I’ve always said, “Expertise is the enemy of creativity.” The New York Times recently had an article on this exact topic.
Although the article is pretty basic, it is a good reminder that sometimes the most creative ideas come from those who are not experts on the problem being solved.
This poses a dilemma for organizations. If your Product Development team are experts in your product, then they may be the wrong people to develop new and innovative products.
As Chip Heath (co-author of “Made to Stick”) said in the article,“I HAVE a DVD remote control with 52 buttons on it, and every one of them is there because some engineer along the line knew how to use that button and believed I would want to use it, too,” Mr. Heath says. “People who design products are experts cursed by their knowledge, and they can’t imagine what it’s like to be as ignorant as the rest of us.”
This “curse of knowledge” is increasing the need for open innovation; the ability to get new ideas from outsiders from all corners of the earth. One company that is revolutionizing this is InnoCentive – the leader in prized based open innovation. This open innovation concept is also helping solve pressing social issues such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
The key is to engage people who have fresh eyes.
Or, whenever possible, heed the words from Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford University commencement speech, “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”