Most people don’t fail at change because they lack ideas.
They fail because they never actually sit down and roll up their sleeves.

They wait for:

• the right plan

• the right authority

• the right moment

Meanwhile, the system keeps producing exactly what it was designed to produce. So here’s a practical way to start—not with theory, but with action. A set of core steps I come back to over and over again, whether I was working with Airmen, engineers, or leaders trying to move something real:

Relate → Notice → Intend → Know → Do → Reflect → Become

Relate → Focus → Dream → Study → Act → Reflect → Embody

Now, I suspect you’ve heard of other approaches to close the knowing/doing gap (that for sure is there in the midst of our change model)

Some are (mostly) linear
DMAIC:
Define → Measure → Analyze → Improve → Control

Design Thinking
Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test

Tim Ferriss DiSSS Framework
Deconstruction→ Selection→ Sequence→ Stakes

Eliyahu Goldratt The Goal
Identify the Constraint → Exploit the Constraint→ Subordinate Everything Else → Elevate the Constraint →Repeat (avoid Inertia to revert change!)

Frasers - “Farther, Faster Far, Less Drama”
Orient Honestly → Value Outcomes → Leverage the Brains → Make Durable Decisions

Folger and LeBlanc Strategies for Creative Problem Solving
Define the Problem → Generate Solutions → Decide a Course of Action → Implement Solution → Evaluate Solution

Others are ‘first-principles based’
Agile: (12 principles)

The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)
Vision + People + Data + Issues + Process + Traction

Each of those approaches tell you what to do to change. They are tools.
What I want you to focus on is who people must be (or become) to make change actually happen.

In part, this was inspired by an interview between Astro Teller and Simon Sinek, where a joke was made about Simon being a ‘high-priest’ of ‘being a human being is hard.’

We can’t just change the maps, we need to change the map-makers.

This is why most (if not all?) modern innovation efforts are producing psychographic ‘culture’ profiles. I also keep wondering… why are there always only 4 archetypes?

DISC, Four Lenses, Competing Values, MBTI, Deloitte ‘Business Chemistry’

Of course in the business of transformation, you can’t be locked in a fixed mindset - so even these I prefer to think of a styles. I take it as obvious and well known that we don’t have a single fixed identity - but rather multiple identities (“I contradict myself? Very well I contradict myself, I am large and contain multitudes” -Walt Whitman)

1. Relate (Start with people, not problems)

Before you try to fix anything, understand who is living it, and what it looks like to ‘look along’ the problem (not at it).

• Who feels the friction?

• Who is closest to the problem?

• Who actually has to carry the change?

Change doesn’t start with a briefing. Start it with building shared understanding.

Change is enabled when a core group of people collectively agree that they are capable of producing the needed change.

If you don’t have that core group yet, that’s your first job. Important! Don’t just ‘empathize with them. Put them ON the design team.

2. Notice (or Focus)

Now look at reality. Honestly. (Check out Faster Farther, Far Less Drama for how to ‘Orient Honestly’) and then Improve or Innovate? (usually Both!)

Improve Questions -

• Where does work slow down?

• Where do people wait instead of act?

• Where do good ideas die?

Don’t diagnose from a distance. Sit in the meetings. Watch the handoffs. Listen for what isn’t said. You’re not looking for everything wrong. You’re looking for one place where behavior is breaking execution. (Point A)

Innovate Questions -

• What assumptions are we treating as facts?

• What feels stuck, but no one is allowed to say it?

• What are we uniquely positioned to try that others can’t?

Don’t just study the system. Question it. You’re not looking for what’s broken.
You’re looking for what no longer makes sense.

3. Intend (or Dream)

Use Dan Heath’s Miracle Question: Overnight you got your wildest dreams! How do you know? What does “best” actually look like? Not in abstract terms like “more innovation,” but in observable behavior(s).

• “Decisions happen one level lower.”

• “We run small tests before asking for permission.”

• “Leaders ask before they tell.”

Bob Quinn asks a useful question:

What would you do with 2% more courage?

Start there. Not transformation. Not perfection.
Just a small, meaningful shift.

4. Know (or Study)

Now learn—but only what you need. This is the ‘look before you leap’ part of the tour. If you don’t know how to learn quickly - check out Tim Ferriss DiSSS, and Erika Hall “Just Enough Research”

• What has worked in similar situations? (patterns)

• What tools or methods could help? (structure)

• What constraints are real vs. assumed? (re-frame)

This is targeted learning, not a literature review. But it is also the ‘due dilligence’ a decision maker will want to see before they invest. It is your legitimizing step.

The goal isn’t to become an expert.
The goal is to become ready to act. (and to know what readies others to act!)

5. Do (Act)

This is where most efforts die. (and where TBH I am also struggling to execute in my new role. But of course that’s the whole point… we all struggle with the ‘knowing doing gap’!)

So make it small. Make it real. Make it now.

• Pick one problem

• With one team

• Try one new behavior

Run an experiment:

• What do we expect to happen?

• What will we actually try?

• How will we know if it worked?

No slide decks. No waiting.

Just work. (Show up to my May 2 MinneBar session to practice!)

6. Reflect

During action reviews—not after the project is over.

Ask:

• What did we expect?

• What actually happened?

• What does that tell us about how we think and act?

Reflection is where experience turns into learning. Without it, you just repeat yourself with more confidence. (as Jen Pahlka reported as quipped by Clay Shirky, “Waterfall development amounts to a commitment from all parties to learn nothing during the period of development)

7. Become (Embody)

This is the part people ignore. Really going whole hog doing a thing CHANGES YOU. Skip this part if you don’t have passion, but also from the beginning - chose the people and projects that will lead you on the journey of who you want to be (be remembered as).

You don’t install change through announcements.
You install it through repetition of purposeful behavior.

• Do it again

• Do it slightly better

• Make it visible

• Let others adopt it

Over time, what was once “new” becomes “how I do things.”

That’s culture. And it isn’t directed from the top down!

A note on momentum

Don’t try to boil the ocean.

Establish:

• Clear deliverables (what will be different in 2–4 weeks)

• Mini-milestones (what progress looks like along the way)

Momentum comes from visible progress, not perfect plans. Here’s a fun diversion for how to hack your way to ‘infinite willpower’

If you take one thing from this

Stop asking:

“How do we transform the organization?”

Start asking:

“Where can a small group of us sit down, roll up our sleeves, and do something differently this week?”

Because in the end:

Wisdom isn’t knowing the steps.

It’s having the judgment and just enough courage to begin.

And then begin again.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end!  

Hello Internet Friend! It’s been a minute. New house, new job - who dis?

I caught a bug this week - after a chat with Jordan LaFramboise on (Monday?Tuesday? What day is this?) - an old innovation colleague from Detroit, I dug into the evolution of kids sports and the impact these rituals have on (y)our community. In partnership with some Ai for deep research, and my recent reading of two books - Cas Holman’s “Playful” and Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” - I think there are some tell-tale signs that things are in need of a reboot.

But.. before getting into systems, it’s worth remembering how small moments actually shape us (or well me…) When I was a senior in high school, I got a phone call one evening from Bill Fourney, then the department chair of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland. He was calling to personally congratulate me on my acceptance. I don’t remember what I said. I don’t remember what questions I asked. But I remember how it felt to be seen. And, happily, years later, I’m still in touch with him and even got to teach in the program he helped build, Keystone. But I’m getting off course..

What matters most is this - for him I can only imagine the moment didn’t take much —just a few minutes and the discipline to reach out, (probably a few more given that I think he may have called every admitted freshman scholarship recipient?) So much so that I’d be surprised if he remembers the task of calling me. But what’s most important is that for me, it created a lasting connection. And that’s the point. Development doesn’t just happen through structured programs or elite pathways. It happens through intentional, human moments that signal: you matter here.

Youth sports, at their best, should be full of those moments. But too often, the system is so focused on performance, logistics, and outcomes that we miss the opportunity to design for connection. Which raises the real question: what would it look like to build youth sports systems that produce more of those moments—at scale? Let’s explore some data on the problem, some potential interventions, and close with some ways to introduce these ideas as testable hypotheses into your own sports ecosystem. (I’ll follow up with Jordan in the next few weeks, and post again to let you all know how it’s going.)

Introduction: The Joyless Pipeline

Across our neighborhoods, the “industrialization of childhood leisure” is in full swing. What was once a local ritual of play has morphed into a narrow, professionalized elite-performance pipeline. This shift, perhaps driven by an obsession with early specialization and college pathways (there are scholarships for golf!?) does more than just sideline the average athlete; it fundamentally breaks the joy and community connection that youth sports were meant to provide.

The result is a systemic failure marked by “activity fatigue” and burnout. We have inadvertently designed a system that treats children as professional assets (to their detriment) rather than developing humans - with parents as their chauffeurs, rather than their community. The solution isn’t to ask kids or coaches to “try harder” within this flawed framework; it is to engage in the intentional architecture of a better system. We must move beyond the narrow metrics of the scoreboard and begin treating our fields as the essential connective tissue of our communities.

Sport as Community Infrastructure, Not Just an Activity

To fix the system, we must first reframe the “field.” Youth sports are not merely an extracurricular activity; they are a vital form of social infrastructure or ‘social technology.’ When designed intentionally, local sports clubs function as civil-society institutions that generate both “bonding ties” within groups and “bridging ties” across different neighborhoods and backgrounds. (Putnam’s words)

By shifting our perspective from “my kid’s performance” to “our community’s health,” we unlock what researchers call community competence: the collective willingness and ability of a neighborhood to address its problems together. When parents and children share a stable physical and social “place,” they build generalized trust and a sense of belonging that extends far beyond the final whistle.

“Organized sport participation (especially team sport) is consistently associated with better psychological and social outcomes in youth—including higher self-esteem, life satisfaction, and belonging.”

Cas Holman, The Seven Flavors of Play: Moving Beyond Winning

The current status quo over-indexes on Competitive Play, leaving the other dimensions of human development to wither. To restore a robust human experience, systems designers must integrate Cas Holman’s “Seven Types of Play,” recognizing how each “feels” to the participant:

• Embodied Play: Movement and physical exploration. Feels like: Energy, release, and laughter.

• Meditative Play: Quiet, sensory, and reflective. Feels like: Calm, grounding, and attention.

• Problem-Solving Play: Logic challenges and cooperative tasks. Feels like: Focus, determination, and curiosity.

• Possibility Play: Open-ended imagination and “what if” games. Feels like: Wonder and discovery.

• Creative Play: Making and expressing. Feels like: Pride and ownership.

• Competitive Play: Structured games with winners/losers. Feels like: Excitement and challenge.

• (Mis)Behavior Play: Playful rebellion and “social testing.” Feels like: Mischief and surprise.

Over-indexing on competition alone creates a brittle environment. Integrating “(Mis)Behavior Play” or “Meditative Play” isn’t just “silly”—it is a defense against activity fatigue, ensuring the environment remains developmentally responsive to the whole child.

My favorite memories as a kid on the field or the court weren’t just on the winners circle. They were also the ‘special teams’ plays where we weren’t just running the pro-formation - but we were doing something silly or zany and hoping it worked out!

The “Nervous System” Secret: Meet Energy Where It Is

The most common facilitation failure in youth sports is forcing a “reflective circle” on a group that is currently “Hyper/Chaotic.” This is more than a coaching error; it is a misunderstanding of human physiology. When we demand stillness from a dysregulated group, we invite premature vulnerability, which often leads to emotional withdrawal or further chaos.

The “Magic” found in high-quality youth environments is actually an intentional architecture of emotional safety. By using a Play-Energy Map, facilitators can meet the group’s energy where it is. If a group is chaotic, coaches utilize Embodied Play to regulate the participants’ nervous systems first (most sports start with warm-up and stretching). This regulation is a physiological requirement; only once the energy is channeled can the group safely move toward the “Meditative Play” required for deep reflection and connection (such as after a hard loss, or difficult practice)

The 202-Minute Burden and The Reality of “Technoference”

It’s easy to look at parents on their phones along the sideline and assume disengagement. I’ve done it too. But that interpretation falls apart when you look at the system they’re operating in.

The Aspen Institute’s State of Play research shows parents spend over three hours, 202 minutes, on a typical sports day just making participation possible. Driving, coordinating, waiting, managing gear. By the time they arrive, they’re not checking out—they’re often tapped out. The phone isn’t always just a distraction; it’s often recovery.

At the same time, the research on “technoference” is real. When device use becomes absorbing, it reduces the quality of interaction and awareness. So we’re holding a tension: sideline phone use is both a symptom of overload and a behavior that can deepen disconnection.

Which means the solution isn’t to tell parents to “be more present.” You can’t demand presence from people operating at capacity. You have to design for it.

Small shifts matter. When you create light, low-friction prompts for connection—a simple question, a brief interaction—people engage more than they expect to. Parents also relax talking to eachother and connecting in person vs using their phones to ‘connect’ to their small ecosystem. The research is clear: we consistently underestimate how much we benefit from talking to others, especially strangers. The right nudge turns a sideline into a social surface.

At the same time, we should normalize something that feels almost countercultural: not every parent needs to be there all the time. I’ll say it louder for folks in the back - NOT EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO BE THERE ALL THE TIME. Flexible presence isn’t neglect. When families have permission to step back, the time they do engage becomes more intentional and more meaningful.

And for the kids, the real opportunity might be at these edges too. Shared rides, a few unstructured minutes before or after practice away from mom and dad, these are the moments where community relationships actually form. Not just in the drills, but in the in-between.

The Paradox of Presence: Giving Parents “Permission to Skip”

Let’s dig a bit more into a ‘how to’ around the claim above. That is, to improve the quality of the “shared place,” we may actually need to ask parents to show up less. One of the most effective interventions is the parent-optional attendance pathway because Independence is key. By creating structured alternative connection points, such as high-quality digital updates or “play-by-play” notes districts can satisfy the need for “perceived cooperation” without requiring physical presence at every practice.

Specific “friction-reducing” interventions include:

• Parent-Free Practice Days: Reducing the pressure on parents while allowing children to develop autonomy.

• Silent Sideline Moments: Explicit norm-setting that lowers the “stress amplifier” of constant parental coaching.

• Volunteer Role-Swaps: Rotating “team parent” blocs or micro-tasks (like teen ref apprenticeships) to ensure the burden of “community competence” is shared rather than concentrated.

Giving parents permission to be “off the clock” reduces collective stress, ensuring that when they do attend, they can be authentically present rather than just physically there while mentally managing logistics. And, for more inspiration for what ‘child-led’ independence can look like - check out “LetGrow.”

Conclusion: From Elite Pipelines to Community Webs

The future of youth sports depends on expanding what we value. When we move beyond narrow performance outcomes and design for inclusivity, ritual, and how people actually connect, we begin shifting from an “elite pipeline” to a “community web” that sustains everyone it touches.

As Robert Putnam reminds us, the issue isn’t that people stopped caring—it’s that we stopped designing spaces where connection naturally happens. Community forms through doing, contributing, and belonging—not just watching. That doesn’t require more burden; it requires better design. Light structure, meaningful roles, and small, repeatable rituals can turn presence into connection without forcing it.

We’ve also over-optimized for tight teams and competition—what Putnam would call bonding capital. What’s missing is bridging: connections across skill levels, backgrounds, and communities. That’s where a broader sense of belonging is built.

And the shift doesn’t require sweeping reform. It often starts with small, intentional acts.

For a time, I joined Orange Theory Fitness. In my first month, I got a call from the head coach—not automated, not transactional, but personal. They had noticed my effort. They wanted me to keep going. It took a few minutes. But it worked. I felt seen, and I showed up differently because of it.

That’s the level of intentionality we’re missing in youth sports—not more programming, but more moments that signal: you belong here. If we treated our fields not as training grounds for the few, but as connective tissue for the many, the question isn’t whether community would improve—it’s how quickly it would. And that kind of shift doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when someone takes the time to model it.

If this is something you’re exploring in your district, I’m happy to be that first call. I work with coaches, directors, and communities to design and demonstrate these kinds of connection points in real time—so it’s not just an idea, but something you can see, feel, and scale.

Cheers! Ethan


BONUS GAME!!!

Speaking of Bill Fourney, here’s a blast from the past - Here I am in 2006(?) - with the AIAA leadership team - Myself on the left, Ashley (now PhD from Georgia Tech, Julie (did not stay in touch w/her) and Sam (Project Manager for NAVSEA)

Who knows if Dr. Fourney’s call made the department feel like home - but I was a big part of department and college development. (Engineering Student Council President, AIAA Vice President, SGT (Aerospace Honor Society President) - Founder of the Aerospace GSAC (Grad Student Advisory Council)...

Ai is incredibly energy intensive. Does that mean that the right thing to do is boycott use? In a recent deep dive, Elon Musk has asserted that the “only” economical place to build out Ai compute will be in space. He is one of the few people who have built commercial access to space - and his company SpaceX recently acquired xAi - and his powerplant in Mississippi is catching the ire of regulators and community members.

In this case, yes. Boycott xAi - but also even if that’s your only access. You need to learn how to interact with these tools and build with them. This isn’t fatalist and I don’t think that there isn’t an alternative future where effective regulation comes in, similar to the robber barons of the 1900s - but I still think we are a ways away from that - and in the intermediate period, those who gain fluency will move ahead of those who do not - and the likelihood of adoption given the existence and deepening (post-Covid) ‘digital divide’ - means that greater democratization of these tools is, in my opinion, a needed path to equity.

To be honest, I didn’t think I was the one to coin this term*… I thought this was what Dan Ward called it in his book… but apparently I was wrong…

From Dan’s perspective (in his excellent book FIRE) storm-draining: the reductive discipline that comes after divergent thinking. It’s the stage where we shift from more ideas to better ideas. But I’m trying to pull something else out of the hat too. Where storm-draining was about looking for better’ ideas, drainstorming adds another layer — it acknowledges that not all winning ideas rise because of feasibility, logic, or data. I want to try to convince you that good ideas are not the right place to start. I think BAD ideas are, and in drainstorming we’re looking for ideas that pull you in. (you know, like the storm drain you were warned not to play near!?)

And to find that? Well, it’s going to get interesting. Let’s add to our list of authors with the work of Steven Kotler’s on flow in Stealing Fire(2017) and the excellent new outing by Cas Holman and Lydia Denworth Playful (2025).

Why the Best Ideas Don’t Just Survive — They Seduce

Kotler describes flow as a state of “effortless effort” — where time dilates, action feels lighter, and attention locks onto a target almost magnetically. Teams hit flow when they’re pulled toward something rather than pushing against obstacles.

During drainstorming, your gut is often the first sensor for flow. Unlike a time-consuming and ‘checklisty’ process of considering EACH idea (ala Continuous Process Improvement or the 8 Step Creative Problem Solving Process) I recommend a VERY RAPID scan for quirk, seduction, and iconoclast potential. Choose the ideas provoke the most visceral reactions. (somewhat apologetically, the more ‘click-baity’ the better.)

Some ideas resonate not because they’re polished or practical but because they have…

• A hum to them.

• A musicality.

• A spark of mischief.

• A sense of destiny.

• A little internal voice whispering: “This one… this one could be magic.”

• or if you’re like me… “My boss is going to HATE this one…”

Kotler would say these ideas present the affordances for flow — they invite action, curiosity, and play. They feel effortless to imagine and *energizing to pursue*. That’s often a deeper predictor of long-term innovation success than the cleanest Gantt chart or the most responsible risk matrix.

In other words:
The idea that draws you in. - So, follow your ENERGY and go with the flow!

Why to Trust Instinct Over Instruction: The Research Case

Innovation does not fail because teams pick the “wrong idea.”
It fails because teams cannot sustain the energy, attention, or emotional commitment to carry the idea through uncertainty, friction, and organizational resistance. I don’t say that speculatively, it’s supported by multiple research streams.

Below are six major research-backed reasons why instinct + energy outperform instruction + analysis in innovation. (not just because you have no data on the future)

1. Flow States Increase Persistence & Creative Problem-Solving: Steven Kotler, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Kotler’s work on flow and Csikszentmihalyi’s original research suggests that flow states create:

• 5x increase in productivity

• 3x increase in creative problem solving

• significantly higher intrinsic motivation

• longer persistence in complex tasks

Flow happens when:
✔ a task feels meaningful
✔ the action feels effortless (fluency, freedom and flexible)
✔ attention locks in
✔ the difficulty level is “just right”
✔ there’s an emotional pull

This describes perfectly what happens when an idea “won’t let you go.”

Instruction-based decision-making rarely triggers flow.
Intuition-based selection often can.

2. “Affective Forecasting” Predicts Commitment Better Than Rational Analysis Daniel Gilbert, Timothy Wilson

Affective forecasting = our ability to predict what will engage or energize us.

Research shows:

• People are more accurate at predicting whether they’ll stay committed to something based on emotional resonance

• People are terrible at predicting the true “expected value” of a project from rational evaluation

Innovation requires sustained attention across obstacles, ambiguity, misalignment, and bureaucratic drag.

An idea with emotional energy is the only kind of idea that can survive that journey.

3. Emotional Contagion Drives Team Behavior More Than Rational Argument: Sigal Barsade, Wharton; Vanessa Druskat, Harvard

Barsade’s longitudinal studies on emotional contagion find:

• Teams adopt the emotional state of the most expressive member

• “Enthusiasm contagion” is a stronger predictor of group performance than expertise

• Teams with high emotional synchrony have higher implementation rates

This means: One energized person might be greater than five rational arguments.

When a team rallies emotionally around an idea, implementation follows — even if the idea wasn’t the “top-scoring” one analytically.

4. Psychological Ownership Predicts Execution: Pierce, Kostova & Dirks

Psychological ownership = “This is my idea. I’m part of this.” - also known as the IKEA Effect, or the Mongolian Bbq effect. People don’t resist their own creativity.

Key findings:

• Individuals exert significant discretionary effort on ideas they feel ownership over

• They navigate obstacles more creatively

• They persist longer when the environment becomes hostile

• They influence others more effectively

Instinctual attraction → ownership → implementation.

Instruction-based selection rarely creates ownership — only compliance.

5. Playfulness Opens Cognitive Flexibility (the Core of Innovation): Stuart Brown, Catherine Garvey, Barbara Fredrickson

Playfulness increases:

• divergent thinking

• cognitive flexibility

• associative thinking

• social bonding

• psychological safety

Play acts as a neurological unlock for creativity.

Terrible ideas, funny ideas, impossible ideas — these activate play circuits.
Play circuits activate creativity.
Creativity activates implementation curiosity.

Instructional processes shut these circuits down.

This is why “shut down the company” sparked more energy than any of the sensible ideas — it introduced play, and play introduced possibility.

6. “Energized Work” Outperforms “Aligned Work” Teresa Amabile (Harvard), Kim Cameron (Michigan Center for Positive Organizations)

Amabile’s research on creativity and Cameron’s research on positive deviance show:

• People create higher-impact outputs when they feel energized

• Internal energy predicts completion more than alignment, goals, or oversight

• Energized teams demonstrate collective uplift—performance that exceeds individual contributions

This is the core insight:
Innovation success correlates more strongly with emotional energy than with strategic alignment.

An idea chosen rationally but without energy → dies quietly.
An idea chosen intuitively with high energy → survives storms and finds a path.

And the paradox?
The DoD, large organizations, and structured teams often assume that great innovation comes from discipline and process — but we should be reminded that great innovation comes from attention + energy + embodied passion.

Flow is nature’s way of pointing to what wants to become real.

Put it into Practice:
A Simple Drainstorming Ritual (30–45 Minutes)

1. Review the flood (10 min)
Look at all the ideas generated. Don’t judge yet. Cluster as needed.

2. Silent pruning (5 min)
Everyone eliminates 75% of the ideas. Fast. Instinctively. Not intellectually.
Heuristic: Good = Gone. (if you want to be performative about it, use a metal trash can and burn them - honestly, generic good ideas come back quickly in the future - they were mostly obvious anyways… so don’t worry about capture or ‘archive’)
Weirdness Principle: Bad ideas are often the best place to start.
Look for: Laughter (surprise), Disgust, Implausible / Impossible etc. (For more adjacent to this, check out POInT (Plusses, Opportunities, Issues, new thinking ) process by Gerrad Puccio)

3. The Flow Pick. Gut Check Vote. Use dots, thumbs, or tokens.
The top ideas that feel effortless, fun, or destined — and each person explains why they feel drawn to their pick.

4. Resilience.
For every surviving idea, ask:

• What principle or outcome does this idea express in its extreme?

• How could we tame the wildness of the idea without losing its connection to the energy that made us appreciate it?

• If we lose half our timeline? are given no budget etc… Does the energy of the idea keep drawing us forward? Does it spark joy?
  If yes → keep.
  If no → burn.

6. Pick one or more (or build a hybrid) and Define the First Step.
Assign one tiny experiment that can be done quickly and cheaply
(in Ward’s F.I.R.E. spirit — Fast, Inexpensive, Restrained, Elegant).

A word on the Reverse Veto: Guardrails for Team Passion

Here’s another mechanism I encourage high-performing innovation teams to use instinctively — the reverse veto.

Normally, a veto kills an idea. A reverse veto does the opposite:

Every team member gets one “include-no-matter-what” card.

If there’s an idea they want to be part of, that lights them up, that hits their “sense of destiny,” they can use their reverse veto to say:

“I don’t care how impractical this looks right now — if we want me at my best, this idea stays in.”

This honors:

• personal intuition

• idiosyncratic genius

• intrinsic motivation

• the sources of flow that only the individual can feel

But there’s a caution:
Too many reverse vetoes create a stew with too many chefs and not enough cooks.
If everyone insists, nothing gets pruned, and drainstorming collapses into everyones energy scattering to too many drains.

So the rule is:
Only use your reverse veto if you’re not feeling ANY energy in the other ideas. Use it wisely. Protect it. Respect it.

When done well, this creates a portfolio of ideas where:

• the team converges

• personal passion is preserved

• and the ideas that survive are not just smart…
  they’re sacred.

This implements the reverse of a principle I first heard from Jeff DeGraff about why people RESIST change, Not because they are bad people or ignorant, but “Because THEY believe they are protecting something sacred.”

Does Effective Drainstorming Matter More Than Ever?

The modern innovation environment — especially in defense, technology, and public-sector missions — suffers less from a lack of ideas and more from a lack of focus.

Drainstorming solves that by:

• shrinking idea lists

• increasing emotional buy-in

• embracing and extending psychological safety

• aligning energy, not just resources

It’s the bridge between creativity and commitment.

The brainstorm opens the floodgates.
The drainstorm reveals what’s pulling you in.

*shout out to the podcasters, at https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=%2Fdrainstormingpodcast%2F&source=omni_redirect (with 2 subscribers!) created in Aug 2020 and then abandoned in Nov 2020 - hope you are well internet Connie and Maggie and that you might one day find this blog!

Part 1: What We Get Wrong About Learning by Leaving the Exams to the End

“If you leave it to the last minute, it only takes a minute.” There is a certain kind of truth, the opposite of which is false. Questions of this type represent a basic kind of ‘knowing’ which is based not on understanding but on more mechanical principles of recall, storage, and motivation. I was superbly proud of my middle school accomplishments in a ‘race’ my math teacher would provide called ‘The Mad Minute’—for the purposes of this article, I didn’t try to research what’s happened to that, but if you were a teacher in the early 90s, I’d love to hear something serendipitous from you about the history of this particular game—where I would see how many correct calculations (calculator-free) I could accomplish in 60 seconds. What my 9-year-old self couldn’t have comprehended is that the ability to perform rapid calculations had already been surpassed decades before. Cinephiles will no doubt recall the foretelling ‘job destruction’ in the installation scenes of IBM set against the ‘West Area Computers’ in the movie “Hidden Figures.” So if fluency in these basic calculations wasn’t the point, what was? And what does any of that have to do with so-called generative AI and the validity of our existing forms of examination, assessment, and performance?

I’m so glad you asked.

“Why should I read something no one bothered to write?” What do most teachers make of the ‘dangers’ of generative artificial intelligence to the ‘sanctity’ of their classrooms? It is evident in the example above when viewed from two different perspectives: the proficiency standard vs. the growth standard. Using a calculator to accomplish the task violates both for the simple reason that my mastery of ‘punching in the number correctly’ is as formulaic as PEMDAS (the popularity and ubiquity of Facebook memes and jokes around these notwithstanding... Did you know 230 − 220 × 0.5 is 5!)

Now, in an era of advancing fluency and trust in (and reliance on) calculators, I’d argue that my quest for SPEED (which I viewed as a form of proficiency) was central. And the ability to measure my progress (number of problems and relative ‘difficulty’) in 60 seconds provided regular feedback. These are two VALUABLE parts of a formative assessment.

What most teachers want is to provide guidance in formative assessment. What kind of ‘formative assessment’ can we do for a calculator? The absurdity of even trying helps to showcase the difference in thinking between a ‘growth mindset’ and a ‘fixed mindset.’ Most assessments are administered only once, in ‘high-stakes’ fashion, at the END of a set of instructions or lessons. These kinds of tests are often scored against ‘proficiency standards’ (performs at grade 3 reading level, grade 7 math proficiency) since these curricula are standardized in their content, and the ability to recall the ‘content’ is the measure of merit.

While we have had the opportunity to contend (but largely haven’t) with advancing computational power as it is relevant to our math education, let’s shift gears and imagine two different kinds of assignments, ones which have only much more recently been disrupted by a different form of computational power.

1. (Comprehend) Read and analyze the above paragraphs for key content and answer some comprehension questions below.

2. (Creative) Write a short one-act play between a teacher and a student about some part of the middle school experience with math education (in iambic pentameter in the style of Shakespeare).

   ---

You can jump into the responses from the Ai at this point or you can try and do them yourself… https://chatgpt.com/share/67476b29-df04-8006-9d15-7fe5072fb3fb

For this ‘dialog’ - I’m using chatgpt v0-preview through my paid account.

My reflections so far…
Like most people - it failed to see the creative math ‘joke’ correctly (as I also did, despite the tweet’s insistence)

You might be left wondering, “What about part 2? Where are you going next with these ideas?”… Well I’m hoping to take this in a direction where we explore if machines are ‘creative’ or if they just ‘create’ - how those things are discernibly different, and what should our 6th-12th grades DO about a world where knowing stuff doesn’t differentiate (but access and fluency with tools like these, the ability to fact-check, and very quickly distill large amounts of information (as explored previously with my deep dive into google NotebookLM deep dives -

Of course, all of the above - use at your own risk. I have spoken to many people who are using chatGPT to speed up their job search and resume optimization (but not sure how many recruiters are hip to this trend, or if their assessments of candidates improves or is hindered by those candidates use of Ai for these purposes…)

In what follows, I’ll try and update this content and theme for a 2020 audience.

Debates over who truly deserves greatness have shaped our history, from primitive tribes to modern society. In early human groups, the strongest and most skilled in essential areas like hunting or warfare were revered. This form of leadership was rooted in survival, where a leader’s capability directly impacted the tribe's safety*. But as civilizations evolved, so too did the qualities we admire in leaders. Today, we find ourselves weighing greatness across a broader spectrum—comparing military leaders to statesmen, inventors to artists, prophets to scientists.

*To follow this up, I had a good interaction with about indigenous forms of leadership on Linkedin

The debate isn’t merely an intellectual exercise. By questioning what we value, we set the standards that shape generations. In this blog post, I’ll explore how our definitions of greatness have evolved from the 1980s to today, drawing on examples from diverse fields to illustrate how each era leaves its unique mark on what society admires in its leaders.

The value in the competing values framework is the lack of hierarchy. It allows us to see how different forms of value compete with another and that there is not ‘one best’ form of value creation.

The Evolving Icon: From War Heroes to Innovators

In times of war, society often reveres military leaders. Think of General Norman Schwarzkopf, who led Coalition forces to victory during the Gulf War in the early 1990s. He became a hero of the time, an embodiment of courage and tactical brilliance. His leadership inspired public admiration, though his place in history faded once the conflict ended and peace prevailed. Similarly, today’s wars may produce new heroes, but the admiration is often temporary, tied to the duration of the conflict itself.

In contrast, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, remains iconic long after his era. Jobs’ influence is cemented in society not because he won battles but because he led a technological revolution. His visionary products fundamentally changed how we communicate and interact with the world, impacting billions long after his passing. The shift from celebrating battlefield heroes to tech pioneers reflects society's changing values—from survival and power to creativity and impact. How long will his ‘genius’ last - as long as Tesla? As long or longer than Musk and Bezos (who seems to be more the ‘oligarchs’ - Carnegie and Rockefellers of our modern times..)?

1980s Prophets and Modern Tech Gurus

In the 1980s, leaders in science and technology, like Carl Sagan, gained celebrity status for their explorations of the universe. Sagan, with his popular series Cosmos, ignited public curiosity about space, painting science as an accessible adventure rather than an exclusive field. He helped shape a new kind of leader: the “prophet” of science, whose purpose was to expand our understanding and inspire wonder.

Fast forward to today, and we see a similar role played by tech leaders and educators like Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy and Niel DeGrass Tyson. Khan democratized education through online learning platforms, embodying a new kind of “prophet”—one who focuses on expanding human potential by making learning accessible to everyone. Tyson’s popular science and even reimagining of the ‘cosmos’ series and taking further steps with MasterClass (teaching science communication). Sagan, Tyson and Khan showcase the power of leaders who enlighten rather than dominate, shifting admiration from those who conquer to those who teach and expand minds.

Artists as Empathetic Leaders: Bridging Souls Across Eras

Consider Prince, the 1980s pop icon, whose music didn’t just entertain but challenged social norms, celebrating individuality and self-expression. Prince’s work transcended entertainment; he tapped into a collective spirit, inspiring people to embrace authenticity. He fought against studio ownership of his intelect, changing his name (the artist formerly known as…)

Today, Beyoncé is a similarly impactful artist. Her work, especially in the last decade, has taken on cultural, political, and personal dimensions, addressing issues of identity, race, and empowerment. Like Prince, Beyoncé uses her art to lead cultural conversations, drawing admiration not only for her talent but also for her courage to address deeper societal issues. This type of “soul leader,” transcending art to touch on humanity’s shared struggles, has earned a lasting place in the public heart.

Leaders of Mind and Morals: From Freud to Brené Brown

In the 20th century, Sigmund Freud shaped our understanding of the human psyche, paving the way for psychological exploration. His theories, while controversial, opened up new avenues for self-understanding, making him a leader in the realm of the human mind.

Today, thought leaders like Brené Brown continue this legacy by exploring vulnerability, empathy, and courage. Brown’s work brings depth to the “soft skills” essential for personal and organizational growth. Like Freud, she challenges people to look inward, emphasizing self-awareness as a form of strength. This shift from traditional power to emotional intelligence reflects modern society’s growing respect for leaders who prioritize mental and moral development.

Future Visions: What Lies Ahead

Our evolving standards of greatness reveal a broader trend: society is moving away from purely power-based leadership to embracing those who inspire, educate, and connect us. As technology advances, creating new frontiers in fields like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and environmental science, it’s likely that tomorrow’s icons will be those who navigate humanity’s relationship with these powerful tools responsibly. Leaders who balance technological advancement with ethical guidance will likely become our future paragons of greatness.

Each era brings new heroes, and what we consider “great” reflects the unique challenges and aspirations of that time. By looking to the past, we can appreciate how society’s admiration has shifted—from warriors to prophets, conquerors to creators, commanders to educators. In a world that’s more interconnected and rapidly changing than ever, the leaders we admire will likely be those who not only excel in their fields but also serve as bridges between our past, present, and future.

What do you think of ‘Greatness’ - do you aspire to it, ignore it, or run from it?

According to my friend Gabe Silverman, ‘it sounds like a clean version of RadioLab’ - What is the future of this tech and what will it be useful for?

1. Mistakes, Not Accidents!

2. Recall the 9/80 at Sandia - Miss that one!

3. Reach out - Ask for HELP!

4. Show and Tell! (Shout out to Dan Nathan-Roberts 10-3-1 Memo)

5. Task Cards (As found in Menlo Innovations/ Joy-Inc + GTD) (work breakdown structure)

6. Success = becoming well rounded. Reminds me of.

7. Make time for Play!

8. The importance of allyship for white men in STEM

9. What is Success, again?

10. Challenges to ‘Start with Why?’

11. Reframe how you think about failure - Ten Day Rule, try it!

Hope you want to grab coffee with me too. I’ll be waiting at my inbox for the note from Google to show up for a live taping.

Here’s what I fed it:

I. "Career Advice I Wished I'd Gotten" - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/advice-i-wished-id-gotten-w-ethan-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

Balancing Research Exposure and Service: This section emphasizes the dual purpose of an undergraduate research experience: gaining exposure to a research environment and providing valuable service to the lab and university.

Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Impact: This part outlines the author's ideal work culture, emphasizing continuous learning, positive influence, curiosity, and long-term impact over quick wins.

"How to Get Things Done": Here, the focus shifts to productivity strategies, advocating for completing tasks over multitasking and embracing mistakes as learning opportunities.

Prioritizing Well-being and Bystander Intervention: This section stresses the importance of physical and mental health and encourages active participation in diversity initiatives, particularly bystander intervention training.

Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in STEM: The author reflects on his own journey as a white male in STEM and advocates for active allyship, expanding mentoring networks beyond one's own demographic, and challenging the stereotypes that limit diversity in STEM.

Embracing Incremental Progress and Celebrating "Miracles": This part encourages a growth mindset, emphasizing that significant change happens gradually, and achieving even one "miracle" (a significant accomplishment) can be a defining factor in a successful career.

II. "Expectations for My Students" - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/expectations-my-graduate-students-w-ethan-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

Balancing Learning and Service: This section echoes the sentiment from "Career Advice," highlighting the dual importance of knowledge acquisition and service contributions in a research/design environment.

"Focus on Completing Tasks": This part expands on the productivity strategies from "Career Advice," advocating for focused task completion, embracing mistakes, and seeking guidance when encountering challenges.

Recommended Reading: This section provides a curated list of books and articles on research methodologies, technical writing, and professional development, reflecting Dr. Eagle's emphasis on continuous learning.

III. "Hope or Hype? Innovator's Self-Doubt" - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hope-hype-innovators-self-doubt-w-ethan-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

Embracing Vulnerability and Courage in Innovation: This section recounts Dr. Eagle's experience teaching creative principles and reflects on the inherent vulnerability and courage required for innovation.

Finding Hope in the Face of Failure: The author explores the balance between hope and hype in innovation, acknowledging the high failure rate of new ideas while emphasizing the importance of perseverance and a focus on growth.

The Importance of a "Why Not?" Mindset: This part challenges the "Start with Why" approach, advocating for an experimental mindset rooted in curiosity and a willingness to challenge assumptions.

IV. "How Do You Teach Engineering?" https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-do-you-teach-engineering-w-ethan-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

Building Knowledge Through Experimentation and Theory: This section outlines Dr. Eagle's pedagogical approach, emphasizing a three-pronged approach of hands-on experimentation, theoretical development, and model-building for knowledge acquisition.

Skill Development Through "Breaking the Rules": The author advocates for teaching students to apply their knowledge to real-world problems, embracing uncertainty, and learning through guided inquiry and discovery.

Fostering Lifelong Learning and Critical Analysis: Dr. Eagle stresses the importance of continuous learning and critical analysis, encouraging students to question assumptions and consider the broader societal impact of engineering solutions.

V. "Paradoxes of Leadership - Blair Sheppard's Ten Years to Midnight through the lens of Competing Values" - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/paradoxes-leadership-blair-sheppards-ten-years-midnight-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

Exploring Leadership Paradoxes: This section delves into the six leadership paradoxes outlined in Blair Sheppard's "Ten Years to Midnight," examining them through the lens of the Competing Values Framework.

Analyzing Leadership Tensions: This part provides Dr. Eagle's interpretation of the paradoxes, highlighting the tensions inherent in embodying seemingly contradictory leadership qualities.

VI. "We don't 'Start with Why,' Innovators start with 'Why Not?'" https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-dont-start-why-innovators-w-ethan-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

Challenging the "Start with Why" Paradigm: This section revisits Dr. Eagle's critique of Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" framework, arguing that true innovation often stems from a "Why Not?" mindset driven by experimentation and a willingness to challenge assumptions.

The Power of Pretotyping and Experimentation: This part emphasizes the importance of pretotyping (testing ideas before prototyping) and rapid experimentation in the innovation process, aligning with Alberto Savoia's approach.

Learning from the Wright Brothers' "Why Not?" Mindset: This section revisits the Wright Brothers' story, highlighting their experimental approach, willingness to fail, and focus on testing assumptions as key drivers of their success.

VII. "Well Resolved." https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/well-resolved-w-ethan-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

Personal Reflections and Resolutions: This section offers a glimpse into Dr. Eagle's personal goals and values, outlining his resolutions for the year, which center around mindfulness, personal growth, community engagement, and professional achievements.

VIII. "What Are You Doing About the Drought?" https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-you-doing-drought-w-ethan-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

Addressing the "Drought" in STEM Diversity: This section uses the California drought as a metaphor for the lack of diversity in STEM fields.

Advocating for a Climate Change in STEM: The author argues that improving the STEM climate requires acknowledging and addressing systemic inequalities, promoting inclusive practices, and shifting expectations to foster a more diverse and equitable environment.

IX. "What Motivates You?" https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-motivates-you-w-ethan-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

Exploring the Nature of Motivation: This section delves into the complexities of motivation, questioning whether motivation drives habits or vice versa, and examining the role of both internal drive and external factors.

The Importance of Experimentation and Adaptability: Dr. Eagle encourages readers to experiment with different approaches to discover what motivates them, emphasizing adaptability and a willingness to try new things.

Embracing Failure and Cultivating Resilience: This part highlights the importance of embracing failure as a learning opportunity and emphasizes that resilience and adaptability are crucial for maintaining motivation and achieving long-term success.

X. "Who makes the rules?" https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/who-makes-rules-w-ethan-eagle/?trackingId=VPjjblvgRVOjG3xgyvUX%2Fw%3D%3D

The Power of Questioning Assumptions: This section emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and questioning established norms in both science and democracy.

Encouraging Curiosity and Challenging Authority: Dr. Eagle criticizes the education system for stifling curiosity and rewarding conformity, advocating for an educational approach that fosters independent thinking and challenges students to question assumptions.

I’ll have to dig up my cohort 11 or cohort 12 report and compare how it fares against the Ai.

If you are here,
Thanks for listening!

How it Started:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ethaneagle_with-thanks-to-ryan-connell-for-the-inspiration-activity-7246940154458697728-5h4c?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

How it’s going:

Teaching with the CVF (For Coaches)
Show Notes:
Exploring the Competing Values Framework: A Deep Dive into Success and Organizational Culture
In this episode, we delve into the Competing Values Framework (CVF) to understand why people have different perspectives on success. We discuss the four core values—compete, control, collaborate, and create—that drive organizational and individual behavior and explore how each value influences work styles and company cultures. We highlight the importance of balancing these values for sustainable success and innovation. By examining case studies like Pixar and Sony, we illustrate the practical implications of the CVF. This episode also provides insights for individuals to align their career choices with their values and emphasizes the broader impact of these values on consumer decisions. Join us as we unpack how the CVF can help navigate the complexities of work and life with intention.
00:00 Introduction: Different Languages of Success
00:26 Unveiling the Competing Values Framework
01:11 Exploring the 'Compete' Value
02:53 Understanding the 'Control' Value
04:23 Diving into the 'Collaborate' Value
06:07 The Power of the 'Create' Value
08:05 Practical Applications of the CVF
11:43 CVF in Organizations: Success and Cautionary Tales
13:51 Personal Reflections and Broader Implications
17:28 Conclusion: Living a Values-Driven Life

The CPI Workbook
ed. note "DO IT NOW" (emphasis on eye-tee lol) - still needs SOME work...

Unlock Your Innovation Genome: Exploring the CPI Workbook

In this episode of 'The Deep Dive,' we explore how to unlock your personal innovation genome using the CPI workbook. Moving beyond corporate innovation, we delve into how you can harness creativity and growth in your own life and work. The discussion covers four core innovation types—compete, control, create, and collaborate—analyzing their strengths and pitfalls. We also examine practical steps for translating ideas into action, the importance of team dynamics, navigating different perspectives, and using assessment methods. Learn how to see something old in a new way and unleash your creative potential.
00:00 Introduction to Innovation Genome
00:35 Understanding the Four Core Types
01:19 Deep Dive into Compete Type
02:07 Exploring Control Type
02:58 Insights on Create Type
03:50 Collaborate Type and Team Dynamics
05:27 Innovation as a Cycle
06:08 The 80/20 Rule and Iteration
07:58 From Idea to Action: The Creative Eyes Process
08:27 Think Big: Audacious Goals
08:32 Assembling Your Superhero Team
08:51 Multiple Shots on Goal: Embrace Iteration
09:07 Learning from Successes and Failures
09:38 The Crucial Element: Other People
10:59 Navigating Different Perspectives
12:18 Assessment: Measuring Success
14:46 Final Thoughts and Inspirational Quote

PM On Orbit-
Deep Dive into Project Mercury: Innovation in the Air Force
In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of Project Mercury, a groundbreaking innovation program developed through a partnership between Air University and Innovatrium. We delve into the core methods driving its success, such as the 'See one, Do one, Teach one' philosophy, and highlight its real-world impact with stories from alumni like Austin Worcester and Bart Hollett. The conversation covers the program's extensive global reach, the rigorous training involved, and its future aspirations. We also discuss how principles from Project Mercury can be applied to drive innovation in any field, emphasizing the importance of community and storytelling in fostering a culture of change.
00:00 Introduction to Project Mercury
00:20 Origins and Growth of Project Mercury
00:44 Core Philosophy: See One, Do One, Teach One
01:33 Training and Certification
02:18 Impact Stories: Real-World Applications
04:43 Innovator Workshops and Global Reach
06:59 Challenges and Future Plans
10:05 Lessons for Everyone: Applying Innovation
13:23 Conclusion: Shaping the Future

Mercury Playbook-

Unlocking Air Force Ingenuity: The Project Mercury Playbook
This episode dives into how the Air Force maintains its cutting-edge innovation through the Project Mercury Playbook. It outlines a comprehensive framework that involves all personnel in the innovation process by focusing on four key questions: identifying high-quality targets, assembling diverse teams, experimenting with possible solutions, and continuously refining ideas. The discussion also highlights strategies such as constructive conflict and storytelling, created to foster a culture of innovation and effective collaboration.
00:00 Introduction to Air Force Innovation
00:14 Unveiling Project Mercury
01:01 Empowering Every Airman
01:29 The Four Key Questions of Innovation
04:19 Building High-Performing Teams
05:46 From Idea to Action
06:46 Learning and Refining Solutions
07:40 Air Force's Innovation Ecosystem
09:40 The Power of Storytelling
10:33 Conclusion and Recap

Cohort 2 - 

Exploring Air Force Innovation: Project Mercury and Beyond
In this episode, we delve into the culture and strategies driving innovation within the Air Force, focusing on initiatives like Project Mercury. We explore the high-stakes pitch events aimed at bridging the gap between theoretical research and practical applications, and highlight teams like A Team, which addresses the disconnect between research and real-world impact, and Team JDO, focusing on joint all-domain operations. Additionally, we discuss Team Promiscuous, who propose a revamp of the Air Force's innovation ecosystem to foster a more agile and connected innovation pipeline. Throughout, we examine the importance of fostering a culture that values creativity, risk-taking, and strategic thinking.
00:00 Introduction to Air Force Innovation
00:30 Exploring Project Mercury
01:20 A Team's Pitch: Bridging Theory and Practice
04:30 Team JDO: Joint All Domain Operations
08:43 Team Promiscuous: Optimizing Innovation
14:20 Conclusion: Embracing a Culture of Innovation

Cohort 3 - w/ "Pizza to Pentagon" angle,
From Pizza to Innovation: The U.S. Air Force's Project Mercury
In this deep dive episode, we explore how the U.S. Air Force is transforming its approach to innovation through Project Mercury, a collaboration between Air University and Innovatrium, led by Dr. Jeff DeGraff, a former Domino's pizza executive turned innovation expert. We discuss how the project uses methods like constructive conflict and mentorship to tackle systemic challenges, from airmen mental health to bureaucratic inefficiencies. Real-world examples, such as the Average Joes' talent management system and Team Ocho's suicide prevention initiative, showcase the program's impact. This episode challenges listeners to adopt a 'Mercury mindset' of constant innovation and collaboration in their own lives.
00:00 Introduction to Air Force Innovation
01:18 Meet the Dean of Innovation
02:03 Project Mercury: A New Approach
02:27 Real-World Challenges and Solutions
03:01 Constructive Conflict: The Innovation Code
04:34 Showcase of Ingenious Solutions
07:50 Breaking Down Silos and Risk Aversion
11:24 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Cohort 4 - 

Discipline Disobedience and the Futuristic Battlefield: Rethinking Warfare for Tomorrow
In this gripping episode of 'The Deep Dive,' we explore the game-changing concepts shaping the future of warfare. The discussion covers General Milley's radical idea of 'discipline disobedience' and the significant shift towards a decentralized command structure in the military. We delve into advanced technological innovations such as AI, autonomous systems, and precision munitions that are transforming battlefields. Additionally, urbanization's impact on future conflicts and the Air Force's Project Mercury, aiming to foster innovation and adaptability within its ranks, are examined. Tune in for an insightful look at the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for modern military forces.

00:00 Introduction to the Future of Warfare
00:23 Discipline Disobedience: A New Military Strategy
02:21 Technological Advancements in Warfare
04:55 Urbanization and Its Impact on Future Wars
05:53 Project Mercury: Innovating the Air Force
06:50 The Human Cost of Future Warfare
07:13 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Cohort 5 - 

Project Mercury: Unleashing Innovation in the Air Force
In this episode, we delve into Project Mercury, an Air Force initiative aimed at fostering a culture of innovation. From ditching traditional conferences to engaging in intensive 90-day crash courses, we explore groundbreaking projects ranging from decentralized civilian tech networks to self-healing military fabrics inspired by squid teeth. Discover how these certified professional innovators tackle pressing issues like countering a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, addressing supply chain vulnerabilities, and mitigating climate change impacts. The judges' insights emphasize the importance of speed, agility, and collaboration in modern problem-solving, highlighting a broader shift towards proactive and imaginative approaches. Join us as we unpack the transformative ideas and the energetic spirit driving future-forward thinking within the Air Force.
00:00 Ditching Stuffy Conferences: Welcome to Project Mercury
00:24 Showcase of Certified Professional Innovators
01:08 Project Heroes: Everyday Tech to Counter Conflict
03:06 Teamhouse: Squid Teeth and Supply Chain Solutions
05:20 Team Ocean Bridge: Tackling Climate Change
09:20 Team QuadSquad: Gamifying Emotional Intelligence
11:49 Team Hit Squad: Fixing the Innovation Pipeline
13:22 Team INH: Airman's Sabbaticals for Creative Thinking
16:27 Announcing the Innovation Excellence Award Winner
17:23 Final Thoughts: Embracing a Culture of Innovation

Cohort 6 - 

Project Mercury: Empowering Innovation in the Air Force
In this episode, we dive into how the Air Force is fostering innovation through Project Mercury. We explore the shift from traditional top-down methods to empowering individual airmen to drive change, as highlighted by Air University's leader. The episode discusses the innovative framework known as the 'innovation genome,' which consists of four quadrants: create, connect, control, and compete. We highlight specific projects from Cohort 6, such as Team Planeteers' gamified approach to military strategy and Team TigerEye's blockchain-based disaster relief system. Additionally, we examine the crucial role of mentorship and effective communication as emphasized by Dr. Ethan Eagle. The principles of embracing uncertainty, building a supportive and challenging tribe, and being open to experimentation and failure are discussed as universal tools for innovation applicable to everyone, not just the military.
00:00 Introduction to Air Force Innovation
00:15 Project Mercury: Empowering Airmen
02:15 Innovation Genome: A Framework for Change
04:00 Cohort 6: Showcasing Innovative Projects
06:41 Mentorship and Radical Experiments
11:39 Universal Principles of Innovation
12:28 Finding Your Passion and Building Your Tribe
12:53 Project Mercury: Team Planeteers and Team SciP
13:13 Team Tigeri and Project NexPonder
13:42 Understanding Mesh Networks and Blockchain
15:11 The Impact of NexPonder on Disaster Relief
15:38 The Broader Implications of Project Mercury
17:57 Innovation as a Team Sport
18:27 Radical Experiments and Embracing Failure
19:47 Applying Innovation Principles to Everyday Life
25:27 Concluding Thoughts on Innovation

Cohort 7 - 

Project Mercury: Unleashing Innovation in the Air Force
In this episode, we delve into the Air Force's approach to staying ahead in a rapidly changing world through Agile Combat and Employment (ACE), disaster response, and innovative training methods. We explore Project Mercury, an Air Force think tank dedicated to fostering rapid adaptation and solutions. Highlights include Team 2's quest to revolutionize meetings, Project Mad Hatter's disaster response app, and Team Impossible's pioneering use of VR/AR for training. Discover how these airman-led initiatives are driving the Air Force's push for continuous innovation and adaptability.
00:00 Introduction: The Air Force's Race Against Time
00:41 Project Mercury: The Air Force's Think Tank
01:24 Innovation Genome: Understanding Team Dynamics
02:02 Real-World Applications: From Meetings to Disaster Response
05:08 Revolutionizing Training with VR and AR
07:48 ACT Labs: The Future of Agile Combat Training
09:22 The Bigger Picture: Cultivating a Culture of Innovation
11:58 Conclusion: The Future of Airpower

Cohort 8 -

Innovative Solutions: Inside Project Mercury's Impact on the Air Force
This episode dives into the latest Project Mercury cohort's journey in tackling some of the biggest challenges within the Air Force. Over a thirteen-week intensive program, airmen from various backgrounds became certified innovation experts, proposing solutions to real-world problems like redundant training, bureaucratic hurdles, and disinformation. Key projects discussed include systems to fast-track skilled airmen, match them to ideal roles, and foster a culture of innovation. The episode concludes with insights from Serge Dupont, Director of NATO's Innovation Hub and Project Mercury alum, on the program's global significance and the importance of persistence and community in driving change.
00:00 Introduction to Project Mercury
00:42 Waste Management Team's Innovative Solution
01:42 Deliverables: Matching Airmen to Roles
02:06 Guardians of Agility: Cutting Red Tape
02:40 Giant Crayon Precise Attack Team: Cultivating Innovation
03:35 Five Eyed Ravens: Combating Disinformation
04:15 Bass Team: Migrating to the Cloud
05:03 People's Choice Award and Project Mercury's Impact
06:45 Embracing Change: Making People Feel Valued
07:08 Constructive Conflict: A Source of Creativity
07:41 The Urgency of Innovation in a Rapidly Changing World
08:37 Global Attention: Project Mercury's International Impact
09:33 Insights from Serge Dupont: NATO's Innovation Hub
11:06 Overcoming Internal Resistance: Persistence and Community
12:34 Conclusion: The Power of Innovation and Future Challenges

Cohort 9 -

Unveiling Air Force Innovation: Inside Project Mercury’s Cohort 9 Showcase

In this episode, we explore the Air Force's latest push towards innovation, focusing on General Brown's 'Accelerate, Change, or Lose' initiative and its impact on the force. We delve into Project Mercury’s Cohort 9 showcase, highlighting teams like 'Wizards of ID' and 'Space Invaders' who presented transformative ideas such as streamlining information sharing and using AI for cargo logistics. In collaboration with the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, Project Mercury utilizes the Competing Values Framework to navigate diverse perspectives and foster productive conflict. Themes of cultural change, the human element, and embracing failure are discussed, emphasizing that innovation is a collective responsibility across the entire force.
00:00 Introduction to Air Force Innovation
00:31 Project Mercury: Building a Culture of Innovation
01:18 Competing Values Framework Explained
02:29 Cohort 9 Showcase: Highlights and Teams
03:14 Team Wizards of ID: Streamlining Information Sharing
04:20 Team Smurfinators: Modernizing NATO's Tech
05:41 Team Space Invaders: Revolutionizing Logistics
09:52 The Human Element in Innovation
11:23 Embracing Failure and Moving Forward
13:29 Conclusion: The Future of Air Force Innovation

Cohort 10 - 

Project Mercury: Rewiring Innovation in the Air Force

In this episode, we explore Project Mercury, an Air Force program designed to revolutionize innovation by emphasizing human ingenuity over high-cost technological solutions. The program equips airmen with the skills needed to innovate through a 'see one, do one, teach one' methodology, fostering a culture of problem-solving and collaboration. Key initiatives like the Competing Values Framework and cross-functional team dynamics are discussed, showcasing real-world applications and successes such as rapid deployments during Hurricane Ian and the Hawaii wildfires. The episode also delves into the scalability of Project Mercury and its potential global impact via alumni spreading the innovation DNA across the Air Force and NATO.
00:00 Introduction to Project Mercury
00:16 The Urgency of Innovation
00:28 Empowering Airmen as Innovators
00:45 Innovation Sorties and Practical Training
01:20 Showcase of Solutions
01:57 Mental Resilience and Tech Solutions
02:40 Shifting Air Force Culture
02:50 Breaking Down Silos
04:21 Real-World Impact and Success Stories
05:29 Scaling Innovation Across the Air Force
06:02 Global Influence and Future Vision
07:08 Conclusion and Call to Action

Cohort 11 - 

Project Mercury Cohort 11: Military Innovation Unveiled

In this episode of Deep Dive, we explore Project Mercury Cohort 11's innovative solutions to critical challenges faced by the U.S. Air and Space Forces. We discuss a range of topics including recruiting Gen Z via social media influencers, long-distance cargo delivery in contested airspace, drone development collaboration, alternative energy solutions, agile logistics for dispersed military bases, and securing resilient access to space. The episode highlights how these military strategies have broader applications, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and innovative thinking in today's rapidly changing world.
00:00 Introduction to Project Mercury
00:40 What is Project Mercury?
01:17 Team 1: The Flying Lions - Recruiting Gen Z
02:33 Team 2: The Pacific Blitzen - Standoff Cargo
04:00 Team 3: The Skybound Problem Solvers - Project Roundtable
05:51 Team 5: The Messenger Pigeon Posse - Methanol Fuel Cells
08:31 Team 4: On the Fly - Combat Mobile Equipment Teams
10:01 Team 6: Swift Justice - Solar Generators
14:48 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Cohort 12 - 

Deep Dive into Military Innovation: Project Mercury's Cutting-Edge Concepts
In this episode, the hosts explore groundbreaking military projects from Project Mercury Cohort 12's Innovation Showcase. The discussion highlights three standout projects: Echolink, which transforms smartphones into a distributed sensor network for real-time battlefield awareness; Ghost Shield, a drone-based system for protecting air bases using decoy tactics; and Project Sandman, a holistic approach to combating fatigue among service members. The episode emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of innovation within the Air and Space Forces and encourages listeners to contribute their inventive ideas.
00:00 Introduction to Military Innovation
01:03 Overview of Project Mercury
02:15 Team Prismatic Unicorns and Echolink
03:54 Team Hide and Seek and Project GhostShield
05:30 Team Fries or Chips and Project Sandman
08:20 Other Notable Projects from Cohort 12
09:19 The Future of Innovation in Air and Space Forces
11:41 Conclusion and Call to Innovate

Cohort 13 - 

Unpacking Project Mercury: Innovating the US Air Force
In this episode, we take a deep dive into Project Mercury, an ambitious program designed to spark innovation within the US Air Force. We explore its origins, led by Colonel Johnny Barnes and Dr. Jeff DeGraff, and the challenges they faced in transforming a deeply ingrained culture. We discuss the program's structure, which focuses on breaking down assumptions and encouraging creative problem-solving through a 12-week intensive course. Key projects like FLEET, Yorktown, and Starchild demonstrate how Project Mercury participants are making significant real-world impacts. We also highlight how the program emphasizes hands-on experience, constructive conflict, and collaboration both within and outside the military. Tune in to learn how Project Mercury is creating a new mindset within the Air Force, one that is adaptable, resilient, and ready to tackle the uncertainties of today's world.
00:00 Introduction to Project Mercury
00:52 Origins and Vision
01:52 Program Structure and Goals
02:33 Innovative Approaches and Mindset
05:35 Real-World Impact and Success Stories
07:21 Challenges and Solutions
09:14 Collaboration and Cultural Understanding
12:51 Shifting Mindsets and Cognitive Adaptability
16:30 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Innovation = Ethical Novelty with Sustainable Impact

In the pursuit of innovation, we often talk about disruptive change, new technologies, and breakthrough ideas. But at its core, innovation is more than just novelty—it’s about creating sustainable impact through ethical, practical, and meaningful solutions. This focus on ‘problem solving’ misses the first and most important step. Getting the challenge right. With inspiration from , , , , Kevin Ashton, Matt Ridley, Russell Ackoff, Daniel Schmachtenberger, Nora Bateson, Donella Meadows, Beyonce, and . Leveraging the tools of Dr. Jeff DeGraff (and a dash of for fun)- here are some of my lessons learned about ‘setting vision’

Ask in lieu of subscription: Do you have a practical example or need help with getting a military to adopt change? Check out our cohort model and join the community - ProjectMercury.us, or post a question for me to attempt to answer. I’d love to do an ‘innovators advice column’ if there was sufficient interest in such an endeavor - send me a message on substack, or DM at Project Mercury on LinkedIn.

With that, let’s jump into the tips, techniques, and inspirations!
-Ethan

🟢 Conceivable "WOW"

The hardest part of innovation is navigating the space between what’s no longer useful and what’s next. The challenge is bridging that gap without losing sight of the values and norms that still serve a purpose. As Dr. Jeff DeGraff, founder of Innovatrium, aptly puts it, "People who resist you aren’t malicious or evil; they believe they are protecting something sacred."

This is where many innovation efforts fail—by treating the 'status quo' as the enemy and viewing 'anchors' as burdensome. Imagine a boat: you wouldn’t want to cut all the anchors loose, but keeping the anchor down while pushing the motor to full speed is equally nonsensical. To move forward, you need a balance between the stability of the anchor and the forward thrust of the motor. Richard Rumelt calls this "coordinating"—the integration of actions and intentions for coherent progress.

Getting the challenge right is often an issue of ‘reframing’ - see HBR articles as diverse as “Are you Solving the Right Problem” and “Are you solving the right problems” (these are, I kid you not, separated by almost a decade in the HBR archives)

Incremental Change and the Myth of the Lone Genius

Looking back, innovation is often mythologized as a series of monumental leaps led by lone geniuses. But in reality, innovation is the history of incremental change, configured by many people in many places over time. Books like Kevin Ashton’s How to Fly a Horse and Matt Ridley’s How Innovation Works remind us that innovation is not just about big ideas; it's about constant reconfiguration and improvement.

also warns against falling into what he calls the "vision trap"—where the focus on a grand vision becomes so intense that it clouds practical action. Vision is important, but don’t let it blind you to the incremental steps that actually lead to success.

Product Management vs. Project Management

Having a well-executed project management plan is essential—if you’re operating in a stable environment with known entities, standards, and regulations. As DeGraff wryly notes, “If you’re building according to electrical and plumbing codes, please, by all means, use Gantt charts and traditional project management.”

But innovation lives in a world of exceptions and deviations. Here, the rule is fluid, and this is where product management shines. Product management focuses on the 'what' you want to achieve, rather than prescribing 'how' to get there. It’s about creating space for multiple conceivable solutions, rather than locking yourself into a predefined path. In this mindset, the "wow" moment comes when you develop something that others thought was inconceivable. What Brooke has called ‘Stealing from her AirBnB.’

Strategic Thinking and the "Wow" Factor

Strategic thinking, as Richard Rumelt outlines, starts with a clear diagnosis—not of the solution, but of the context: Who, Where, and When. This approach doesn’t seek clarity on your proposed solution from the outset. Instead, it emphasizes understanding the demand first. Start with sponsors, stakeholders, and their desire to act. Let their vision and constraints shape your direction.

The hurdle is often the limits of what others believe is possible. That’s where technical demonstrators and prototypes become powerful tools to expand their vision. But beware of the "Upton Sinclair Effect"—“It is difficult to get someone to understand something when their job depends on them not understanding it.” In innovation, the biggest challenge may be opening the minds of those who are constrained by their own mental models. Let’s take an example from Russell Ackoff

“During his inaugural address on December 4th, the newly elected leader of Mexico made two surprising announcements. First, he declared that no new government buildings would be constructed in Mexico City. Instead, all future projects would be built outside the capital, and as existing buildings became irreparable, they would not be replaced within the city but moved elsewhere. Second, he changed the working hours of Mexico as one of his initial actions in office—two decisions that the chief planner had previously deemed impossible.

The real impossibility, however, was not in the logistics or policy changes, but in the mindset of the planner and the management. The principal obstruction to progress was a mental block, a self-imposed barrier. As the speaker points out, we are often our own biggest obstacle. The greatest hindrance between where we are and where we most want to be is ourselves. This echoes the sentiment of the American philosopher Pogo, who once remarked, "We have met the enemy, and he is us." Most planning fails because it is based on the false assumption that external factors are the primary obstructions, when in fact, they lie within us.”

Expanding their (and your) Mental Models

Don't fall into the trap of focusing solely on the "problem-solution" dynamic. Instead, spend time working on expanding the mental models of your users. The goal is not just to solve problems but to show people what’s possible. The best innovations don’t just solve existing problems—they create new possibilities and transform the way we think about the world around us.

As alluded to, I’ll throw in my own aphorism gleaned from the lessons above. “You can’t be part of the solution if you are not part of the problem.” Admitting to yourself that you are part of the problem or situation (a mental reframe example from “I’m stuck in traffic” to “I am traffic”) - is something so devilishly hard because as Joan Didion tells us “Self-deception is the most difficult deception.” (Her essay on Self-Respect is worth keeping handy) - but is also connected to one of Adam’s most popular posts from this year - “How to De-bog” yourself. Which I love, except for the fact that, in my mental model of the world, I’m not trying to ‘*escape the bog’ - but simply give myself the courage to accept that we are bog-dwellers, and hence choose to navigate it rather than letting it drag me into the swamp of sadness (“Come-on ARTAX! What’s wrong.”- Atreyu 😰…) I’m not crying. YOU”RE CRYING.
*(With apologies to Adam if that was his intent and I’ve miss-read. - What is most useful about the post is the various diagnoses he provides and the steps he suggests one take in ‘self-help’ - which from a change management perspective is equivalent to ‘personal innovation’ - with the approximate success of new year’s resolutions equalling that of organizational change)

I think the world NEEDS bogs. Just like the world needs anchors. We should go about terraforming projects for our own convenience, the reasons for the bog are likely plentiful and poorly understood. As Schmachtenberger puts it with Bateson in ‘learning how to be in the world’ - there IS a logic to conservativism, and we may want to pay respects.

One of the deepest cultural dialectics is the tension between tradition and progress. This reflects the broader political landscape where continuity of traditions is often associated with the political right, and progress and novelty with the political left. Ideally, these two forces should operate in a mutually respectful dialectic, recognizing that both hold a part of the truth.

From the conservative perspective, there is often an unconscious respect for evolutionary processes. The systems that have lasted over time—surviving wars, famines, and revolutions—likely contain embedded wisdom that isn’t always apparent. This view aligns with the concept of Chesterton's Fence, which suggests that before dismantling a tradition (the "fence"), one should thoroughly understand all the reasons it was established. Otherwise, removing it might inadvertently unravel something crucial that wasn’t initially understood.

On the other hand, the progressive perspective emphasizes that while traditions may have worked in the past, they aren't always suitable for the future. Novelty and innovation are essential because the evolving world demands new solutions. However, this doesn't mean a quick rejection of tradition. Instead, the challenge is to deeply understand the wisdom embedded in traditional systems, respect their value, and then thoughtfully innovate where those systems are no longer fit for purpose.

This balance between continuity and discontinuity—the interplay of tradition and progress—is essential for cultural and societal evolution. Both sides need to work together to preserve what has proven resilient while simultaneously embracing new ideas that align with the parts of tradition still relevant today.

The anchors, it turns out, are very very helpful in the storm.

Back to Ackoff really quick since he vibes with Schmachtenberger…

The Principal Benefit: Improving the Whole System

The incredible benefit of this plan is the immediate improvement in performance that comes from focusing on enhancing the entire system, rather than just your part of it. This approach leads to numerous positive outcomes. One of the most significant is how it generates consensus within an organization.

Why does this happen? As you move further from immediate actions toward ideals—progressing through short-term, medium-term, and long-range objectives—the more agreement you will find among people. Most human disagreements occur at the level of immediate actions, rather than at the level of ideals. Although many people might not believe this, it holds true.

A misunderstanding in the English language often causes confusion. The worst conflicts we are aware of are ideological, yet ideologies concern only the means, not the ideals or ends. To understand this, consider the constitutions of the United States and the Soviet Union. Despite their political differences, their constitutions are strikingly similar in their expression of ideals and ultimate objectives.

The real difference between the United States and the Soviet Union lies in the means they use to achieve their goals, not in their ultimate values. Most disagreements center on the methods, not the ends. Recognizing this fact allows us to negotiate lesser differences, as we come to appreciate that we share the same fundamental values. This shared understanding fosters consensus, which, in turn, creates commitment within the organization.

”If you like it then you should have put a ring on it.”

What the iconic philosopher B. Knowles can teach us is that at some point we have to get out of ‘infinite scroll’ and ‘FOMO’ - and truly commit to something. This is an identity crisis for an extrinsically motivated society who is looking for ‘market validation’ (See also Gretchen Rubin and “The Four Tendencies”). But is perhaps perfectly evidenced in an exchange I had while teaching a class “Managing Quality and Innovation” where a student, when presented with a client and told not so ‘solve their problem’ -but to negotiate for a project that would serve their and the students interests, I was met with the very earnest question, “But Dr. Eagle, what are my interests?”

What and why is it so paradoxical to ‘get clarity’ early in a project, what *is* the challenge, and how can your strategy and tactic emerge? Start with yourself. What can you commit to for a short period of time. Elsewhere, I’ve called this commitment a ‘stop start’ -https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tactics-creating-peer-mentoring-network-w-ethan-eagle/ because to start something NEW you have to free up that capacity by stopping SOMETHING (no such thing as a free lunch.). Refuse the command to ‘make it work’ - create the conflict in yourself. If you are going to start flossing, you are going to STOP XX?)

What I want to capture in this last action (hero?) step - is the need to live the paradox of commitment, while keeping your options open. Jeff provides tools in his book “CREATIVIZE” for gaining clarity, this is an exerpt, but what I think answering these questions can do for you is create your own intrinsic guard rails for what you are doing and why you are willing to engage in ‘productive struggle.’ As Pete Davis calls them, I hope that your goal with innovation is not a short term fix, but to become a ‘long-haul hero’ - What is worth dedicating yourself to for the long term? And what are you willing to sacrifice in the short term (yourself, and organizationally) in order to demonstrate the commitment. As Bob Quinn puts it in his book lift, “How would I operate if I lived myself, the standards I hold for others.”

This practice of prismatic thinking can be as clarifying for your personal life (should I take this new job, commit long term to my partner) as it is for your professional one.

Get something from this? Still confused? Drop a comment or question and I promise to disappoint you with my answers that are questions!

Watch the whole word salad for yourself here: Dan and I … (especially I) had too much fun… With shout outs to , , and others in this too long 1hr 20 min excursion into some myths used to gate keep innovation.

https://share.descript.com/view/xyiNmAyGMG3 (maybe there’s a better way to embed this video…) (If so, leave me a comment below.)

## The Collaborator's Journey Starts Here
"So this is round two of a somewhat freewheeling fireside chat that Dan and I had with a host from Tesseract," begins Ethan. The setting is casual, but the discussion is rich, centered around breaking down innovation myths and fostering a culture of creativity within the military. One of the key themes discussed is the concept of collaboration. Innovation is often seen as a lone genius’s eureka moment, but Ethan and Dan emphasize that true innovation is a team sport. “None of us is as smart as all of us,” notes Dan. This collaborative spirit is at the heart of any successful innovation process, which is iterative and inclusive.

The Myth of the Eureka Moment
The chat debunks the myth that innovation is about sudden, flawless breakthroughs. Instead, it's about iterative progress—the kind that evolves through trial and error. Dan introduces the theatre metaphor to highlight this: “We need the café stage where ideas form, the writer’s room for teamwork, the table read for initial feedback, the dress rehearsal, and finally, the opening night.” Innovation isn’t about finding that one perfect moment; it's about a series of steps that build on each other. It's about patience, playfulness, and, yes, even a bit of chaos.

Rapid Iterative Collaborative Experimentation (RICE)
Dan shares a valuable acronym: RICE, standing for Rapid, Iterative, Collaborative, and Experimentation.
**Rapid:** Move quickly to test ideas.
**Iterative:** Change and evolve based on feedback.
**Collaborative:** Involve a diverse group to co-create.
**Experimentation:** Test real things with real users.
Dan's example from his experiences at MITRE highlights the importance of refining tools and processes through this model. By starting small and scaling up based on feedback, innovation isn't just a grandiose concept but a practical, repeatable process.

The Case for Diversity and Inclusion
It's impossible to talk about modern innovation without addressing diversity and inclusion. Caitlin's input validates the importance of considering a wide range of perspectives to truly understand and solve problems. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work in an environment where issues are multifaceted and people’s needs are varied. Empathy is key. Knowing your customer means understanding their specific needs and challenges. Innovation should be inclusive by design, inviting contributions from all stakeholders to create solutions that genuinely help people.

Myth-Busting: Go Big or Go Home
The idea that innovation should always be about massive, world-changing projects is both appealing and dangerous. Often, smaller, incremental changes lead to significant breakthroughs. Dan discusses the NASA Pathfinder mission compared to the Viking mission, showing how a series of smaller, iterative steps can lead to sustained innovation and lasting impact.

Closing Thoughts: Leave Room for Others to Follow
In reiterating the mission of innovation, both Ethan and Dan emphasize leaving room for others to follow. Innovation should not be a one-time, world-changing event but a continuous process that allows for growth, learning, and inclusivity. The conversation leaves us with a powerful conclusion: The true path of innovation lies in iterative progress, genuine collaboration, and an unrelenting focus on creating real value. So, whether you’re an engineer, a policy-maker, or an everyday problem-solver, keep these principles in mind. Start small, iterate, collaborate, and most importantly, innovate with empathy. This is how we’ll turn myths into milestones and ideas into impactful realities.

--- Stay curious. Stay collaborative. And remember, innovation is a journey we take together.

Thanks for reading/watching/listening! Is there another topic or subject you want to hear about/from/on? Who else should I invite to chat? drop me an e-mail or dm - ethan@innovatrium.org

(Click play (above) first to listen to this reading, inspired by “Letters out Loud” -

Apologies if I mispronounce Khartoum and Mahdi It would be 20+ years from the date of this essay to my own birth… and some news, names and histories did not make it to my formal schooling. Also… this is an experiment so the plosives right at the beginning are evidence of my novice status in terms of equipment…)

Hello blog readers! (the accompanying audio is my ‘one-take’ reading of the piece which is a good place to start before diving into the rest below!) It’s been a minute since my last writing here. Doing something a bit different. Sharing something from my personal library of ‘treasured readings.’ I return to this piece often, putting it in conversation with another set of thoughts, those of the existentialists, and about where our identify comes from. “All of this things can give your life meaning, and at the same time, none of them can.”

Now that we are engrossed in an era of social media, where it isn’t ourselves, but merely these digital projections that hold court in public opinion, I find that my own compass towards ‘self-respect’ diminishes my interest in ‘going viral.’ Very much in line with my friend ’s reflections in a recent (and ironic?) LinkedIn post.

Much better to be well known, and well liked by a small number of people, than to contort or conform to those most ‘public’ needs and desires of an audience for outrage and sensationalism. (though I confess a comfort at the return of Jon Stewart to the Daily Show, many other modern commentators - Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro on the right, Joe Rogan in the… middle?, Bill Maher on the right… There are many people who come to mind at the ‘people who could not possibly respect themselves, sleep easily enough.”)


Though you can probably tell from my emphasis if you listen along, here are my favorite lines:

"Innocence ends when one is stripped of the delusion that one likes oneself.”
to me this is evocative of regret mixed with imposter syndrome, and other comparators - perhaps worsening in the era of social media. Good counter measure is to read Brene Brown “The gifts of imperfection.”

“Crossing a border with borrowed credentials… Self Deception remains the most difficult deception”
A modern day understanding of this concept is ‘imposter syndrome’ I believe. Both among those who have the privilege of unearned confidence, and among those who deceive themselves into thinking that they couldn’t possibly matter if they spoke up - thus sealing themselves into a prison of a victim-mindset.

”Again, it is a question of recognizing that anything worth having has its price. People who respect themselves are willing to accept the risk…”
What risks do I take? What would I do if I used 2% more courage?

“call forth deeper, stronger disciplines, values instilled long before. It is a kind of ritual, helping us to remember who and what we are. In order to remember it, one must have known it.”

this line obviously inspired some of my thinking on the concept of love - that to give it, one has to first KNOW it of and for themselves. Though Didion’s 1961 essay pre-dates some ‘flower children’ and ‘free love’ that would be to come, I think our 2020 version of ‘self-love’ is closer and yet perhaps distinct from this self-respect. I suspect they are closely intertwined.

”If we do not respect ourselves, … we are peculiarly in thrall to everyone we see, curiously determined to live out—since our self-image is untenable—their false notions of us. We flatter ourselves by thinking this compulsion to please others an attractive trait: a gift for imaginative empathy, evidence of our willingness to give.”

This one hits hardest for me, as I was quite a chameleon and always playing ‘parts’ to make things work. It did and does strike me as out-of-character to uphold boundaries and create conflict - something that a person with self-respect would NOT struggle with.

“One runs away to find oneself, and finds no one at home.”
please if you’re not familiar, also check out Walcott’s poem, love after love.

Thanks for reading - and thanks Joan for your wisdom!

-Ethan

P.S. Check out some of these bad-ass portaits of her and her family…

If you want more Didion (which I would recommend!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Didion:_The_Center_Will_Not_Hold

P.P.S
In an interesting serendipity, her documentary title is also a reference to one of my favorite lines of poetry, (also captured by the title of one her books of personal essays “slouching towards bethlehem” - which I will end with here:

The Second Coming

BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

Turning and turning in the widening gyre   

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere   

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst   

Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.   

The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out   

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert   

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,   

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,   

Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it   

Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.   

The darkness drops again; but now I know   

That twenty centuries of stony sleep

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,   

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,   

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/the-second-coming

The ‘standardized assessment’ feature of this traditional approach, along with its low-risk of failure, step by step process steps, means that engineering in the traditional classroom is held back only by the resources made available, the number and quality of ‘lego bricks’ that are available for building.  Or in the case of non-Lego brand engineering, the consumables and tools available to team or individuals for construction. 

The learning outcomes from traditional engineering and physics activities are structured around producing students who are competitive - as the class results are outcome oriented and usually focus on individual device performance against a set of measurement criteria that are pre-defined. This embedded ‘sorting function’ of a competitive environment for knowledge, skills and abilities relevant to the task may exacerbate imposter syndrome and/or stereotype threats if or when a device failure is publicly demonstrated and poor progress admonished by teachers. 

If we look at the Engineering Design Process used by many PLTW teachers, 

Engineering Design Process, from Science buddies, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps 

The ‘messy’ classroom parts are steps 1, 2, and 3 - Define the Problem, Do Background Research, Specify Requirements.  (this maps to e.g. the Stanford d.School approach of “Empathize” and “Define”) and when presented with some materials and a goal (build the tallest spaghetti tower) - clearly individuals and teams are not given sufficient time to plan, think, and explore their understanding of the basic physics of the materials they have been given.  There is also usually little time to make design changes, though iteration is usually apparent.

Teachers who run these activities in their classes often remark that initial divergence in design approach converges quickly as students ‘look around the room’ and continue to seek input about success and failure from other teams.  When one team hits on a successful approach, there tends to be rapid convergence of the classroom to ‘copy’ what seems to be working.  This confirms a suspicion that students are not using the design task to explore their design ideas, but instead competing with each other to ‘be the best’ - the possibility of a diversity of successful approaches does not seem to be an open pathway - and instead when another team is more successful, a team will abandon their approach to do things ‘the right way’ (copying the way the team who was more successful approached the problem rather than diagnosing why their original design had an issue.)

This of course stems from most ‘answers’ in a class being singular. (history, math, science… in nearly all of these places students are not praised for creative or diversity in their approach, but rather their convergence to ‘the right way to do it.’ - this mentality persists into design challenges where there are ‘many ways to skin a cat.’

What differentiates invention education experiences from design, engineering, or entrepreneurship?

Taking the example of the spaghetti tower, a design focus might have students consider form, aestetic, and user preferences - adding rubric elements, not just about the maximum height, but also robustness, might introduce constraints on the construction materials.

For Engineering Education, there may also be some ‘teamwork’ design elements, where the people on the team are constrained into either ‘talkers’ or ‘builders’ - or who are role designated into the types of materials they can interact with.  There may be many different subsets of materials, all which have individual strengths and weaknesses.  In addition to spaghetti, there is often masking tape, string.  Teams who can devise ways to composite materials together may succeed.  However, traditional evidence for this activity is simply that rapid testing and iteration is the key to success.  And it has been shown that kindergardeners are on average more successful than business school graduates at this activity.  The purported reason for their success is an adaption of the ‘plan, build, Final test’ linear progression to one of ‘build prototype, test prototype, iterate and refine.’  Compared to a traditional ‘step by step’

Entrepreneurship education can modify the spaghetti tower activity to include costs of ‘raw materials’ and a design ‘expo’ where teams may have to ‘sell’ their product to the audience.  Incorporating elements of business savvy - profit (or loss) and an economic’ reward for various performance metrics on the tower introduces a more visceral ‘rubric’ for teams, and the value of ‘investing to make more’ can be evident as team who spend more ‘money’ on raw materials, may be able to gain more value back.  Modifications of the activity to introduce taxes on ‘wasted’ materials, or the ability to ‘recycle’ unused materials for a percentage of what was taken can help students reflect on real dynamics in the marketplace.  However to be effective, such activities must be repeated often so that trends over time have an opportunity to sink in.

Invention education practitioners like us are aware of this spaghetti design activity, and the underlying ‘natural ways’ that we can see humans collaborate and explore design problems given specifications.  But the marshmallow challenge does not hit many of the most important parts of the inventive process.  While it does ‘end’ with a novel product, ‘an invention’ of the teams making.  Invention education shares some of these pedagogical elements with entrepreneurship education that extend traditional engineering design. 

https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-edited-volume/4198/Does-America-Need-More-Innovators

The tale of the "LUMA Institute" - and a parable for the IEA and how Mercury could improve conditions for USAF / DOD.

Obstacles:
Lack of Literacy *(fluency) with methods (of innovation)
Refuge in the 'heros journey' of the need for independence (not coordination)
Lack of awareness about environmental factors (Solution focus over 'problem' focus)

Instead:
Hone individual skills (gain fluency) - inspire and cultivate cross- and interdisciplinary teaming - provide a creative environment to promote growth AND maturity.

We face an era of 'unbounded' complexity.  This is the wisdom in Jeff's *what if your innovation is what to stop doing / focusing on!* - it is a way to achieve simplicity!

Consider this eye-popping trend, (that can shift your perspective!) - From 2007 to now, we have produced more transistors annually, at lower cost - than grains of rice!

A literacy for innovation

Poor communication among team members trained in disparate areas, "If it's not my way, it must be the wrong way." (There's a 🔴 way and a wrong way)
Team members need to be on the same page. Yet we often speak different languages, different 'jargons' and we are all most comfortable with 'our tools' - and reluctant to come out of our comfort zones.

Looking: Systemic analysis, including looking for unmet and unvoiced needs.
Understanding how to analyse and synthesize based on systems models
Making- to envision future possibility
Advancing - moving an invention from idea/sketch to prototype solution.

Looking and Understanding = Watching the weather, Set a High Quality Target, Enlisting Deep and Diverse Domain Experts
= Assemble a diversity of perspectives, Engage in the Conflict.

Making + Advancing = Take 100 shots on goal, Learn from Experience and Experiments, How to Win a Bar Fight

Iterative loops through this process is critical to finding the 'right' idea, not just the first idea.

A core idea here is that the nature of each tools 'UI/UX' should COMPEL members to contribute.

[What's a CASE STUDY of SUCCESS?]

Team structure

Moving from section 2.5 to 2.6 it works to apply 'classic' problem solving frames... This will involve a team of experts in the domain, and a proven project management process.  But how to exploit the 'edges' of the bell curve?  "Science is the principle of belief that experts are often wrong."

People often THINK they are talking about the same thing, when they are not.  We have to resolve this 'Shrodinger's idea' paradox by using the 'show me' principle.  DO ONE.  We need to radically shorten the development cycle.  we look for strategies to 'tame' the complexity. But to do this, we can't just rely on OURSELVES, we need to find the people who are at the edges of our discipline and invite them to share with us what it is they are seeing.  Don't mistake your managers for innovators!

The Life Cycle of the Team

At their birth, these teams need some top-down direction. Coaches who can point them in the right direction, to the tools and literacy they individually will need.  At some point, when trust has developed, they need to test the boundaries.  As they evolve, they will test boundaries and rebel, becoming competitive with each other and the other teams.  Finally, wisdom and maturity settle in and true collaboration becomes a potential.

To succeed, we need to unlock a few key features:
1. Accelerated Trust - (don't trust your instincts, but trust another who sees the world differently)
- Increase the number of 'decision cycles' early on so you can see how others react in a given situation.
2. Idea Flow - Everyone talks in roughly equal measure.  Members meet face to face and are energetic.  Connections are between and among, not just with a 'team leader'
3. Members 'break' to go exploring outside the team to bring novel information back.
In particular, use imagery to promote 'sketching ideas' - sketches should be fast, cheap, disposable, and invite 'what if' riffs and variations.

The double helix (a hybrid idea)

Innovation has its highest potential at the intersection of two to four moving trends.  In the LUMA model, it can be at the intersection of a new business model and a new technology. These 'cross-over' events help teams to inform each other and lead to ideas tested in accelerated time frames.

What kinds of deadlines does the team think it needs internally - what kinds of 'radical' ideas are they pushing themselves to share in the environment (e.g. from the Jumpstart which was iteration 1.0 - did anyone use that output to probe the environment, or are we too scared?)

“The important thing is to put the experiment out, test it in the wild, but also [test it] with other thinkers that could help us explore and bring it back into the organization.”
*But learn early, learn often, and learn off broadway!

The value of creative environment.

if you can't change the individual, change the environment! behave more like an ant and less like a 'human' - if you build and navigate primarily from environmental stimuli, rather than 'control' (i.e. size and strength) - you can accomplish an immense amount by 'going with the flow'

“where it is, is WHAT it is." - always always always present context to surround ‘the thing’ you want to do. It is the context and environment that includes ‘should we’ and not just ‘can we’ information. See e.g. John Cutler Can/Should

Where does the most important information go?  How do you create a process to 'filter up'. There are many discussion tools for this, but make sure to filter not just for preference, but for 'vanillia ice-cream'

How to create your 'miro' KIVA (where each team member keeps their scraps!)
*Where an Idea should go should help identify WHAT it is.

A Kiva can be helpful during the initial phase, but other structures are needed at other phases of the project. Ask the team to consider the space, and how it needs to evolve over time!  What new things need to be added, and what old clutter can be 'archived'?

Some of the best design is not about what you can add to the idea, but what you can remove from the idea and retain it’s worthiness. Spend time killing your darlings, cutting as much as you are adding, and then cutting 10x more.

Blue to Yellow: How to start a movement: Derek Sivers

Red to Green: Encountering resistance: (A framework for change, RSA)

Blue to Yellow: What really motivates people to change? - Dan Pink, Drive

You’re looking for how and where to move the hearts and minds of people through some experiences you can show them. Some of your attempts will fail.  If your hunch about the problems are good, and if your opportunity space is real, some of them will work.  Even If you get 100 failures, we’ve learned. This 30 days is about accelerating the learning cycle. Don’t do stuff you know.  Do the stuff where people have to change and where you have the potential to learn.

Alberto Savoia's concept of 'Pretotyping' and his laws for entrepreneurial success are good to keep in mind.  We will refine our abilities later in the course and get serious about experimentation, but right now, the 'hypothesis funciton' is not quite right.  We're still trying to isolate the assumption! https://www.pretotyping.org/methodology.html - so in this case the form of prototype is really just to help refine what ASSUMPTIONS did your team accidentally make all week because you all share one (miliitary view) of the problem!?


Pep talk for my non-Yellows:
Once (or maybe even before!) you're convinced that change is needed, you'll want something to have with you to encourage people to discuss potential changes with you.  However, you probably don't want to waste a lot of people's time.  This is where you can steal an idea from Christina Wallace's 'zero date.' As Jeff says about gaining buy-in.  No "menage-a-sponsor" - that is, you will ultimately want it to be clear that your work is supported and propelling one clear set of interests.  However, if like a desperate teen, your team conforms to the whim of someone else and abandons your identity and preferences to be whatever your preferred sponsor wants, it becomes clear that you're not adding a lot to the relationship!  So a big part of 'identifying the problem' is establishing the team's identity (hence the team charter and slogan!) -  As you round into the final 1/3 of the course, you may decide to abandon the fun/frivolous team identity for one that is tied to your project (potential read ahead: Every Project Needs A Brand)

Now, this TED talk might be something you probably want to watch *with* your significant other so that they know this is a school assignment! But it's not the literal advice about online dating that is at stake.  It's about how to leverage the digital world to make meaningful connections MORE QUICKLY.  Ask an MBA (blue) about how to date and what do you get?

The Zero Date

Now, what I want you to consider is that your ability to learn quickly WILL have to do with the kind of chemistry you can create.  And while the social media sphere, Twitter, LinkedIn etc - rapidly broaden your pool of potential people to learn from, you need a strategy for making contact!  To be fair, most of the ones I've seen are pretty atrocious.  But what's also clear to me, is that if you want to learn about how to do important work, it can be very helpful (if a little audacious) to ask for help from the people you are trying to emulate.  *Here's a true story. In 2019 after I came across this Ted talk, I did message with Christina Wallace a few times over e-mail because I thought this strategy was brilliant.  I was using online dating at the time and I wanted to say thanks for sharing!  We discussed her book New to Big.  It didn't go much further than that - but it was nice to even get a response! As I had to look this up again to write this, I was pleased to see she also has a new book coming out in 2023 "The Portfolio Life"!

Riff on the zero date for refining your HQT this week and let us know how it goes! Bonus, you'll be warming up potential sponsors!

Here are a few of my favorite and inspiring people under 40.
(of course there are other more official lists of 40 under 40... so YMMV)

Sarah Wolek - UMD Intentional Life Lab, UMD faculty, Formerly of OMB.
Darshan Karwat - ASU re:Engineered, National Academies "Young Voices"
Daniel Hulter - USAF CyberWorks, founder Agitare
Jackelyn O'Connor - Penn State, Fellow of ASME at age 38!!

(Who are the other young voices shaping the future??) - how does your team get these people and those like them into your discussions??

Welcome, Innovators! Today, we're diving deep into the art of setting transformative targets for innovation. Inspired by Matt Ridley's enlightening read, "How Innovation Works" we explore the essence of innovation—not as a solitary breakthrough but as a collective emergence from numerous efforts and ideas. Ridley’s depiction of innovation as an arch built of many stones rather than a sudden invention challenges the myth of Edison as the sole inventor of the lightbulb. Instead, it highlights Edison's dedication to turning a bright idea into a viable, widespread technology.

Innovation Unveiled: Incremental Steps from Invention to Global Change

Ridley's narratives, from the lightbulb to the turbine-powered ship 'Turbinia,' showcase the power of visibility and the 'show don't tell' strategy in proving an innovation's worth. The journey from the drawing board to changing the world involves recognizing those incremental steps that transform an invention into innovation. Ridley's perspective encourages us to embrace a mindset of exploration and experimentation, where the path to solving grand challenges is not always clear but certainly achievable with persistence and creativity.

From Marshmallows to Moonshots: Building a Culture of Experimentation and The Role of Freedom

Learning from Tom Wujec's "marshmallow challenge" and Astro Teller's insights from Google's 'Moonshot Factory,' we see the importance of addressing the most challenging aspects of a problem first. This approach underlines the necessity of an experimentation-friendly environment where failing is just another step towards success. It’s about fostering a culture where innovative minds are free to test, learn, and iterate.

Matt Ridley's critique of nuclear energy's stagnation due to the "failure of the freedom to fail" serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of trial and error—or, as we prefer, experimentation. As innovators, our goal is to create environments where experimentation is not just tolerated but encouraged, enabling us to explore a myriad of solutions to complex problems.

Blending Freedom to Operate with Capturing Valuable Opportunity

What is missed by Ridley is the overlap between freedom and opportunity and the ability to experiment in ‘lucky areas’ by careful observation. To do this, we need to employ the thinking tool, circle of concern, circle of influence, circle of control.

We have freedom in our circle of control, limited freedom in our circle of influence, and a lack complete lack of freedom in the circle of concern. If you missed my chat with Dan Ward at the LNO fireside chat, you can jump to 10:42 to about 13:00

Navigating Innovation: Setting High-Quality Targets for Breakthrough Success

Setting High-Quality Targets (HQTs) involves scanning the horizon and identifying opportunities and challenges within our sphere of influence. Tools like the Competing Values Framework and PEST analysis can guide us in thinking around the problem, turning potential barriers into opportunities for innovation. Crafting a clear, compelling target is the first step toward actionable innovation. As we refine our targets and develop elevator pitches that answer the essential questions of feasibility, worthiness, and realism, remember: innovation is not just about solving problems but about solving the right problems in ways that were previously unimaginable.

Step 1: Watching the Weather

• Objective: Identify as many factors within the circle of concern as possible that could impact the success of the project. Utilize tools like the Competing Values Framework, PEST analysis, and Porter's Five Forces model.

• Time Allocation: 25 min total, 5 min setup, 20 min to ideate with a fixed # min per area (if 4 total areas) (chose only one framework above!) - Avoid complicated or overly involved ‘setup’ for how to succeed. Tell participants it is ok to be ‘confused’ or unsure if they are ‘doing it right’ - the goal is big, broad thinking, not to ‘out do’ anyone. Novelty is prized here, so look in corners and at things other people often skip over!

• Group Work: Divide the team into pairs. a minimal amount of delibration should take place as individuals ideate, with pairs being set to challenge each other and adhere to the rules but also to see what at least one other person is doing and encourage motivation. Goal: as a pair arrive at a many factors as possible, one idea per sticky note. Both groups should list potential impacts without judgment. With two coaches, one can monitor the whole group while the second pairs up with any one who is visibly struggling with the task to ‘see one’ in the presence of the coach.

Step 2: Clustering for Themes and Opportunities

• Objective: Cluster the identified factors into themes and reimagine barriers as opportunities or potential trends that might reverse.

• Time Allocation: 10 min

• Group Work: Reconvene as a full team to share findings and cluster similar factors into themes collaboratively. Use ‘Impact and Probability’ to discuss each factor. Strive to find 3 factors as a team that seem probable and of probable impact.

• Individual Work: Each team member reflects on the themes, considering how they personally perceive these opportunities and barriers. Individuals should choose one factor that the group doesn’t agree on as something for ‘them’ that they see as important for ‘robustness’ (i.e. unlikely but high impact in their perception)

Step 3: Crafting Your Target

• Objective: Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) targets individually.

• Time Allocation: 20 minutes for crafting, 20 minutes for sharing.

• Individual Work: Each team member independently crafts a SMART target, considering their role and the team's overall objectives. One should be from the trends the group selected, but refined to a ‘how to’ (overly specific). The second HQT should address the need for ‘robustness’ and address the trend/weather selected by the individual.

• Group Work: Pair up and share, choose the idea the pair likes the most, return to the full group for deliberation.

Step 4: Prioritizing

• Objective: Evaluate and prioritize the targets generated by each team member using a PICK chart.

• Time Allocation: 15 min

• Group Work: The team, along with coaches, reviews all proposed targets, evaluates them based on the PICK chart criteria, and collectively decides on the prioritization.

• Individual Reflection: No individual work here, as prioritization is a collective decision-making process.

Step 5: Refining (not usually a ‘during’ jumpstart task!)

• Objective: Refine the selected high-quality target(s) into a compelling 90-second elevator pitch that answers "Is it real?", "Can we win?", and "Is it worth doing?".

• Time Allocation: 2 hours (30 min for drafting pitch, 1 hour for sharing with 5 to 6 folks in 10 min contacts, 30 min for refining based on feedback)

• Group Work: In smaller groups, team members help each other refine their pitches during 30 min drafting, ensuring clarity, impact, and adherence to the three critical questions.

• Individual Work: Each team member drafts their own elevator pitch, then practices and refines it based on external to the group feedback.

• Group Work: any unexpected inputs to elevator pitches? Any new information that shifts the previous weather watching? What novelty emerged and ‘so what?’ - the group needs a place for these insights to be written down and viewed publicly.

Final Presentation

• Objective: Each team member presents their refined elevator pitch to the entire team and coaches.

• Time Allocation: 1 hour (allowing roughly 7-8 minutes per pitch, including feedback)

• Group Activity: This is a group activity where feedback is encouraged to ensure each pitch is compelling and meets the criteria.

Follow-Up

• Plan for Implementation: Based on the selected priorities and refined pitches, the team develops a plan for implementing the high-quality target(s). This would involve assigning roles, setting timelines, and determining resources required.

• Time Allocation: 2 hours for planning

• Group Work: The whole team collaborates on creating a detailed implementation plan, with coaches providing guidance on strategy, resource allocation, and risk management.

A Personal Anecdote:
I really did use this tool to ask how I might better manage my energy, and ran experiments in my personal life to see what levers I had that would best boost it.  It turns out that getting enough sleep (rather than diet or exercise was my critical factor) - the unexpected result of experimenation was that in order to achieve my energy goals, the most effective (and definitely counter-intuitive) strategy was "Stop using an alarm clock."  However the immediate results on my energy levels were apparent and long lasting.  Since 2013 I have used alarm clocks as a last resort (yes, even when traveling and hosting workshops with 0800 start times!). In order to achieve the 'no alarm clock' goal, I had to exercise, eat right and go to bed (no screens before bed etc.) so that I could reliably FALL ASLEEP.  What I was missing out on was the impact of all of these behaviours on my ability to feel tired, once I realized this and did the work, my energy levels stopped being a problem entirely, and I had solved the root cause, and not attacked a symptom.  Again, these were within my circle of control, and some innovations are only in your circle of influence... at the time I developed these behaviors I was also single, and there was some non-zero pressure from among my family who was keen to see me find a partner and 'settle down' perhaps, that my lack of TV, somewhat aesthetic stylings were repellant to the 'typical' partner.  None the less, I persisted in my habits and thankfully found a partner who was mutually interested in a lack of screens and a commitment to personal energy management!

Lets see how to recap this story using our steps,

Step 1: Watching the Weather

• Objective: Identified the need to manage personal energy better and considered various factors like diet, exercise, and sleep that could impact energy levels.

• Reflection: Initially, focused on broad elements that could influence energy without pre-judging their effectiveness, similar to identifying factors within the circle of concern.

Step 2: Clustering for Themes and Opportunities

• Realization: Through experimentation, discovered that sleep was the critical factor, rather than diet or exercise. This insight was grouped under a theme of effective and counter-intuitive strategies for energy management.

• Opportunity: Identified the unconventional approach of eliminating the use of an alarm clock to improve sleep quality and, consequently, energy levels.

Step 3: Crafting Your Target

• SMART Goal: To achieve better energy management by ensuring sufficient sleep without the use of an alarm clock.

• Strategy: Implemented lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, and avoiding screens before bed to facilitate natural sleep patterns and ensure timely rest.

Step 4: Prioritizing

• Focus: Prioritized the goal of improving sleep quality over other factors like diet and exercise, recognizing it as the lever with the most significant impact on energy levels.

• Implementation: Adopted a holistic approach to lifestyle changes necessary to support the primary goal of enhancing sleep quality.

Step 5: Refining

• Outcome: The strategy led to apparent and lasting improvements in energy levels, confirming the effectiveness of the chosen approach.

• Adaptation: Despite potential social pressures and the unconventional nature of the strategy, remained committed to the lifestyle changes necessary to achieve the goal.

• Partnership: Eventually found a partner who shared similar values regarding screen usage and personal energy management, highlighting the importance of aligning personal goals with one's lifestyle and relationships.

Your Call to Action

Step into the arena of innovation with the courage to experiment, the wisdom to prioritize, and the vision to see beyond the immediate horizon. Whether you're innovating in technology, business, education, or any other field, remember that the journey of innovation is a shared one. It calls for collaboration, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to finding better ways to solve the challenges of today and tomorrow.

As you move forward, consider how you can apply these principles in your own context. How can you contribute to a culture of innovation, whether in your organization, community, or personal life? Let the stories of past innovators inspire you, but also recognize that the future of innovation is in your hands. It's time to build, experiment, and refine your way to breakthrough success.

Innovation awaits. Are you ready to take the first step?

Introduction (0:00 - 2:49)

Welcome: The session opens with a warm welcome to attendees, introducing AFA's CyberPatriot National Commissioner, Brigadier General Bernie Scotch, and special guests Mr. Jeff Bezos and General Larry Spencer.

Experiment (2:50 - 4:30)

Summary: Bezos discusses the necessity of experimentation for innovation, emphasizing that real experiments often come with the risk of failure.
Quote: "To be innovative you have to experiment. If you want to have more invention, you need to do more experiments per week, per month, per year..."

Operational Excellence (4:31 - 5:22)

Summary: Bezos differentiates between experimentation and operational excellence, noting that the latter is about reliably performing known tasks well.
Quote: "Operational excellence is one of our four key principles at Amazon... that is not an experiment."

Thought Experiment (5:23 - 6:12)

Summary: Bezos presents a thought experiment illustrating the importance of creating organizational structures that allow multiple paths to approval.
Quote: "Here's a little thought experiment for you...if you are a junior executive at Amazon..."

Mavericks (6:13 - 8:49)

Summary: He highlights the importance of Mavericks in driving innovation and how they can be both a boon and a challenge within organizations.
Quote: "You want them in your organization and maybe Mavericks are their spice."

Expert Beginner Mind (8:50 - 11:10)

Summary: Bezos talks about the need for both deep expertise and a beginner's mindset to see things afresh and innovate effectively.
Quote: "The great paradoxes of inventing at a high level is that you need to be an expert in your domain area and you need to have a beginner's mind."

Biggest Challenges Risk (11:11 - 14:19)

Summary: Bezos identifies the major challenges and risks in operating in the space domain, emphasizing the need for readiness and adaptability.
Quote: "You never want a fair fight. That's for a boxing ring. Outside of a boxing ring, a fair fight is just bad strategy."

Blue Origin Mission (14:20 - 14:24)

Summary: He shares Blue Origin's mission to make access to space more frequent, ready, and cost-effective, signifying a shift towards reusable space technology.
Quote: "One of Blue Origin's missions is to make access to space more frequent, ready to go on a moment's notice, lower cost..."

Writing Requirements (14:25 - 15:36)

Summary: Bezos discusses the importance of tailoring requirements to use commercial solutions effectively, avoiding costly custom-built systems.
Quote: "You end up getting a custom-built system which meets the requirements when a commercial system would have met those requirements..."

Scale (15:37 - 19:43)

Summary: He addresses the balance between maintaining the scale of an organization like the Air Force and ensuring nimbleness and agility.
Quote: "The question becomes how do I keep the advantages of scale but still have the advantages of a nimble startup."

Quality (19:44 - 20:39)

Summary: Bezos asserts that in large organizations, decision-making often slows down, but the decisions are usually of high quality.
Quote: "In a big company or a big organization like the air force, that decision-making has a tendency to speed the decision make you get high-quality decisions."

Decision Making (20:40 - 23:07)

Summary: He delves into the types of decisions in an organization, emphasizing the need for faster decision-making on reversible, low-impact choices.
Quote: "There are decisions that are we call them two-way doors...and there's a type 1 decision where it's really hard to reverse."

Innovation and Risk (23:08 - 26:00)

Summary: Bezos speaks about the balance between innovation and risk, stating that successful innovations can pay for multiple failures.
Quote: "The winners...pay for thousands of losers."

Long Tailed Distribution (26:01 - 26:14)

Summary: He describes the long-tailed distribution of outcomes in innovation, where occasionally, ventures can provide disproportionately large rewards.
Quote: "Every once in a while in business, you step up to the plate, you swing as hard as you can, and you get a thousand runs."

Diversity in Innovation (26:15 - 27:12)

Summary: Bezos argues that diverse teams bring a variety of perspectives to problem-solving, leading to more robust and creative solutions.
Quote: "When you do that team invention, you want people in the room thinking very differently."

Team Invention (27:13 - 28:03)

Summary: He describes innovation as a team effort, where multiple viewpoints and backgrounds contribute to the creation of successful new products.
Quote: "It wasn't there was no single person who invented it. It was team invention."

Recruiting and Mentoring (28:04 - 29:09)

Summary: Bezos discusses his approach to recruiting and mentoring, focusing on identifying individuals who align with the company's innovative culture.
Quote: "I teach a senior leaders class at Amazon which I enjoy... it's part of their job to make sure that they don't get burned out."

Stress Management (29:10 - 30:06)

Summary: He shares personal strategies for managing stress and maintaining productivity, emphasizing the importance of control and balance.
Quote: "I am even when I'm worrying over issues it doesn't stop me from sleeping. I'm gifted. I'm a gifted sleeper."

Work Life Balance (30:07 - 31:02)

Summary: Bezos prefers the term "work-life harmony" and discusses how meaningful work can positively affect personal life.
Quote: "Instead of the traditional work-life balance, I prefer the term 'work-life harmony.'"

Creating Fun (31:03 - 32:00)

Summary: Bezos advocates for making work itself enjoyable and creating an environment where people are excited to contribute and participate.
Quote: "The real thing is when you're in the meeting and you're going through the important topics of the day...is that fun?"

What keeps you up at night (32:01 - 34:58)

Summary: Bezos shares that while he's a good sleeper, he remains vigilant about maintaining the core principles and culture of his organizations.
Quote: "I worry about somehow losing our way with respect to our culture."

(Nothing below the paywayll today!)

Leadership (34:59 - 47:46)

Summary: Finally, Bezos summarizes his leadership principles, focusing on understanding and relentlessly pursuing the big ideas that drive an organization forward.
Quote: "The most senior leader has to know what the big ideas are for their organization."

and

who are doing back-stage heroics to get the classrooms (virtual and in-person) ready for our time together I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on the start of the journey with you all.

I'll be on-board with you all on the 14th.  Expect a 'pre-work' email from me to drop next Monday.  The most important idea is this.  You aren't being handed an innovation recipe, nor are you a short-order innovation 'cook' - We are not in the habit of building on commission. Your goal over the next 13 weeks is to navigate a maximum amount of ambiguity using the project goal to create and to shape a novel idea as the vehicle for your learning and development. With that in mind, here are a few thought starters and keys to success!

Importance of Self-Awareness:
"Stay in Day 1." My first theme is onboarding and self-awareness. This is not just about recognizing your skills and competencies but also understanding your intrinsic motivations, vulnerabilities, and aspirations. The more conscious you become of your own identity and unique set of experiences, the better equipped you'll be to contribute and carve your niche in this ever-evolving landscape of innovation. 

Embracing Ambiguity:
Don't get complacent.  Stay in the aporia of the competing values framework but recognize that you are more complex and intricate (I'd say 'fractal dimension' if you've read any book on Chaos theory) than can be reduced by any survey. Even "What Disney Princess You Are" can be valuable if it gives you a common language to be understood.  Lean into being more fun, curious, and open.

Next, I'll encourage a Dedication to Personal Transformation. Growth is not merely about accumulating knowledge. It's also about evolving as an individual, about pushing past your comfort zone. It's about embracing discipline, about seeking challenges, and striving for a version of yourself that you haven't met yet. The path of innovation is not linear; it's a journey of highs and lows, victories and setbacks. But every twist and turn, every disruption from your routine is an opportunity for personal transformation.  Strive to be externally open.  This class on innovation at times is like taking a final exam and you've not even been in the course... What's the value of that kind of 'lesson?' - it helps you prepare for the 'Dessert of the Real.'
https://www.dau.edu/library/defense-atl/blog/project-mercury

This brings us to my third theme: The Willingness to Let-Go and 'Unlearn'. The paradigms that have been working for decades might not work tomorrow. Being an innovator often means challenging the status quo, and sometimes, even your own deeply ingrained beliefs. You have to be willing to unlearn, to dismantle, and then, to rebuild.  Attempting this challenging journey alone would lead to almost certain failure. You're joining a team to get the support of others, sometimes you may only see one set of footprints in the sand.  Don't let fear turn you into dead-weight.

(prior to cohort 12 these were the two pre-work articles)
- Go check out the pre-work and Ken Stanley's talk 'The Myth of the Objective: Why Greatness Cannot be planned' and put that in contradiction with Hamming's piece "You and your research." If you don't set out to do something great, it's pretty obvious you won't.

You and your Research:
https://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/YouAndYourResearch.html

The Myth of the Objective:

Since Cohort 12 - we’re replaced those with these:

Reading 1 - https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2020/8/10/embedding-creativity-in-professional-military-education-understanding-creativity-and-its-implementation

Reading 2 -

Vego On Military Creativity

1.08MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Finally, let’s talk about what integrates all these. Discipline. It's easy to be swayed by the glitter of innovation and overlook the grit and discipline that underpins it. To truly disrupt, to truly innovate, discipline is non-negotiable. It is what ensures that amidst the chaos, we remain anchored to our core vision.

For example, https://hbr.org/2019/01/the-hard-truth-about-innovative-cultures stresses the importance of rituals.  If you want a more provocative take, check out, "Design thinking is bullshit."  There is lots of snake oil branded as the real thing. One shocking truth about real innovation is that what works today for you may not work elsewhere for anyone else.  Over-reliance on discipline is just as bad as not having enough.

Lastly, since it comes up so often, let's address the elephant in the room. Failure. We must see it as a cycle - an output, not the outcome. While we should never aim for failure, we should also not fear it. psychologically, setting a paradoxical intention can be the route to freedom Failure can be a fantastic teacher, a stepping stone, guiding us toward the correct path. But if you let failure define your journey's end, then that's on you. Embrace the lessons, shake off the setback, and surge ahead with renewed vigor.  Your bad ideas are often the best place to start.

Cohort X, I have immense faith in you.  While it may sound 'woo-woo' to some, I have an unshakeable belief in your abilities (and the ability to grow.) This unconditional love (what I'll refer to as 'falling in love with the problem' is what separates successful innovators (and stoics) from a longer line of hedonists, dullards, and monday-morning quarterbacks who are more interested in the 'quick-win'. The road ahead is filled with unknowns, but I believe that with your self-awareness, dedication, and willingness to unlearn, you will redefine the boundaries of possibility.  Your discipline will make the difference between quitting after one failure and the grit to keep going after the team's hundredth failure. 

Here's to you! The Project Mercury Cohort - to the brave souls ready to disrupt, to learn, to unlearn, and to transform!

Want to listen/watch to me read this to cohort 11? Check it out.
https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/7TosUASWLF9mDMUSQimSMEe8

If you’re anything like me, you’ve made it somewhat of an annoying habit among your friend group to advocate for Janusian thinking and the formulation of wicked questions. This means you reject ‘sole focus’ company strategies like Amazon (Low Prices, Speedy Delivery) and instead insist on accounting for the externalities of such ‘Mount Olympus’ optimizations. Whether it’s Marvel universe (superheroes who have imperfections), Walter White in breaking bad (a cancer patient who pays for treatment by manufacturing illicit drugs), to Katniss Everdeen (reluctant public figure, who has a drive to fight for justice and family protection)

The complexification of every conversation however isn’t particularly ‘helpful.’ I often joke with students that they walk in with a problem statement and walk out with 99. But this is exactly where I know we need to start at the ‘messy front end.’ - if you only set out to answer the ‘given’ - you miss opportunity to upset the paradigm (for more on paradigms, see resource 1, by Joel Barker below)

In part, theory of constraint functions by consensus agreement to ‘submit to the constraint’ - which is a valuable strategy if.
1. You’ve actually identified a system constraint, or
2. No objective, rational analysis will ever be ‘correct’ and so focus is more important than accuracy and coordinated action is always temporarily effective. Humans are infact wizards at ‘making it work.’ (Creativity under constraint)

The post-facto rationalization of success can not, from a theory of knowledge perspective, ever tell you which of the two frames you are in, because there is no ‘observer’ frame of reference outside the system that can provide you with data on whether your approach worked because of luck or hard work. (This is why we need repeated trials and scientific rigor)

So this year, rather than focus on ‘goal setting’ I’m going to advocate for ‘answer seeking’ through wicked questions. This will feel a bit like ‘astrology for engineers’ - and that’s ok. What makes something sensible or ‘workable’ doesn’t have to come from a source of truth, it needs to be practical, usable, and relatable. Astrology certainly hits many of those boxes, and it’s utter lack of anything resembling evidence is refreshing (a bit)

If you’re like me, and completely unfamiliar, here is a chatGPT summary of questions to ask based on astrology:

January (Capricorn):

• Question: How can I set practical goals and structure my time effectively to achieve them?

February (Aquarius):

• Question: In what ways can I innovate or think differently to benefit both myself and the larger community?

March (Pisces):

• Question: How can I engage with my inner world and intuition to understand myself and my emotions better?

April (Aries):

• Question: What new initiatives or projects am I passionate about, and how can I take the lead in these areas?

May (Taurus):

• Question: How can I cultivate stability and appreciate the beauty in my life, and what changes can I make to enhance my sense of security?

June (Gemini):

• Question: How can I improve my communication skills and satisfy my curiosity through learning or travel?

July (Cancer):

• Question: How can I nurture myself and my relationships, and what steps can I take to ensure emotional security?

August (Leo):

• Question: What creative outlets can I explore, and how can I express my individuality and leadership skills?

September (Virgo):

• Question: In what ways can I improve my health and daily routines, and how can I be of service to others?

October (Libra):

• Question: How can I foster harmony and balance in my relationships, and what can I do to promote fairness and cooperation?

November (Scorpio):

• Question: How can I embrace change and transformation, and what deep or hidden aspects of myself can I explore for growth?

December (Sagittarius):

• Question: What philosophies or beliefs inspire me, and how can I expand my horizons through education or travel?

Taking inspiration from the focus and discipline of looking at one question per month, (there is no particular order or rationale to the sequence.) I’ve provided questions that I think are shaping 2024, and rather than set goals around them, I’m just going to write the questions down, and see about looking for trends and community partners who are attempting to answer them as 2024 takes me. I am inspired to let my creative process take the lead, as opposed to my central planner.

Contained within these questions are the broader themes of ethical technology integration, balancing innovation with stability, the importance of data security, the challenge of sustainability, and the evolving nature of work and leadership. They also touch on the need for diversity and inclusion, the imperative of cybersecurity, and the overarching goal of ensuring a positive legacy and impact. These trends are shaping not only the military-industrial complex but the wider world in 2024 and beyond. If I manage to stumble forwards in even one of these areas, I think that progress would be welcomed!

January: Navigating Innovation vs. Stability

• Small Entrepreneurs: How can we introduce innovative defense solutions while ensuring they integrate seamlessly with existing military operations?
  keywords: Valley of Death, SBIR transition, customer acceptance, POM cycle

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we balance our investment in groundbreaking technology with the need to deliver reliable and stable systems?
  keywords:

• Military Personnel: How do we adapt to new technologies while maintaining operational readiness and stability?
  keywords: adaptable training, innovation exercises, adaptive strategy

February: Ethics in AI and Automation

• Small Entrepreneurs: How can we ensure our AI-driven defense solutions adhere to ethical standards and are free from biases?

  keywords: AI Ethics, Responsible Innovation

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we incorporate ethical considerations into the development and deployment of automated defense systems?
  keywords: Ethical Governance

• Military Personnel: How do we use AI and automation ethically and responsibly on the battlefield?
  keywords: Ethical Decision Making

March: Globalization vs. Localization

• Small Entrepreneurs: How can we cater our defense innovations to a global market while meeting the specific needs of local military operations?

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we balance global supply chains with the need for securing and prioritizing national interests?

• Military Personnel: How do we respect local cultures and dynamics while operating in a globalized security environment?

April: Data Privacy and Utility

• Small Entrepreneurs: How can we leverage data to improve our offerings while ensuring the confidentiality and security of military information?

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we manage and utilize vast amounts of data while protecting against breaches that could threaten national security?

• Military Personnel: How do we balance operational intelligence gathering with the imperative to protect personal and sensitive data?

May: Leadership in a Changing World

• Small Entrepreneurs: How can we lead our teams to navigate the rapidly changing defense landscape and emerging threats?

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we cultivate leaders who can drive innovation while adhering to strict regulations and security requirements?

• Military Personnel: How do we develop military leaders who are adaptable to technological and geopolitical shifts?

June: The Paradox of Productivity

• Small Entrepreneurs: How can we maximize productivity in developing defense solutions without burning out our limited workforce?

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we maintain high productivity rates while ensuring the quality and safety of defense products?

• Military Personnel: How do we achieve mission objectives efficiently while ensuring the well-being and readiness of our forces?

July: Sustainability vs. Profitability

• Small Entrepreneurs: How can we make our defense solutions more sustainable and eco-friendly while staying competitive?

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we integrate sustainable practices into our operations without compromising on cost and performance?

• Military Personnel: How do we consider environmental impacts in military operations and procurement?

August: The Future of Work

• Small Entrepreneurs: How do we attract and retain talent in the competitive defense technology sector?

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we reshape our workforce to thrive in an era of rapid technological change?

• Military Personnel: How does the evolution of work affect recruitment, training, and retention in the military?

September: Equity and Inclusion

• Small Entrepreneurs: How can we foster a diverse and inclusive culture in a traditionally homogeneous defense industry?

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we ensure our products and services cater to a diverse range of military personnel and global users?

• Military Personnel: How do we promote equity and inclusion within the ranks and in interactions with civilian populations?

October: Cybersecurity in a Hyper-Connected World

• Small Entrepreneurs: How do we ensure the cybersecurity of our innovations in a landscape of evolving threats?

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we protect our infrastructure and products from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats?

• Military Personnel: How do we maintain operational security and integrity in the face of growing cyber warfare capabilities?

November: Learning and Adaptation

• Small Entrepreneurs: How do we continually learn and adapt to the shifting needs and technologies of modern warfare?

• Big Defense Contractors: How do we instill a culture of continuous improvement and adaptation in a large, complex organization?

• Military Personnel: How do we foster a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation in training and operations?

December: Legacy and Future Impact

• Small Entrepreneurs: What legacy will our innovations leave in the defense sector, and how do we ensure a positive impact?

• Big Defense Contractors: How does our work shape the future of national and global security, and what responsibilities come with that?

• Military Personnel: How do we balance immediate mission success with the long-term consequences of our actions on global stability and security?

Resources to expand your thinking:

This is a summary of the talk by Joel Barker, with my thoughts and reactions appended.

1. What are paradigms, and why are they important in leadership?

   Paradigms are the set of rules and regulations that establish boundaries and describe how to behave within these boundaries to succeed. In leadership, paradigms are crucial because they shape how leaders view and interpret the world, make decisions, and strategize. Understanding one's paradigm allows leaders to recognize their biases and limitations, fostering more innovative and inclusive thinking.

2. How do paradigms shift, and what triggers these shifts?

   Paradigm shifts occur when anomalies or new discoveries challenge the existing paradigm's rules and assumptions, rendering them obsolete. These shifts are often triggered by new technologies, scientific breakthroughs, societal changes, or innovative thinking that provides a fundamentally different way of understanding or approaching problems.

3. What are the implications of a paradigm shift for an organization?

   For organizations, a paradigm shift can mean drastic changes in processes, products, or services. It can render existing competencies obsolete and require the development of new skills and strategies. Organizations may need to re-evaluate their market position, culture, and structure to adapt effectively.

4. How can leaders effectively navigate and lead through paradigm shifts?

   Leaders can navigate paradigm shifts by staying informed and adaptable, encouraging a culture of continuous learning and innovation, and fostering an environment where questioning and challenging the status quo is welcomed. They should also communicate clearly and support their team through the uncertainties and adjustments that come with change.

5. What roles do outsiders and non-conformists play in paradigm shifts?

   Outsiders and non-conformists are often the catalysts for paradigm shifts. Their fresh perspectives and willingness to question established norms can introduce new ideas that challenge the status quo and lead to breakthrough innovations.

6. How do personal and organizational paradigms influence perception and decision-making?

   Personal and organizational paradigms act as filters through which we perceive and interpret information. They influence what we consider important, how we define problems, and the solutions we deem appropriate. This can significantly impact decision-making, potentially limiting the range of options considered or creating blind spots.

7. What are the broader implications of paradigm shifts beyond individual organizations?

   Beyond individual organizations, paradigm shifts can impact entire industries, economies, and societal structures. They can lead to the emergence of new markets, the decline of established ones, and significant social changes. Understanding these shifts is critical for long-term strategic planning and societal progress.

8. How can organizations identify when they're at the cusp of a paradigm shift?

   Organizations can identify potential paradigm shifts by monitoring trends and anomalies in their industry and related fields, encouraging open communication and idea sharing, and fostering connections with diverse groups and thought leaders. Being attuned to shifts in customer behavior, emerging technologies, and societal values can also provide early indicators of significant change.

Key Takeaways:

1. Global Leadership Evolution: The world transitioned from a bipolar system (US and Soviet Union) to a unipolar world (US dominance) and is now evolving into a complex, leaderless structure with multiple influential countries.

2. Three Emerging Global Orders: The speaker predicts the emergence of three overlapping global orders: a unipolar security order led by the US, a multipolar economic order shared among major powers, and a digital order dominated by technology companies.

3. Influence of Technology Companies: Technology companies are gaining unprecedented power, influencing global events, personal identity, and societal norms. Their role in shaping the future digital order raises significant questions about accountability, data use, and societal impact.

4. Future of Global Order: The future could see a technology cold war, a new digital globalization, or a dominant techno-polar order, each with distinct implications for global freedom and opportunity.

Discussion Prompt:

Considering the evolving global leadership and the rising influence of technology companies, how should governments and international institutions adapt to maintain stability and promote democratic values in this new multiplex world order?

It’s been a busy fall, and interesting reflections on a year that I stared with the ambition to write three times A WEEK. Seeing as this is post number 23 - you can clearly see where ambition meets capability as far as I’m concerned.

In the past week, I’ve developed and publicized two Air Force related GPTs. “Wait, are you in the airforce?” you might be asking yourself. No, and that brings with it some complications… but for the moment I wanted to present a use case to show why the paid version of ChatGPT looks like in my work flow, and with this use case, how I see it transforming learning and teaching.

Table setting - I wrapped up teaching with a call to action (not-required) for students to create a meme. I’m not going to go down the rabit hole of why that might be a good and not just whacky assignment, but (appropos) you can ask ChatGPT and it will give you 10 reasons!

As a result of this meme (Credit Dustin Scott)

I googled and watched a youtube clip:

Interestingly the YT algorithm, picked up on this search and the next video it offered me was MUCH more interesting. But having only 5 minutes, I couldn’t (and still haven’t even as I write this!!) watch the full video (Sorry Dr. Hall!)

But what I could do was:

1. Open the YT ‘Transcript’ (thanks AI for auto-generating these!)
2. copy and paste it into a google doc.
3. Export the google doc to pdf.
4. Import the google doc to ChatGPT 4

Here’s the prompt: (I could have fed this into one of the GPT prompt improvers, but generally speaking, I’ve been pretty happy even without asking gpt to ‘take on a role’ or following whatever ‘prescriptive formula’ for best results…)
Provide an outline of the topics covered in this talk: pull out two quotes per section and generate a set of learning objectives and three comprehension questions following blooms taxonomy. {PDF Attached}

I re-ordered the response I got, but here’s the gist.

The talk, titled "I know what to do so why don’t I do it?", discusses the psychological and emotional aspects of achieving success, overcoming fear, and making meaningful progress in life. It provides a comprehensive look at the psychological aspects of achieving success, understanding and managing fear, the importance of beliefs and perceptions, and practical strategies for setting and achieving meaningful goals.Learning Objectives

1. Understand the psychological dynamics of fear and how it impacts decision-making and success.

2. Analyze personal beliefs and perceptions and how they influence responses to challenges and opportunities.

3. Develop strategies for harnessing fear, setting realistic goals, and taking actionable steps towards success.

Comprehension Questions (Bloom's Taxonomy)

1. Remembering: What are the two primary emotions discussed in the talk that impact personal progress and success?

2. Understanding: Explain how the speaker suggests transforming fear into a positive force.

3. Applying: If you were to apply the concept of "acting the way you want to be" in your life, what specific steps would you take to overcome a personal fear?

Outline & Quotes

Introduction to Success and Failure

• Quote 1: "I have now answered the question I have I know what to do so why don't I do it"

• Quote 2: "The brain craves the familiar; we like to stay on familiar ground when we risk change, we also risk failure"

Understanding Fear

• Quote 1: "Fear is the paper equivalent to rock; it will cover opportunity and prevent you from seeing the things you can and ought to be doing to achieve your objective"

• Quote 2: "Fear of failure... is fear of the future, you can only be afraid of things that have not happened"

Harnessing Fear and Taking Action

• Quote 1: "Know more and you will fear less; that's how I made it through the ultimate Florida challenge"

• Quote 2: "Act the way you want to be, use that as a technique to reverse the negative impact that fear is experiencing"

Role of Beliefs and Perception

• Quote 1: "What the eye sees, what the ear hears, is what is already in your mind. Seeing is not believing; believing is seeing"

• Quote 2: "You control the beliefs but you are filtering the information through"

Setting and Achieving Goals

• Quote 1: "Your goal should not be to recruit X number of new clients... because you have no control over the choices they will make"

• Quote 2: "Your focus has to be on the goal, the real goal, which is providing a service that other people need with greater value than they have"

Importance of Intuition and Altruism

• Quote 1: "Sometimes there are things that we cannot define that influence what happens to us and those around us"

• Quote 2: "Follow our heart, we have to do what we know is intuitively right and if you do that you will indeed achieve the successes that you so richly deserve"

So far so good. maybe not exactly the quotes I would have pulled if I had listened myself (who knows, I still haven’t) but enough to take it to the next step.

Let’s ask the GPT to answer it’s own comprehension questions… but with a twist.
Prompt: Give sample answers to the comprehension questions at three levels of details, Superficial, Conceptual summary, and "support, challenge, extend" that brings in extra information and draws connections to other concepts and readings.

Comprehension Question 1: Remembering
What are the two primary emotions discussed in the talk that impact personal progress and success?
Superficial: Fear and motivation.

Conceptual Summary:
The talk centers around fear, particularly the fear of failure, and motivation. It discusses how fear can paralyze and prevent individuals from taking actions that lead to success, while motivation is essential to overcome fear and make progress.

Support, Challenge, Extend:
Support: The talk aligns with psychological research indicating that fear, especially the fear of failure, can significantly hinder personal progress. This is supported by studies in behavioral psychology that demonstrate how negative emotions can lead to avoidance behaviors.
Challenge: However, one might argue that other emotions, such as embarrassment or anxiety, also play critical roles in influencing success and could have been emphasized more.
Extend: Drawing connections to Carol Dweck's work on mindset, the fear of failure is particularly paralyzing for individuals with a fixed mindset. Those with a growth mindset, however, see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, which changes the impact that fear has on their actions.

Comprehension Question 2: Understanding
Explain how the speaker suggests transforming fear into a positive force.
Superficial: By gaining knowledge and taking action.

Conceptual Summary:
The speaker suggests that by increasing understanding and knowledge about the feared subject, individuals can reduce the unknowns and uncertainties that contribute to fear. They also advocate for taking direct action, which can help individuals build confidence and gradually reduce the fear by demonstrating that they can handle the consequences and outcomes.

Support, Challenge, Extend:
Support: This approach is supported by exposure therapy in psychology, where gradual exposure to a feared object or situation can lead to desensitization.
Challenge: However, some critics might argue that knowledge alone isn't sufficient to overcome deep-seated fears, which may have roots in past traumas or irrational beliefs.
Extend: Connecting to the concept of "flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, engaging in activities that challenge one's skills just enough can lead to a state where fear is replaced by immersion and enjoyment, transforming fear into a driving force for personal growth and achievement.

Comprehension Question 3: Applying
If you were to apply the concept of "acting the way you want to be" in your life, what specific steps would you take to overcome a personal fear?
Superficial: Pretend to be confident and face the fear directly.

Conceptual Summary: Applying "acting the way you want to be" involves identifying the characteristics and behaviors of a person who has successfully overcome the fear in question. One would then mimic those behaviors, even without initially feeling confident, to create a self-fulfilling prophecy where acting confidently leads to genuine confidence over time.

Support, Challenge, Extend:
Support: This method is similar to cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, where changing one's behavior can lead to changes in thoughts and emotions.
Challenge: Critics might argue that without addressing the underlying beliefs and thoughts, simply changing behavior is superficial and may not lead to long-term change.
Extend: Bringing in the concept of "self-perception theory" by Daryl Bem, which suggests that individuals develop their attitudes by observing their own behavior, this approach can lead to a genuine shift in self-perception and fear response. By acting as if they are unafraid, individuals might begin to see themselves as braver and more capable, which in turn reduces their fear. 

Ok great. I love the distinction between ‘superficial’ (but quippy answers are sometimes the best ‘wisdom’ - conceptual summaries are a bit deeper, and boy o boy, do I love a good formated ‘support, challenge, extend.’ (for the full download on the “RISE” (reflect, inquire, support, extend) - see risemodel.com! (not paid to say this, just genuinely love this tool for feedback)

Next, let’s take the ‘apply’ concept and do something more salient. It’s Dec 22 as I write this, and so most of us are probably getting worked up over the need to set ‘new years resolutions.’

So can the gpt summarize this talk with my use case in mind? Let’s try.
Prompt: What are five steps I could take to apply these lessons to setting new years resolutions?

To effectively apply the lessons from the talk to setting and achieving your New Year's resolutions, consider these five steps:

Reflect on Past Fears and Successes:

• Before setting new goals, reflect on the previous year. Identify what fears held you back and which strategies helped you overcome obstacles. Understanding these can provide valuable insights into how you might approach your New Year's resolutions.

Set Realistic and Specific Goals:

• Create resolutions that are clear, achievable, and measurable. Instead of vague goals like "be more successful," define what success looks like to you, perhaps "increase my professional network by attending two networking events per month." This specificity makes your progress easier to track and provides a clearer path forward.

Develop a Knowledge-Based Plan:

• For each resolution, research and understand what it will take to achieve it. If your goal is to learn a new skill, find out the best methods for learning, resources available, and perhaps even connect with others who have successfully mastered it. This step reduces fear of the unknown and equips you with strategies to overcome potential obstacles.

Act 'As If' You're Already There:

• Adopt behaviors and mindsets of someone who has already achieved your goals. If you want to be more fit, start by adopting the habits of someone who is fit, like regular exercise and a healthy diet. This "act as if" approach can help you embody the change you want to see, making the goal feel more attainable and natural.

Regularly Review and Adjust Your Approach:

• Set regular intervals (weekly or monthly) to review your progress. Be honest with yourself about what's working and what isn't. If you find certain aspects of your plan aren't helping you progress, don't be afraid to adjust your strategies. Flexibility is key to overcoming unforeseen challenges and maintaining motivation.

By following these steps, you're not just setting resolutions; you're creating a roadmap for meaningful change and success in the new year. Remember, the goal isn't to be perfect but to make continuous progress toward the person you want to become.

UGH. So boring! Platitudes and ‘best practices’ are always so blah to me. Nothing memorable or provocative at all! Not to say that these wouldn’t BE useful, but just there’s very little for me to emotionally hang onto here. so hang on a sec. There are a ton of ‘micro-structure’ elements in tool kits like the Liberating Structures, that I know are useful for generating wilder ideas… I wonder…

Prompt:Why won't these five steps work? Do a pre-mortem following the TRIZ method, https://www.liberatingstructures.com/6-making-space-with-triz/ for each of the five results.

Conducting a pre-mortem using the TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) method involves anticipating what might go wrong and then working backward to understand and prevent these potential failures. Here's how the five steps to apply lessons to New Year's resolutions might fail, following the TRIZ methodology:

1. Reflect on Past Fears and Successes:

   • Potential Failure: You might dwell too much on past failures, leading to a defeatist attitude toward new goals. If the reflection process isn't structured positively, it could reinforce fears instead of providing insightful lessons, making you believe that past failures are inevitable repeats.

   • TRIZ Suggestion: Limit the time spent on reflecting on failures and focus more on the lessons learned. Structure reflection sessions with a positive focus, looking for strategies that worked rather than just what went wrong.
     

Nope, this isn’t getting better and it seems like it’s gone down a path I didn’t want. I’ll have to be more explicit and copy and paste the LS instructions from the website instead of pointing to it via web…. Note that I just ctrl-c ctrl-v and did nothing to adjust the facilitation instructions for the technique, other than give it a ‘what to do’ when it runs into 1-2-4-All…

Prompt:try again but with this triz method, when 1-2-4 all is required, the gpt should create 4 plausible, but increasing hyperbolic answers. Go back and redo the pre-mortem achieving the 'worst possible' result, hypothetical actions I'm already taking, and how to change those common behaviors using the rules as stated.
(skip this, as it’s the copy-paste from the web!)
~~~~ What is made possible? You can clear space for innovation by helping a group let go of what it knows (but rarely admits) limits its success and by inviting creative destruction. TRIZ makes it possible to challenge sacred cows safely and encourages heretical thinking. The question “What must we stop doing to make progress on our deepest purpose?” induces seriously fun yet very courageous conversations. Since laughter often erupts, issues that are otherwise taboo get a chance to be aired and confronted. With creative destruction come opportunities for renewal as local action and innovation rush in to fill the vacuum. Whoosh! Five Structural Elements – Min Specs 1. Structuring Invitation In this three-step process, ask: 1. “Make a list of all you can do to make sure that you achieve the worst result imaginable with respect to your top strategy or objective.” 2. “Go down this list item by item and ask yourselves, ‘Is there anything that we are currently doing that in any way, shape, or form resembles this item?’ Be brutally honest to make a second list of all your counterproductive activities/programs/procedures.” 3. “Go through the items on your second list and decide what first steps will help you stop what you know creates undesirable results?” 2. How Space Is Arranged and Materials Needed Unlimited number of small groups of 4 to 7 chairs, with or without small tables Paper for participants to record 3. How Participation Is Distributed Everybody involved in the work is included Everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute 4. How Groups Are Configured Groups with 4 to 7 participants Established teams or mixed groups 5. Sequence of Steps and Time Allocation After introduction, three segments, 10 minutes for each segment Introduce the idea of TRIZ and identify an unwanted result. If needed, have the groups brainstorm and pick the most unwanted result. 5 min. Each group uses 1-2-4-All to make a first list of all it can do to make sure that it achieves this most unwanted result. 10 min. Each group uses 1-2-4-All to make a second list of all that it is currently doing that resembles items on their first list. 10 min. Each group uses 1-2-4-All to determine for each item on its second list what first steps will help it stop this unwanted activity/program/procedure. 10 min.

Using the TRIZ (disambiguation, https://www.liberatingstructures.com/6-making-space-with-triz/) method to conduct a pre-mortem for each of the five steps in applying lessons to New Year's resolutions, let's identify the worst possible outcomes, recognize any current behaviors that might be contributing to these outcomes, and suggest changes to counteract these tendencies.

1. Reflect on Past Fears and Successes
Worst Possible Outcome: Become completely demotivated and fixated on past failures, leading to a cycle of negativity and fear of setting any new goals.
Hyperbolic Actions:

1. Constantly remind yourself of past failures every time you think of a new goal.

2. Tell yourself that past failures define your future, ensuring a mindset that you're doomed to repeat them.

3. Publicly share your failures in a way that reinforces your identity as someone who can't succeed.

4. Create a detailed catalog of every past mistake and review it daily to ensure you never forget.

Current Behaviors Resembling These:

• Perhaps you're overanalyzing past failures or discussing them frequently, reinforcing a negative self-image.

Change Actions:

• Shift focus to lessons learned rather than the failures themselves. Start a success journal where you note down even the smallest victories.

2. Set Realistic and Specific Goals
Worst Possible Outcome: Set impossibly high standards and overly specific goals that are unachievable, leading to inevitable failure and disappointment.
Hyperbolic Actions:

1. Set goals that require 100% perfection with no room for error.

2. Plan to achieve in one month what realistically takes a year.

3. Ignore all life's other demands and responsibilities, assuming you can dedicate all your time to this goal.

4. Attach your entire self-worth to achieving these goals, so failure is catastrophic.

Current Behaviors Resembling These:

• Maybe you're setting overly ambitious goals or not considering life's other variables and responsibilities.

Change Actions:

• Break goals into smaller, manageable steps. Celebrate progress, not just completion. Allow room for life's unpredictability.

3. Develop a Knowledge-Based Plan
Worst Possible Outcome: Overwhelm yourself with too much information, leading to analysis paralysis and no actual progress.
Hyperbolic Actions:

1. Subscribe to every related newsletter, book, and podcast, flooding yourself with information.

2. Spend all your time planning and re-planning, never moving to action.

3. Insist on understanding every possible detail before starting, even those that aren't relevant.

4. Refuse to start until you feel 100% ready, which will never happen.

Current Behaviors Resembling These:

Perhaps you're spending too much time researching and planning, delaying the actual start.

Change Actions:

• Limit research time and start with what you know. Learn as you go, adjusting the plan based on real experiences.

4. Act 'As If' You're Already There
Worst Possible Outcome: Become disconnected from reality and your true self, leading to imposter syndrome and mental health issues.
Hyperbolic Actions:

1. Completely ignore your current reality and live in a fantasy of the future self.

2. Dismiss any emotions or thoughts that don't align with this future self, ignoring your well-being.

3. Burn bridges by behaving in ways that aren't yet appropriate for your current situation.

4. Spend beyond your means to appear as if you've already achieved your goals.

Current Behaviors Resembling These:

• Maybe you're acting in ways that aren't authentic or ignoring current responsibilities in favor of future aspirations.

Change Actions:

• Balance acting 'as if' with mindfulness and self-awareness. Ensure your actions are authentic and progressively leading you toward your goals.

5. Regularly Review and Adjust Your Approach
Worst Possible Outcome: Constantly change plans and strategies, leading to confusion, lack of progress, and burnout.
Hyperbolic Actions:

1. Change your plan daily based on the latest advice or whim.

2. Obsess over tiny details, losing sight of the bigger picture.

3. Never stick with one strategy long enough to see if it actually works.

4. Constantly criticize and second-guess every decision you've made.

Current Behaviors Resembling These:

• Perhaps you're frequently altering your approach or being overly critical of your progress, leading to frustration.

Change Actions:

• Set a minimum period to stick with a strategy before evaluating its effectiveness. Focus on constructive feedback rather than criticism.

By recognizing these exaggerated negative behaviors, you can identify and modify any current habits that might be hindering your progress. This proactive approach helps clear the path for innovation and positive change in your New Year's resolutions.

This version I’m feeling pretty good about. In fact, it’s given me some inspiration to DO the things like 1.3 “Publicly share your failures…” (hey, I’d rather call them ‘attempts’) - but let’s not be a stickler… Plus maybe I’ll turn these 5 areas into a M-F LinkedIn post about the TRIZ pre-moretem technique for after the holidays?

What are you doing to play with chatgpt?

Prompt: read this text and look for an evocative quote, create an image that represents that and summarize the author’s style - ignoring anything in block quotes.

The evocative quote from the text is, "The brain craves the familiar; we like to stay on familiar ground when we risk change, we also risk failure." This quote captures the tension between the comfort of the known and the fear and uncertainty of change, which is a recurring theme in the author's reflections.

The image created represents a person standing at a crossroads, with one path leading to a bright, inviting future and the other shrouded in darkness and fog. This visual metaphor encapsulates the essence of the quote, highlighting the decision-making moment where one must choose between the safety of the familiar and the risks and rewards of the unknown.

The author's style in the provided text is reflective and introspective, with a conversational tone that engages the reader in their personal journey and thoughts. The author candidly discusses their ambitions, experiences, and insights, often using rhetorical questions and personal anecdotes to make their points. This style is approachable and thought-provoking, inviting readers to consider their own experiences and choices in relation to the themes discussed.

“FAILUR”

Prompt:Pick one of the most hyperbolic actions recommended for set realistic goals to generate an image.

The image created visualizes one of the hyperbolic actions related to setting unrealistic goals: the action of planning to achieve in one month what realistically takes a year. It depicts an overstressed individual surrounded by clocks and calendars, each marked with impossibly tight deadlines, encapsulating the overwhelming pressure and unrealistic expectations set in the pursuit of goals.

notice the clocks that don’t have correct faces? And the guy is too creepy…

Prompt: too scary, can you adjust the image to show some frustration, but not terror? include a one year timeline condensed into a month in the background rather than dozens of clocks.

The adjusted image shows a frustrated individual sitting at a desk, with a furrowed brow, looking at a timeline on the wall. This timeline compresses a one-year plan into just one month, visually representing the hyperbolic action of planning to achieve in one month what realistically takes a year. The individual's expression and the condensed timeline convey a sense of frustration and the daunting nature of the task, without invoking a sense of terror.

Perfect. No notes. You nailed it.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/connecting-the-dots-tickets-107764873638?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Reflection question before you begin:

What’s one thing that’s always easy to say yes to? Why?
What’s one thing that always easy to say no to? Why?
Reflect: Given our limited time, A yes is a no to 1000 other things.

Ways to open a meeting that are bias aware:
Land Acknowledgement
Visual Descriptions (for visual impairments)
Gender and pronoun disclosures

What is the most dangerous cognitive bias?

Hello all, it is lovely to be with you today to share about building bias aware blueprints. Thanks for that introduction and I’ll invite everyone to just call me Ethan. No formalities needed here. 

The idea for this talk come from a speech given my Rev Dr King called ‘what’s in your life’s blueprint.’ Which I highly recommend.  mine features three sections. 

Section 1. The danger of needing to be right. 

Section 2. Trust and psychological safety in groups of humans. 

Section 3. Disruptive Actions Ive taken where I definitely wasn’t right and I learned a lot. 

*Bonus if there’s time, why diverse representation really really matters. 

I’d welcome you all to allow yourself to adjust and welcome yourself to this space. To arrive. If it is helpful, you can read this set of principles for DEI - as a set of ground rules. This example I wrote for my introducing DEI through invention curriculum with the Henry Ford Museum.

Statement on DEI: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Zba5umHu3eMUXOWep8SGL3ABSRsZKHxYglziVYYmmo/edit?usp=sharing

Practitioner Reflections:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L9WMrctt8XK7TakbvWlFVpkiI2a0hhdsEY-Plw9swKo/edit

Also as a forewarning, I will use provocative language and also will say things that undoubtedly are wrong from your perspective. My hope is that when I say something like that, and your first visceral reaction is ‘that’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard.’ That you give me a moment of grace and reply to me with ‘I never would have thought of that.’ 

Anyways we just met so let me walk back a bit to establish a bit of rapport with you all and among us. Again the title of this section is ‘The Danger of Needing to be Right.” Which has a corollary with ‘The danger of needing to be good.’ (always)

To do that, I’m going to invite you to not just listen but also contribute for a second. If we were in person I’d ask you to practice this with a Neighboor, but I’ll trust that a handful of you will be interested in participating. If you want to play that game please raise your hand. I need six volunteers.  

Let’s play a quick game as a whole group. It’s an example I learned from the internet. 

I’m going to give you a pattern of numbers, Derek says, which conforms to a rule that I am following. Your goal will be to give me a sequence of numbers back, and I’ll tell you if it conforms to my rule (yes or no) and then you tell me what you think the rule is.  Everyone is welcome to guess and there is no intrinsic penalty for (no) and no reward for (yes). 

Derek’s sequence is 2,4,6.  What’s his rule?

[Audience members will play a game for about 90 seconds.]

Let’s reflect on that experience now with a framework for establishing or diagnosing psychological safety. 

Stage 1 is inclusion safety.

Does it feel like a threat to be in the space? I had a powerful experience reading kendi’s work ‘how to be an anti-racist’ that was a recognition that to be inclusive, I also have to invite into the conversation the racist attitudes that I have, but did not ask to have. Naming myself ‘racist’ AND anti-racist provides me with the provocation that I am welcome here. Navigating ‘safe spaces’ and what I’ve heard now called ‘brave spaces’ are important concepts to differentiate. Safe spaces are, in my view places of healing, rest and restoration. Like a welcome calm vacation spot. Brave spaces (if you have a better word, I’m open to learning!) are those places of turbulence where we are inviting others to forge the future together.  Likely there is also a spectrum of hateful or unsafe spaces where diplomacy has failed and people are at war. I admit that i am not a fighter by nature but would invite everyone to reflect on the question ‘what are the hills I am willing to die on?’ 

The tactic I used to demonstrate inclusion was to ask for more volunteers than I would need, and then to deliberately seek inclusivity among that in how I sequenced contributions. 

Stage 2 is educator or learner safety

Who likes to learn in public? Anyone? So immediately there is a challenge for some of the active participants. Though this is an environment that welcomes all, even here it can be uncomfortable to jump in. 

I just mentioned this as a barrier to even inclusion. What are the environments that it is safe to learn? And if you are in the anti-bias space, are you providing that safety, or are you demanding or upholding ‘safe spaces’ - those that are only available to people who have learned through the curriculum of racism how to spot agressive behavior and therefor do not tolerate it. 

As someone who grew up with the fledgling internet I have had my fair share of SJW epithets hurled at me on the internet. Very few conversations there seem to be built to produce dialog and discourse. The irony to me that a wildly popular chat platform called itself ‘discord’ is I think a sign of our times. 

Unfortunately there is a sense I get in politics as well that rather than being open to learning things, we reward dogmatism and ideology over openness to learning. 

I want to know if what I am doing is right and leads to better outcomes. I don’t want to be afraid.

Stage 3 is contributor safety

To get contributions, educators, and really ANY facilitators of group conversations, need to be aware of the hesitance of groups to ‘think themselves special’ or to understand the framework that the facilitator is building and how to contribute to it. I could go off on a tangent about 4MAT and the why, what, how, what if model for engaging presentations… But really what this means is you need a knowable, or preferably known procedure for interaction that all are encouraged to follow, that is upheld and reinforced in behaviors within the group.

Things like ‘step up step back’ come to mind as such ‘simple rules’ - you probably have experienced a well facilitated event at some point. Part of what makes for great user interaction / interface / experience design is that there are clear boxes for engagement and the method of engagement (e.g. Sticky notes) are (for the most part) egalitarian.

My favorite toolkit in this space is the ‘microstructures’ in the open source toolbox, Liberating Structures, https://www.liberatingstructures.com/design-elements/ first introduced to me by the USAF design group Agitare, and it’s founder Daniel Hulter.

In our simple example, the stakes to ‘contribute’ that is, to try your three digit format were pretty straightforward, but it does involve taking a risk. I had the pleasure of attending the Defense Entrepreneurs forum recently and listened to a panel on humanitarian and disaster relief where this ‘contributor safety’ was brought up in the context of disaster assessment and relief. In this case, the question to the panel was about establishing trust, in the awareness and acknowledgment of being an ‘outsider.’ The response was that there is always a sense of appreciation upon hearing, the ‘song of the chainsaw’ - that is - in jumping in to actually do something, not just ‘hold a clipboard.’

This sense of the desire to act is something that i also heard from the connect the dots organizer, Nalini (na-lin-ee, think melanie, but with an N) that the response to Amy Cooper NY birdwatching (vs Christian Cooper) and George Floyd, and Briana Taylor, #saytheirNames.

https://sayevery.name/

But contributor safety is also complex, particularly in disaster scenarios, and I think racism is a slow moving diaster that we’re still not really contending with for reasons that I think are well articulated by Derek Bell, in what he terms ‘interest convergence.’

Another rabbit hole, a former partner of mine introduced me to many beautiful things, but the two that speak clearly here are William Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey and a Salon advice section titled “what do lovers talk about when they talk about philosophy.”

First an excerpt from Wordsworth (without the poetic form, please don’t shoot me…)

These beauteous forms through a long absence, have not been to me As is a landscape to a blind man's eye: But oft, in lonely rooms, and 'mid the din Of towns and cities, I have owed to them, In hours of weariness, sensations sweet, Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart;
And passing even into my purer mind With tranquil restoration:—feelings too Of unremembered pleasure: such, perhaps, As have no slight or trivial influence On that best portion of a good man's life, His little, nameless, unremembered, acts Of kindness and of love. Nor less, I trust, To them I may have owed another gift, Of aspect more sublime; that blessed mood, In which the burthen of the mystery, In which the heavy and the weary weight Of all this unintelligible world, Is lightened:
—that serene and blessed mood, In which the affections gently lead us on,— Until, the breath of this corporeal frame And even the motion of our human blood Almost suspended, we are laid asleep In body, and become a living soul: While with an eye made quiet by the power Of harmony, and the deep power of joy, We see into the life of things.

                                                        If this Be but a vain belief, yet, oh! how oft— In darkness and amid the many shapes Of joyless daylight; when the fretful stir Unprofitable, and the fever of the world, Have hung upon the beatings of my heart— How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee, O sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro' the woods,

         How often has my spirit turned to thee!   And now, with gleams of half-extinguished thought, With many recognitions dim and faint, And somewhat of a sad perplexity, The picture of the mind revives again: While here I stand, not only with the sense Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts That in this moment there is life and food For future years. And so I dare to hope,

And second from “The Rambler” (blessings to you and your boyfriend, wherever you are)

I have a lot of thoughts about this. I have a lot of thoughts in general. But the reason I am a person who has a lot of thoughts is that I am a person who has a lot of feelings. I have intense feelings about things that other people seem to not even see, and I have to think about them in order to keep them from taking over. Like homeless people. I walk to work every day and see at least four homeless men on the way. I can give them a little money or buy them some breakfast, and then I know I have to keep going, and I do have a job that lets me work against systemic injustices, but every morning part of me wants to hit pause and yell around to the crowd: "Wait! Wait a minute everybody! There are people sleeping on the sidewalk in pools of urine! Not just one person, but one person every other block! What the heck?! What are we going to do about this? Someone sleeping on the street is an emergency! What is going on? Why are you just walking by? Are you all CRAZY?" And I know that it is not that they are individually crazy, it is that we are living in a sort of insane society, and that ignoring that insanity has become necessary in order to put one foot in front of the other every day. Every day can't be a revolution. Except that secretly I think it can. Secretly I want it to be. Secretly I am trying to have my days be little revolutions.

https://www.salon.com/2011/06/28/philosophy_and_lovers/

Ok, what’s the point Ethan?

I think the point I’m trying to make here, is that like a humanitarian in the ‘song of the chainsaw.’ and just like the reflection question ‘what is it easy to say no to?’ - we have to be willing to do the un-equitable thing. We have to, on occasion, to steal a phrase from start-up coach Paul Grahm, ‘do things that don’t scale’ - help one person, often the one right in front of us. Not because ‘they deserve it’ - but because asking ‘who deserves my help’ means that you stand around with a clipboard, not actually helping anybody. We need a mental model that includes ‘good samaritan’ policies (

Contributors more than anything need to believe that THERE IS STILL TIME. the 1976 ‘Good Samaritan’ study at princeton seminary. What you have to be willing to do at any time, even when it feels like it’s not absolutely productive is what I call a ‘During action review.’ There is (of course?) a liberating structure for this that I find particularly compelling, called “heard seen respected”

But I think there are profound implications for this when it comes to ‘hitting productive milestones.’ - ‘stopping to help’ doesn’t just mean individuals, it also means stopping to address larger systemic issues. And our ‘go-go-go’ culture makes it hard, if not impossible to tell your boss, “I didn’t complete the report in time because I went to the public speak out on anti-racism to help my community.”

This challenge, to not just ‘yes, and’ your way to equity leads us to the final stage of psychological safety…

Stage 4 is Challenger Safety

Being in solidarity isn’t just a performance. It isn’t a slogan or a tag line, it means subjugating to a constraint outside yourself and attached to a civic good (or a just cause). It’s not just measuring an attitude, but behaviors and actions and the measurements are what you attend to and where you are contributing regularly. To semi-regularly re-prioritizing and being clear about those efforts.

Unquestioned adherence to ‘what we did last year’ defeats this, and the final form of psychological safety, challenger safety, gets at the idea that we must be continually open to change in order to be ready.

Neri oxman’s “Kreb Cycle” for creativity provides a useful conception here of ‘art’ not just as a thing, but as a process, that transforms perception into culture, design’s

Here, art challenges the ‘utility’ needed from engineering and science, instead offering fresh perspectives.

what do you do when

A helpful question stem to introduce challenging topics is “Would you consider…”

The most important, and under-appreciated team dynamic is token-ism and a lack of representation at a function that I’ll unapologetically refer to as ‘the designated asshole’ or “TDA” so we can keep our decorum.
The value of waste as PART of the process is under appreciated. So too is the person who at regular intervals, clears away the waste so the system can continue to function. Don’t make this person the ‘janitor’ - maintenance is as important as creativity in this role.

There are several stages that can be helpful to use if you identify a shitty situation in your organization and you want to deal with it.

Communicate, Participate, Facilitate, Negotiate, Manipulate, Coerce.

(Choosing strategies for change, Kotter and Schlessinger)

Part 3: Disruptive actions I’ve taken where I’ve learned a lot a definitely not been ‘Right’ - and invoked challenger safety (and privilege!)

1. Took my problem with insomnia and solved it by getting rid of my alarm clock.

2. Didn’t have a partner at age 30 so gave up my television to prevent my coach-potato ‘easy to stay in’

3. Engage in diversity groups to ‘Consider your ideal wedding Party Photo’ - who is your chosen family?

4. Given students an assignment (that I knew) violated the university honor code, and then asked them about trusting authority, personal accountability,

Remember the grace we gave each-other during the pandemic? Keep that alive!?

Pulling it all together.

Answers don’t invite all aspects of psychological safety. Questions get closer. The design movement has ‘appreciative inqury’ that can help. But I prefer the ‘wicked questions’ of Liberating structures. I’ll leave you with a few examples of wicked questions as a way to inform ‘bias awareness’

Wicked questions highlight the inherent tensions and paradoxes of life. They show us that we can’t just ‘optimize’ for something, but to do so is always as the expense of something else. Safety for freedom, sustainability for speed. The best questions call out the steward ethic. That these are systems that need to be managed and cared for by the participants.

Homework time (I’m a professor, right… can’t help it!)

1. Balancing Global and Local Perspectives: "In our organization's pursuit of global diversity, how can we ensure we are embracing and respecting local cultural uniqueness and traditions while also promoting a unified global corporate culture?"
   Is it all relative, or do you have moral absolutes?

2. Inclusivity in Leadership: "How can we structure our leadership to be both representative of diverse groups and ensure that the most qualified individuals are in decision-making positions, irrespective of their background?"

   What set of ‘qualifications’ are we using and why are we using them? Do we have evidence of their efficacy or are the just ‘how we’ve always done it.”

3. Equity in Opportunity: "How is it that we are creating equitable opportunities for all employees while also recognizing and rewarding individual performance and merit?"
   Is GPA a good predictor of success? Do we always succumb to Goldhart’s law?

4. Diverse Recruitment and Meritocracy: "How can we reconcile the goal of increasing diversity in our hiring practices with the principle of selecting the best candidate based solely on merit?"

   What has been learned through cases of success and failure in legally defensible affirmative action?

5. Cultural Sensitivity and Freedom of Expression: "How do we foster an environment where all cultures are respected and celebrated, yet maintain the freedom of expression without causing unintentional offense?"
   The complex morality of evaluating ‘goodness’ via input, intention, integration, impact - where is the opening for Free will ? (ala Sapolsky)

6. Inclusion and Specialization: "In our efforts to include a wide variety of perspectives, how do we balance the need for specialized skills and knowledge that might be concentrated in certain self-perpetuating demographic or professional groups?"
   Never forget that Beyonce was able to source her entire ‘homecoming’ instrumentalists from black artist professionals. It’s all about ‘expect what you inspect''

7. Equitable Representation and Tokenism: "How can we ensure our company's efforts towards diversity and inclusion are genuinely equitable and effective, and not merely symbolic gestures or tokenism?"

8. Addressing Unconscious Bias: "How do we cultivate an organizational culture that's deeply aware of and actively counters unconscious biases, while ensuring that this vigilance doesn't lead to a culture of suspicion or over-correction?"

9. Adapting DEI Initiatives Across Borders: "How can our DEI initiatives be both globally consistent in their core values and flexible enough to adapt to the diverse legal, cultural, and social landscapes in which we operate?"

10. Intersecting Identities and DEI Policies: "How do we develop DEI policies that acknowledge and support the complex, intersecting identities of our employees, without oversimplifying or neglecting any particular aspect of their identity?"

11. Sustaining Energy and Avoiding Burnout: "How can we maintain continuous vigilance and proactive action in reinforcing our new culture, while also ensuring our team members have enough downtime and mental space to rejuvenate and avoid burnout?"

12. Empowering and Overburdening: "How do we empower every employee to be a constant upstander and advocate for our new culture, without making them feel overburdened with the responsibility or like they are constantly policing their peers?"

13. Consistency vs. Flexibility: "In our commitment to consistently uphold our new cultural values, how do we balance the need for firm guidelines with the flexibility to adapt to individual circumstances without causing stress or fatigue?"

    What if you trusted your people instead of measuring them?

14. Role of Leadership in Cultural Vigilance: "How can leadership be intensely involved in promoting and monitoring the new culture without creating an atmosphere of micromanagement or excessive scrutiny that could lead to employee discomfort or burnout?"

15. Encouraging Passion without Obsession: "How do we encourage our team members to be passionately involved in advocating and upholding our new culture, without them becoming overly obsessed to the point of ignoring their own well-being or other work responsibilities?"

16. Balancing Positive Reinforcement and Critical Awareness: "How can we foster an environment that continuously rewards and recognizes positive cultural behaviors, while also being critically aware and vigilant of any negative patterns, without overwhelming the team?"

17. Integrating Vigilance into Daily Routines: "How do we integrate the practice of vigilance into our daily work routines in a way that it becomes a natural, unobtrusive part of our work life rather than an added, exhausting task?"

18. Cultural Change and Personal Boundaries: "How do we encourage individuals to actively participate in cultural vigilance and change, while respecting their personal boundaries and avoiding intrusion into their personal beliefs and values?"

19. Long-Term Persistence vs. Short-Term Intensity: "In our efforts to enforce new cultural norms, how do we find the balance between long-term, sustainable efforts and short-term, intensive campaigns to avoid overwhelming our team?"

20. Creating Safe Spaces for Rest and Reflection: "How can we create safe spaces within our organization for rest, reflection, and mental recuperation, while also maintaining a steady pace of cultural reinforcement and vigilance?"

Choose one of these wicked problems for the ‘mission model canvas’ and work to implement a solution:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aGooL8mvphNbzJsBTJyJHdmJEUVrYNOGZUSWTJpji4Q/edit#slide=id.gce0f6c0e67_0_0