Vuja De: You Are Blind To The Opportunities Before Your Very Eyes

We are all familiar with deja vu, however, have you ever really understood the notion of vuja de? This is seeing something for the first time, even if you have experienced it many times before! I am currently whetting my mind (auditory senses through Audible rather) with IDEOS ground-breaking book The 10 Faces Of Innovation. I initially read this one about 7 years ago.

The book at the outset is a delineation of the different types of innovation personalities that can transpire in any organisational system but more importantly; extols the notion that “discovery consists of seeing what everyone is seeing and thinking what no one else has thought”. In fact, it yearns and asks to put aside experiences, preconceived notions about historical events and consequently begs innovators to tap into a “child like curiosity” to identiy new oportunities and coupled solutions to existing problems! Whilst this is not an exhaustive view at all, it does ensconce specific characterisits that we all need to nurture if you intend on driving creativity, change, collaboration and rapid growth in any system. It puts great meaning on contextual switching from role to role (the ten roles are outlined below). Simply put, the book from memory (whilst I am still entertaining the audio book again half way) puts the directive to ASK, WATCH, LEARN and TRY!

This indicative “four fold” method of innovation polarise each other as on one hand it is humanising the scientific method and applying it to the business world and on the other, transgressing the notion that fresh eyes are hard to put aside pre-conceived notions and historical experiences! Specific persona and role types are introdcued such as the Anthropolgist whom is carrying around a ‘bug list‘ and ‘idea wallet‘ opposed to the Observer who acts like a human factor specialist and undertakes field-experiments to identify solutions to existing problems. Altogether, the ten rules exist to glorify the importance of listening to all facets and intricacies across multiple mindsets, annecdotes and to not be biased, polluted and swayed by historical experiences!

The audio book reminds me of the practical framework put forward by Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble’s 10 Rules for Strategic Innovators: From Idea To Execution, however, digs deep into the specific mindsets and requisite capabilities you will require to foster a rapid uptake of innovative practices in your organsition! The ten roles, in brief, are summarised below with some notes on their key differentiators:

1. Anthropologist (insights, learning and the devils advocate)

2. Experimenter (likes prototyping)

3. Cross Pollinator (demolishes roadblocks)

4. Organiser (garners resources)

5. Collaborator (customer focused and middle of the pack)

7. Director (sparkts talent and implements change)

8. Set Designer

9. Caregiver

10. Story Teller (narrative driven decision making anyone)

At this stage, IDEO establishes these notions as paradigms to any organisaitonsl system wanting to exploit these persona types as they collectively add signficant value to emergent order. It’s also a very practical reference point for anyone wanting to take an end to end view towards creavitiy and driving new value creation. I do intend on expanding this critque further once the book is finished as it also relates strongly to the concepts of strategic innovations.