People

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Business Ideas ? Need a New Idea? Try Changing Your Perspective

One definition of creativity states that creative people look at... Read More

Become an Idea Collector

Have you ever gotten a really great idea ? one... Read More

I Just Want to be Free - I Just Want to be Me!

It was a sunny Saturday in April 2003 in Myrtle... Read More

How To Do What You Dont Want To

Before I reveal it, shall we review some things that... Read More

12 Tips for Taking Smart, Calculated Risks

Most of us know we should take more risks. But... Read More

The Subtle Secret Of Transformation

Great men and women succeed moment by moment, step by... Read More

What to Do When You Are Chased by a Snake

I lived for several years on the Japanese island of... Read More

Innovation Management ? The Harsh Facts Of Life For All Innovators

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management - Special People?

People often think that there is a creative type. This... Read More

How An Idea Can Lift You

What determines your destiny? What predisposes your choices?It is your... Read More

Innovation Management ? Capturing Ideas

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Why Do We Suppress Higher Thought?

Throughout History we have imprisoned our brightest stars and thinkers.... Read More

What is NLP?

NLP Explained.....NLP is the study of how people organise their... Read More

Prevention is Better Than Cure... Says Who?

You've likely heard this before... "An ounce of prevention is... Read More

Great Ideas and Radical or Disruptive Innovation

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Use Your Intuition As a Valuable Tool for Change

Here's a subject that we don't normally think of when... Read More