How to Get Smarter by Arguing with People who Disagree with You
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
What if I told you that the people who disagree with you are actually your secret weapon for better thinking? Just last month, my wife and I had a heated argument about studio changes I wanted to make here on the ranch. Her immediate reaction was about cost. Mine was about productivity and creativity. We were talking past each other completely. But when I applied what I'm about to teach you, we discovered we were both right—and found a solution that addressed both concerns without compromising either. What started as an argument became a session where each of us was heard and...
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How to See Opportunities Others Miss
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
In 2005, I had a ten-minute conversation at San Jose Airport that generated billions in revenue for HP. But here's what's fascinating: three other HP executives heard the exact same conversation and saw nothing special about it. If you read Monday's Studio Notes, you know this story from the emotional side—what it felt like to have that breakthrough moment, the internal resistance I faced, the personal transformation that followed. Today I'm delivering on my promise to give you the complete tactical methodology behind that insight. I'm going to show you the systematic framework I call...
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5 Questions That Can Spot Breakthrough Innovations Before They Happen
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
In October 1903, The New York Times published an editorial mocking the idea of human flight, stating that a successful flying machine might take "from one to ten million years" to develop through the efforts of mathematicians and engineers. Eight weeks later, on December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers achieved the first powered, controlled flight over the beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, proving the skeptics wrong. The smartest people in the world got this catastrophically wrong. What does that tell us about impossibility itself? Every industry has billion-dollar opportunities...
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I Evaluated over 30000 Innovation Ideas at HP
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
Your best innovation ideas aren't losing to bad ideas – they're losing to exhaustion. I know that sounds counterintuitive. After 30 years of making decisions at HP and CableLabs, I thought I understood why good ideas failed. Market timing. Technical challenges. Resource constraints. Sometimes that was the case … but most of the time, I was wrong. We've created an innovation economy that's too innovative to innovate. And if you're wondering why your breakthrough ideas keep getting ignored, dismissed, or tabled "for later review," this video will show you the real reason. I'm going to...
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How To Master Lateral Thinking Skills
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
A software engineer grabbed a random word from a dictionary – "beehive" – and within hours designed an algorithm that saved his company millions. While his colleagues were working harder, he was thinking differently. This breakthrough didn't come from luck. It came from lateral thinking – a systematic approach to finding solutions hiding in plain sight. I'm Phil McKinney and welcome to my Innovation Studio. In this episode, we will cover the lateral thinking framework. Not theory – a practical, step-by-step system you can use immediately. You'll try your first technique in the next...
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Why Fail Fast Innovation Advice is Wrong
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
The most popular piece of innovation advice in Silicon Valley is wrong—and it's killing great ideas before they have a chance to succeed. I can prove it with a story about a glass of water that sat perfectly still while a car bounced beneath it. My name is Phil McKinney. I spent decades as HP's CTO making billion-dollar innovation decisions, and I learned the hard way that following "fail fast" advice cost us billions and robbed the world of breakthrough technologies. Today, I'm going to share five specific signs that indicate when an idea deserves patience instead of being killed...
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Innovation Partnership Autopsy: HP, Fossil, and the Smartwatch Market
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
Innovation partnerships can create breakthrough markets—or hand them to competitors through terrible decisions. I know because I lived through both outcomes. Bill Geiser from Fossil and I had it exactly right. We built the MetaWatch—a smartwatch with week-long battery life, Bluetooth connectivity, and every feature that would later make the Apple Watch successful. We had HP's massive retail reach, Fossil's manufacturing scale, and the technical vision to create an entirely new market. But our organizations couldn't execute on what we knew was right. Leadership chaos at HP and innovation...
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Why Great Innovators Read Rooms and not Just Data
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
You know that moment when you walk into a meeting and immediately sense the mood in the room? Or when a proposal looks perfect on paper, but something feels off? That's your intuition working—and it's more sophisticated than most people realize. Every leader has experienced this: sensing which team member to approach with a sensitive request before you've consciously analyzed the personalities involved. Knowing a client is about to object even when they haven't voiced concerns. Feeling that a project timeline is unrealistic before you've done the detailed math. That instinctive awareness...
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Why Your Best People Give You The Worst Information
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
The $25 Million Perfect Presentation Picture this: You're in a conference room with 23 executives, everyone has perfect PowerPoint presentations, engineering milestones are ahead of schedule, and you're about to sign off on a $25 million bet that feels like a sure thing. That was the scene at HP when we were developing the Envy 133—the world's first 100% carbon fiber laptop. Everything looked perfect: engineering was ahead of schedule, we projected a $2 billion market opportunity, and the presentations were flawless. Six weeks after launch, Apple shifted the entire thin-and-light laptop...
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3 Innovation Decision Traps That Kill Breakthrough Ideas (And How to Avoid Them)
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
Every breakthrough innovation starts the same way: everyone thinks it's a terrible idea. Twitter was dismissed as "breakfast updates." Google looked "too simple." Facebook seemed limited to "just college kids." Yet these "stupid ideas" became some of the biggest winners in tech history. After 30 years making innovation decisions at Fortune 100 companies, I've identified why smart people consistently miss breakthrough opportunities—and how to spot them before everyone else does. Why Smart People Miss Breakthrough Ideas The problem isn't intelligence or experience. It's that we ask the wrong...
info_outlineMastering Divergent Thinking Skills
Today marks the beginning of a series of episodes introducing you to five creative thinking skills. Future episodes will explore each skill's background, steps, application, and examples. In this episode, we'll explore how mastering divergent thinking skills can transform your life, turning obstacles into opportunities and making the impossible seem possible. Remember to subscribe so you don't miss out on any upcoming episodes. Let's get started.
The Power of Divergent Thinking
Harnessing the power of divergent thinking is essential in mastering creative thinking. Divergent thinking is the cornerstone of creativity. It enables individuals and teams to generate multiple solutions to a problem, diverging from linear thinking, which seeks to find one correct solution. You can break free from your usual patterns and tap into your creative potential by using divergent thinking. Today, we'll explore divergent thinking and how mastering it can unlock your creativity.
Background of Divergent Thinking
Divergent thinking involves generating many ideas or solutions to a single problem. Imagine opening your mind's toolbox when faced with a challenge and exploring every tool, idea, and approach rather than just reaching for the usual hammer or screwdriver.
History and Development
Psychologist J. P. Guilford first conceptualized divergent thinking in the 1950s. During this period, creativity and cognitive processes became central to psychological studies. Guilford distinguished between convergent and divergent thinking, highlighting the latter's role in creativity. While convergent thinking converges on a single, correct solution, divergent thinking generates multiple potential solutions, paving the way for innovative thinking and creativity. Over the decades, this concept has evolved and been embraced as a critical skill for problem-solving and generating novel ideas.
Characteristics of Divergent Thinking
Divergent thinking has several critical characteristics that drive its effectiveness:
1. Generates Multiple Solutions: It thrives on generating numerous possibilities without restriction.
2. Promotes Originality: It encourages creating unique and novel ideas, pushing thinkers to explore beyond conventional ideas.
3. Encourages Risk-Taking: It involves exploring the unknown and taking risks, seeing failure as part of the creative process.
4. Flexibility: This enables shifting approaches quickly and viewing problems from multiple perspectives.
5. Non-Linear Thinking: It allows for unexpected connections and conclusions to emerge.
6. Encourages Curiosity and Exploration: A divergent thinker enjoys exploring various possibilities, seeking understanding and multiple approaches.
Comparisons with Convergent Thinking
Divergent thinking thrives on quantity, encouraging open-ended exploration beyond traditional boundaries. In contrast, convergent thinking evaluates and chooses among the options generated by divergent thinking. Together, they encompass a full cycle of the creative process. Divergent thinking starts the cycle, while convergent thinking focuses on refining ideas into practical solutions. Each has its place in problem-solving and innovation.
Importance of Divergent Thinking
Divergent thinking is crucial in a rapidly changing world. It fosters adaptability, allowing individuals and organizations to thrive in uncertain environments. This approach encourages innovation and continuous improvement, which is particularly valuable in technology and other fields requiring constant advancements. Divergent thinking enhances learning and understanding by examining topics from multiple viewpoints, leading to comprehensive insights and greater empathy. Mastering divergent thinking equips individuals with flexibility, creativity, and resilience to tackle 21st-century challenges.
How to Master Divergent Thinking
Mastering divergent thinking involves developing a mindset and skill set that enables endless possibilities. Here are practical steps and exercises to cultivate this capability:
Mindset Shift
Adopting a mindset conducive to divergent thinking involves:
1. Fostering Curiosity: Cultivate an insatiable curiosity about the world.
2. Welcoming Failure: See failure as a stepping stone to innovation.
3. Practicing Open-mindedness: Challenge existing beliefs and be open to new ideas.
4. Encouraging Idea Generation without Immediate Judgment: Brainstorm freely without early critique.
5. Seeking Diverse Experiences: Immerse yourself in various environments, cultures, and fields.
6. Practicing Discomfort: Step out of your comfort zone regularly.
Exercises and Practices
Enhance your divergent thinking skills with these exercises:
1. Brainstorming Sessions: Regularly engage in brainstorming on various topics.
2. Daily Creativity Challenges: Set a daily creative challenge for yourself.
3. SCAMPER Technique: Use the SCAMPER technique to innovate everyday objects or problems.
4. Thought Experiments: Engage in thought experiments with unusual scenarios.
5. Ask Question: Use a set of questions, like the Killer Question Card Deck from Innovation.
6. Change Your Environment: Alter your surroundings to spark creativity.
7. Reverse Thinking: Start with the desired outcome and work backward.
8. Play and Experimentation: Dedicate time to play and experiment without specific goals.
9. Interdisciplinary Learning: Explore subjects outside your expertise.
When to Use Divergent Thinking
Divergent thinking is beneficial in various scenarios, such as:
1. Brainstorming and Ideation Phases
2. Problem-Solving Situations
3. Creative Endeavors
4. Strategic Planning
5. Conflict Resolution
6. Personal Growth
When Not to Use Divergent Thinking
However, divergent thinking may not be effective in:
1. Time-Sensitive Decisions
2. High-Risk Environments
3. When Clarity and Simplicity are Required
4. During the Implementation Phase
5. In Highly Regulated Industries
Conclusion
In the next episode, we'll focus on convergent thinking and its role in mastering creative thinking skills. Subscribe so you don't miss out on upcoming episodes. In the meantime, cultivate your divergent thinking skills to enhance innovation and unlock new possibilities. Remember, you can develop creativity with practice.