Comments on: The Death Metaphor http://www.innovationfactory.eu/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/ Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:51:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Gyuri van de Bilt http://www.innovationfactory.eu/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-81 Gyuri van de Bilt Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:15:53 +0000 http://www.innovationfactory.nl/blog/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-81 Focusing on the positive insights/experience an idea brought you would be best. If your are looking for a single one or two word description this might be hard to capture; you could try to use terms like 'learning project', 'experience' or 'eye-opener'. Otherwise it would at least be a big improvement to use terms like 'discontinued', 'parked' or.... instead of 'killing' and 'death'! Focusing on the positive insights/experience an idea brought you would be best.
If your are looking for a single one or two word description this might be hard to capture; you could try to use terms like ‘learning project’, ‘experience’ or ‘eye-opener’. Otherwise it would at least be a big improvement to use terms like ‘discontinued’, ‘parked’ or…. instead of ‘killing’ and ‘death’!

]]> By: Innovation Factory Blog » Blog Archive » Venture capitalists understand innovation principles http://www.innovationfactory.eu/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-80 Innovation Factory Blog » Blog Archive » Venture capitalists understand innovation principles Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:04:22 +0000 http://www.innovationfactory.nl/blog/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-80 [...] A lot of projects end up floating around. My colleague Jaap Linssen recently wrote an interesting blogpost about the terminology used in the decision to stop a project/idea. For an effective idea management process it is critical that the attitude in organisations towards [...] [...] A lot of projects end up floating around. My colleague Jaap Linssen recently wrote an interesting blogpost about the terminology used in the decision to stop a project/idea. For an effective idea management process it is critical that the attitude in organisations towards [...]

]]> By: Bart http://www.innovationfactory.eu/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-84 Bart Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:31:30 +0000 http://www.innovationfactory.nl/blog/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-84 The basic premise is that every idea brings you closer to the piece of gold, right? Then why not broaden the death methaphor? I think every idea can do one of the following things: 1) provide fundament (new insights, knowledge) 2) provide direction (process) 3) provide movement (momentum, spirit, vision) 4) cross the finish line (goal) When observed like this, an idea is never worthless, it just has a lifecycle. And all completed lifecycles of different ideas lead to added value (1 through 4) for the organization. So, when an idea reaches the end of its lifecycle, or dies, it's up to you to decide how that idea is remembered. How did it contribute towards the organizational/innovation goals? If you approach it like this, there's no failures or dead ideas, only learning points or contributions. You could even use a methaphor of an idea-relay-race, where 'dead ideas' could be called sprints ;) The basic premise is that every idea brings you closer to the piece of gold, right? Then why not broaden the death methaphor? I think every idea can do one of the following things:

1) provide fundament (new insights, knowledge)
2) provide direction (process)
3) provide movement (momentum, spirit, vision)
4) cross the finish line (goal)

When observed like this, an idea is never worthless, it just has a lifecycle. And all completed lifecycles of different ideas lead to added value (1 through 4) for the organization. So, when an idea reaches the end of its lifecycle, or dies, it’s up to you to decide how that idea is remembered. How did it contribute towards the organizational/innovation goals?

If you approach it like this, there’s no failures or dead ideas, only learning points or contributions. You could even use a methaphor of an idea-relay-race, where ‘dead ideas’ could be called sprints ;)

]]> By: Jaap Linssen http://www.innovationfactory.eu/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-83 Jaap Linssen Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:13:53 +0000 http://www.innovationfactory.nl/blog/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-83 Thanks Bart. Great examples. However, I am specially looking for a positive word for deciding not to further invest in an idea/project. As in general you need to decide this 99 times to find that single piece of gold (1 in 100). Jaap Thanks Bart. Great examples. However, I am specially looking for a positive word for deciding not to further invest in an idea/project. As in general you need to decide this 99 times to find that single piece of gold (1 in 100).

Jaap

]]> By: Bart http://www.innovationfactory.eu/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-82 Bart Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:30:14 +0000 http://www.innovationfactory.nl/blog/2008/10/10/the-death-metaphor/#comment-82 My suggestion: turn towards (sports-) coaching. One of the main things I've learned as a coach is that you always need to talk task-centered, goal-orientated and positive. Don't focus on what shouldn't happen, focus on what should and how you could accomplish that. For innovation, the same applies. Like Yoda said: do, or do not, there is no try. This means there are no failures, only learning points. What can we learn from stuff that turned out different than we expected? How can we apply those learning points towards future initiatives? As far as your example goes: don't focus on preventing ideas from bleeding to death (-), instead learn how to keep them alive (+)! My suggestion: turn towards (sports-) coaching. One of the main things I’ve learned as a coach is that you always need to talk task-centered, goal-orientated and positive. Don’t focus on what shouldn’t happen, focus on what should and how you could accomplish that. For innovation, the same applies. Like Yoda said: do, or do not, there is no try.

This means there are no failures, only learning points. What can we learn from stuff that turned out different than we expected? How can we apply those learning points towards future initiatives? As far as your example goes: don’t focus on preventing ideas from bleeding to death (-), instead learn how to keep them alive (+)!

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