Innovation is all Pearls and Turds

Becky Downing

A good innovation process looks like a string of pearls and each pearl has a small turd inside of it. That’s OK. In fact, it’s acceptance of the little turds that make the overall string of pearls stronger and more resilient.

I know this makes me sound like a total fruit loop. And no, I haven’t cracked open the wine yet (although it is a Friday afternoon, and so it would be totally acceptable! :)).  But hear me out.

Analysis Paralysis

The String of Pearls is not my idea. It’s one that I am borrowing from the psychotherapist Phil Stutz, who I was introduced to yesterday through Jonah Hill’s brilliant new Netflix documentary (aptly named ‘Stutz’).

Stutz’ method revolves around what he calls his ‘Tools.’ Each Tool can be represented by a simple step, an action or bit of forward motion. They can change your inner state almost immediately and transform unpleasant experiences and thoughts into opportunities. In Stutz’ words, his Tools “turn problems into possibilities.”

These Tools, as simple as they are, can be powerful aides when it comes to innovation. Why?

Because if you asked me: “Becky, what do you think is the most potent barrier to innovation?” Then, I would offer you just two words: “Analysis Paralysis.”

Get up, you Little Dummy!

The compulsive need to do more market research, more prospective customer interviews, more prototypes… The fear of launching because of the many things that could go wrong.

Innovation does not just ‘happen’. It is driven forward by human beings. And human beings are…well, human. Most humans suffer from an aversion to uncertainty and failure. In turn, innovation (which is made up of lots of bits of human effort strung together), is held back from moving forward.

But here’s the thing. There is no such thing as perfect. Nothing ever really goes to plan. Mistakes and mishaps are inevitable, however hard you try. This is not supposed to be demoralising. Rather, we are looking at things all wrong.

When a baby learns to walk and falls in the process, we don’t say “Get up, you little dummy!” because that would be absurd. So why the self-abuse when we try new things as adults? At what age does the embargo on messing up get imposed on us?  It’s through the trying and falling that the baby eventually learns to walk…pretty much all by herself. And when you think about it, how amazing is that?

The String of Pearls

The String of Pearls, is one of Stutz’ ‘Tools’, and the one that I think has a brilliant application to the innovation process. It looks like this:

In Stutz’s illustration, each circle or “pearl” is an action — and, since each pearl is a similar size, you can think of each action having the same value, no matter what it is. This means that every large or small action in your life (or as part of the innovation process) is just that: a thing to do. You are the only person who can put the next pearl on the string.

But, within each pearl is a dark spot (Stutz calls it a “turd”), which is a reminder that no effort you make will be perfect. The key is to acknowledge that and keep adding to the string anyway.

The winner is not the one who makes the best decisions, looks the best or sounds the cleverest. The winner is the one that works that cycle and keeps the forward motion going. Good innovation consists of constant progress, through ups and downs, the trenches and successes. The winner is the one who is willing to take a risk and will act with some degree of faith, and then – in Stigz’ words – “eats the consequences,” whatever they are.

It's a light-hearted reminder that however hard we try, nothing ever is perfect. There’s always going to be a ‘turd’ in it somewhere.  We don’t know if the idea is going to work or be any good, but that’s not what we need to worry about. All we need to worry about is forward motion.

The goal then becomes - not perfection – but rather being the one to put the next pearl on the string. That’s it.

An even better way of looking at it (offered by Jonah Hill in the documentary), is that each little turd has a pearl around it. When something doesn’t go to plan, a lot is learned along the way. By gathering these pearls we drive beautifully, creatively uninhibited, resilient and solid ongoing innovation.

Onwards!