There seems to be a never-ending stream of big challenges out there to solve. From economic issues to social problems the list is long and growing daily. But on the bright side we have more tools, technology and the mindset is changing to allow the conditions to come up innovative ways of solving these issues.

I was recently involved in a design-tank that was taking on the challenge of affordable housing. About 120 everyday citizens volunteered to learn about critical-thinking and to help solve this issue in their own backyard. The process is 6 months in and they have come up with some interesting ideas. Even if they don’t have the final solutions, what they done is leave “breadcrumbs” to the next group to build on. People sometimes forget that problems will arise all the time and we need to keep designing and thinking of solutions constantly. It was a great experience and it was impressive to me that they would take this on with their busy lives and I applaud their efforts. The key was creating the conditions for innovation to happen. The divergent thinking, the scaffolding of ideas and then the convergence to a solution.

What we really are seeing is a cultural shift in how we deal with problems. In my work, I have found that children are the most elastic when it comes to critical-thinking. They can adapt very quickly and it is encouraging to see what their capabilities are and it just requires some minor guidance and they are able to come up with truly breakthrough thinking.

We see the evidence in this cultural shift with the disruptive innovations that are appearing daily. Companies really need to be investing in creating the conditions for innovation rather than just waiting for the competitor to beat them to it. Not just attracting the best by the compensation package but offering a culture in the organization that can allow the employees the contribute rather than just show up.  More and more companies need to seek out these types of critical-thinkers, nurture their development and then create the conditions for innovation as they will be the ones that lead them through this next Innovation Renaissance.

 – Kelly Parke