Making Ideas Happen (18 page)

The power of accountability comes from your community—those around you who have a vested interest in your work and life. As you have learned from our discussion of the benefits of transparency and joining or creating circles of peers, your accountability to your own ideas is greatly amplified when you “go public” on any project—and even more so when you publicly proclaim your goals.

The Benefits of a Shared Work Space

In the traditional corporate world, the hierarchy within teams and the forces of face time, repeated checkin meetings, and bureaucratic project management tools are al sources of accountability. There is value in having someone look over your shoulder.

Sometimes we need a push.

However, many of the mechanisms for accountability in the traditional corporate setting are overly burdensome, demotivating, and antiquated. A new set of technologies now enables us to stay accountable to our col eagues and managers without having to stay in plain sight. We can access our e-mail and schedule from anywhere in the world.

In theory, we can always be reached. In some ways, the avenues of accountability provided by technology also enable us to live freer, more flexible lives.

To understand how systems for accountability can be incorporated into a flexible work flow that suits idea generation, we should examine the emerging movement known as “coworking.”

The notion of coworking is very simple. Professionals across industries—whether freelance or ful -time telecommuters—gather in a neutral space to work together. It can be a coffee shop or an open office space that rents out desks. While the professionals may never col aborate, they share a work environment that fosters focus and professionalism. In some ways, coworking provides the benefits of an office environment without the costs. There is no boss on site, no face time, and no office politics. But everyone feels a slight pressure to stay focused. In addition, the exchange of best practices and the impromptu col aborations that are supposed to happen in the classic work environment flourish even more so among disparate coworkers.

Tony Bacigalupo was an early proponent of the coworking movement in New York City and ultimately founded a physical coworking environment cal ed “New Work City” that a number of freelancers and telecommuters from across industries use on a daily basis.

Bacigalupo believes that coworking is the answer for any creative mind that is pursuing ideas professional y. “We’re social animals that wil go stir crazy in an isolated space ful of distractions,” he explains. “More important, we need interaction with others and a motivation to stay focused.” Bacigalupo’s eyes light up as he describes the benefits when individuals working across industries gather in a single social environment—and how coworking is redefining our notions of the contemporary workplace. He tel s me that, after a day of coworking, people often feel as if they’ve completed multiple days’ worth of work.

Bacigalupo recal s a story from early in his coworking days, when he received an email with a funny YouTube link. His impulse to fal for the distraction was overcome when he glanced over at one of his coworking friends, squarely focused on his tasks. “I felt social y compel ed to keep working,” Bacigalupo tel s me. “There is such value in other people watching what you are doing—not necessarily your boss, but someone that you real y respect.”

But it turns out that accountability isn’t the only benefit of coworking. Bacigalupo also cites both job opportunities and increased creative output as products of the trend, noting, “Many freelancing friends of mine have gotten gigs out of coworking, some have gotten valuable feedback from skil ed col eagues, and others have started entire companies based on brainstorms that started in coworking spaces. Diversity of skil s is actual y one of the strengths of coworking. By bringing like-minded folks from diverse professions together into one place, you create a very powerful contingent of brainpower.”

Seeking Stimulation from Serendipity

Some of the most productive creative minds rely on a periodic dose of surprise to stay stimulated. Or, as RISD president John Maeda once phrased it on his Twitter feed, “Diversity of opinions and circumstances increases the likelihood of ‘happy accidents.’

Serendipity comes from differences.” Stimulation is not only necessary when developing new ideas, it’s also critical when refining solutions to a particular problem. Your brain benefits from new angles that come from outside your point of view.

Some creative leaders credit past mistakes for creative breakthroughs. At the TED

conference in 2008, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi explained that many of his design ideas come from “mistakes or tricks of the eye.” Mistakes are il uminating because they are unexpected. But you don’t need to screw up in order to find randomness. Consider a few of the strategies we have seen in the field—al methods for prompting and taking advantage of serendipity in the everyday work environment:
Work amidst other fields of expertise.
Coworking and efforts to gather people with varied expertise together in the same work environment wil prompt unexpected exchanges. Much research shows that the intersection of different disciplines is the catalyst for revolutionary insight. In his book
The Medici Effect
, Frans Johansson makes the case that an explosion of insight happens “at the intersection of different fields, cultures, and industries.” Among the many examples in Johansson’s book is a spontaneous discussion between a fisherman and an architect that resulted in a new design for fishing nets that transformed the yields for Italian fisherman. Diversity of expertise sparks new ways of looking at old problems. To capture the benefits of cross-pol ination, we must avoid isolating ourselves in heterogeneous work environments.

Take advantage of mistakes.
When you do make an error, al ow yourself to briefly continue down the same path. If only for an alternative perspective (which is sometimes difficult to get), use every mistake as a lens to see things differently. One of the most famous examples of discovery by mistake is the invention of the microwave oven by Raytheon scientist Percy LeBaron Spencer during World War I. While working on the development of a radar system to assist the Al ied armies in the detection of Nazi warplanes, Spencer stood in front of an operating magnetron. Later, the unassuming scientist realized that the candy bar that had been in his pocket had melted. Further experimentation to understand this accident created an entire industry.

Another example is the invention of the Post-it note—the result of a batch of poorly developed adhesive. The adhesive, concocted in 3M’s labs, was so weak and unreliable that it sparked the idea for a temporary adhesive—one whose weakness was, in fact, its greatest feature.

The mistakes that led to the discoveries of both the commercial microwave and the Post-it note could have been simply ignored—a ruined shirt pocket and a discarded batch of adhesive. However, in both examples, the creative individuals involved decided to take advantage of their errors. As a result, we have two inventions that are now used around the world on a daily basis.

PUSHING IDEAS OUT TO YOUR COMMUNITY

IT IS NOW
easier to understand why ideas seldom happen in isolation. Ideas die quickly without the forces around us that keep them top of mind. If we are transparent enough, our ideas gain traction from the feedback and accountability provided by those around us. Every idea has multiple potential constituents, and it is your job to inform and engage those who can play a crucial role in your pursuits.

The value of communal forces is tapped only if you are able to market your ideas wel enough to engage others. While the first set of communal forces we discussed was of the “pul ” variety—pul ing people into your process to benefit the ideas themselves—we wil now discuss the second set, which is al about the “push.” How you market your ideas —and yourself—wil determine the impact you make and the breadth of community you wil reach. Your ability to push your ideas broadly wil also depend on how wel you tune in to the needs and concerns of others.

Overcome the Stigma of Self-Marketing

On January 12, 2007, the
Washington Post
conducted a rather odd experiment involving a $3.5 mil ion Stradivarius violin, a Washington, D.C., Metro station, and Joshua Bel , arguably one of the most famous and critical y acclaimed violinists in the world.

A few days earlier, Bel had performed at Boston’s Symphony Hal , where even the cheap tickets go for a hundred bucks apiece. But on this winter day, at the height of the morning commute, Bel positioned himself in the busy L’Enfant Plaza Metro station, dressed in street clothes and a basebal cap, and played some of the finest classical pieces ever written, such as the Chaconne from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partita no. 2

in D Minor, and Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria.”

As Bel delivered a virtuosic performance, more than a thousand busy commuters rushed past him on their way to work. Nearly every single one failed to appreciate his skil , and only a single person recognized him. After playing for forty-three minutes, Bel had col ected only $32.17. In short, his precious gift went largely unnoticed.

In some ways, it is deeply depressing that someone as talented as Joshua Bel could not break through the cacophony of an everyday commute. At the same time, people would likely have been awe-struck by the surprise performance had they been given the right context clues—like a sign announcing Bel ’s use of a $3.5 mil ion violin, or a velvet rope surrounding the performance area.

Clearly, marketing matters. But al too often, marketing gets a bad rap, especial y when the product being marketed is you. Honest attempts to market your skil s can be perceived as self-aggrandizing, so, out of fear of being perceived as self-centered or too promotional, we hesitate to market ourselves overtly.

Nevertheless, we can al agree that your ability to access the resources and opportunities in your community is dependent upon others recognizing your qualifications, your initiative, and your interests. After al , if nobody knows what you are doing and what you need to succeed, then you’l fail to engage anyone. A certain degree of self-promotion is required if you don’t want to live a professional life that resembles the Joshua Bel experiment. If people are not made to recognize your strengths, how wil they know when, where, and how to leverage them?

I touched on the trend toward a more mobile, independent workforce earlier in this book, and while researching the topic, I spoke with Sara Horowitz, founder and executive director of the Freelancers Union, an organization that strives to create a platform for freelance workers. At the time, the Freelancers Union was experiencing explosive growth, with its membership nearly doubling from 55,000 independent workers to wel over 105,000 in just a year’s time. More and more people were deciding to go solo, often abandoning corporate jobs in favor of a more autonomous lifestyle practicing their craft.

Horowitz acknowledged that freelancers across industries share a common struggle in marketing themselves. When you work alone, you don’t have a marketing department or a team of people to make sales cal s. “Freelancers need to spend half of their time marketing themselves and the other half doing their work,” Horowitz explained. Without marketing, freelancers aren’t adequately showcasing their capabilities, which can result in a drought of new clients.

But the stigma around self-marketing and overt promotional efforts runs strong among independent workers. Creatives, in particular, are often guilty of leaping into new projects with a “build it and they wil come” attitude that privileges notions of undeniable genius over the effectiveness of smart marketing.

Horowitz believes that the difference between deplorable and sensational self-marketing is in the intentions. “Marketing should not be seen as fake,” she explains. “At its best, marketing is building relationships—and learning.” When you go to lunch with people, when you ask for feedback and develop a relationship based on mutual exchange of information, it is optimized marketing. It is optimal because the intentions are multidimensional. You’re valuing the process of getting to know someone, learning something new, and, in the process, familiarizing them with your capabilities. Self-marketing, it seems, is akin to cross-pol ination. You have the opportunity to communicate your objectives by seeking to understand those of others.

Al of us can learn from the unique chal enges that freelancers face. Since freelancers don’t have a boss to reward (and build upon) strengths with new opportunities, they must proactively seek new projects that showcase their strengths. And since freelancers typical y lack the resources to do PR blitzes—and hesitate to overtly promote themselves given the nature of their community—they must focus on marketing by building relationships. Out of necessity, freelancers take the responsibility for communicating their strengths into their own hands.

When you work within an organization, it is easier to depend on others to give you opportunities. When I worked with Rob Kaplan, the former vice chairman of Goldman Sachs, he shared stories of middle managers, disappointed after their year-end review and bonus, complaining about not being promoted and recognized for their true potential. They would blame their managers, but Kaplan would urge them to look inward instead. “Your career is 100 percent your responsibility,” he would say. Marketing one’s strengths, Kaplan believed, was ultimately a responsibility that each person had to accept for him-or herself.

You can’t rely on others—especial y your managers and clients—to engage your strengths. In an ideal world, managers would constantly be thinking about how to best utilize their people—and clients would always unearth your greatest potential.

Unfortunately, the reality is that bosses and clients are as worried about their own careers as you are about your own. You must take the task of marketing your strengths into your own hands.

Once you accept responsibility for marketing yourself, you can start to mine for opportunities. Often, the opportunity to showcase your greatest strengths arises as a side project or extracurricular activity outside the scope of your official duties. Little problems pop up al the time that are, in fact, opportunities to which you can add a unique value. Fight the desire to wait for instructions, and learn to showcase your skil s and expertise without an invitation.