Growing the Organization by Breaking the Rules

From time to time, I write about innovation. When I do, I hear the cries of the masses tell me that the fire service doesn't innovate. Well, according to Carl Bass, those naysayers may be right. The fire service as a whole may not innovate, but the individuals it employs do. Check out the video and reflect upon how you as a member of the wildland fire service can be the movement of innovation to better the whole.

(Besides, Bass shares a lot of cool stuff that will change our world in the very near future..)



Here are some highlights from the video:

Innovation is Not...

• Invention
• Scientific Discovery
• Mathematical Proof

Innovation is...

• Innovation is the process by which we change the world.
• Innovation is about making things better in significant and meaningful ways.
• Innovation is the practical application of ideas and technologies to make new and better things.
• Innovation is hard.
• Innovation requires taking chances.
• Innovation requires challenging those things we think we know with certainty.
• Innovation is about taking risk and breaking the rules.

Bass's Reflections

• Nearly every company he knows wants to be innovative
• Innovation is fundamentally not a corporate phenomenon.
• Companies aren't particularly good at taking risk and breaking rules. They are good at making rules and minimizing risk.
• Innovation is done primarily by individuals.
• Companies need to hire the right people.
• We need innovation to solve the grand challenges of our civilization.

Five Trends Affecting Innovation:

1. The Age of Access and Experience
2. Business Un-usual
3. Digital Fabrication
4. The Rise of Information
5. Infinite Computing