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Creativity and innovation are critical to survival in today's global economy. Yet, the standard practices in business are precisely the OPPOSITE of what it takes to build an innovative, high performance culture. The old paradigm of business suggests we hire people that will fit in, explicitly define our expectations in policies and procedures manuals, train our staff extensively and work to instill our corporate philosophy in every new employee. As an entrepreneur that is precisely the kind of regimented environment that inspires me to "Run Forrest Run".
 I had the privilege of meeting Robert Sutton at an international conference hosted by the National Business Incubation Association a few years ago. A professor at Stanford University, Robert is an authority on innovation and an engaging speaker. In his book Weird Ideas That Work: 11 1/2 Practices for Promoting, Managing and Sustaining Innovation he offers counterintuitive suggestions to disrupt the status quo in favour of creating a work environment that inspires creativity and innovation in every department (yes, even accounting).
Weird Idea #1 - Hire "slow learners" of the organizational code.
Weird Idea #1 ½ - Hire people who make you uncomfortable, even those you dislike.
Weird Idea #2 - Hire people you (probably) don't need.
Weird Idea #3 - Use job interviews to get ideas, not to screen candidates.
Weird Idea #4 - Encourage people to ignore and defy superiors and peers.
Weird Idea #5 - Find some happy people and get them to fight.
Weird Idea #6 - Reward success and failure, punish inaction.
Weird Idea #7 - Decide to do something that will probably fail, then convince yourself and everyone else that success is certain.
Weird Idea #8 - Think of some ridiculous or impractical things to do, then plan to do them.
Weird Idea #9 - Avoid, distract and bore customers, critics and anyone who just wants to talk about money.
Weird Idea #10 - Don't try to learn anything from people who seem to have solved the problems you face.
Weird Idea #11 - Forget the past, especially your's company's successes.
I will playfully experiment with Dr. Sutton’s 11 ½ practices in a community project I am involved in called Food for Thought. Working with a multi-cultural team of youth, ranging in age from 18-34, we will document our successes (and failures) in this blog at www.Possibility.ca, on the youth team's website at www.Hungry4Futures.com and on our YouTube channel "FFTseries".
I invite you to stay tuned as we conjure up "Food for Thought" on what it takes to transform Abbotsford, British Columbia into a Welcoming and Inclusive Community with Diverse and Inclusive Workforces.
Ready or not, Abbotsford, here we come!
 
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There is little doubt that Food for Thought is cooking up cultural harmony in Abbotsford, British Columbia.