There is a great scene in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy that is not only funny but captures a great truth about new ideas brilliantly. Arthur, Zaphod, and Ford have landed on planet Vogsphere to go rescue Trillion - Arthur's potential girlfriend. They have landed without a plan and are in dire need of an idea. Problem is the planet has been devoid of anything new due to the Shovel Creatures - they live under ground and come up to smack a person in the face whenever they have an idea. Consequently, the planet's inhabitants are stuck in culture filled with forms, permissions, and meaningless actions. Watch the video to to see how Arthur and his team are surprised with Shovel Creatures.
New ideas are an important part of creating growth, efficiencies, and meeting heightened expectations. When teams are given the chance to contribute it builds a sense of connectedness and empowerment. Ideas are sitting at the front line, in the middle of your leadership structure, at the top of you're leadership structure, and with your customers. Where are they bottlenecked on your planet?
In the history of "always been that way"
In the present daily "fires" that take priority?
In the future fears of "that won't work"
In the complacency of "it works fine the way it is"
How to rid your planet of the Shovel Creatures:
Identify your "Trillion" - what might need rescuing on your planet?
Ask for ideas
Implement a new idea no matter how simple
Celebrate the success
Watch the growth happen without the Shovel Creatures tending your planet.
