Innovation: Some Weird Ideas That (Might) Work

Professor Sutton will talk about his book "Weird Ideas That Work: 11 and Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation" (The Free Press, 2002). Following extensive research in the behavioral sciences, he will begin show how the logic required to organize

for innovative work is drastically different than that required for routine work. He will then describe some sound management practices for promoting innovation that are based on behavioral science research and are used by at least some companies. Examples include "Hire slow learners (of the organizational code)" and "Do something that will probably fail, and then convince yourself and everyone else that success is certain." He describes these practices as "weird ideas" because they often strike traditional managers as strange, even downright wrong. But people who do creative work -- perhaps like those at PARC -- are often less surprised and offended by his ideas. Sutton will then invite the audience to comment on and revise the weird ideas, and to disagree with him.