Action listening
I moderated a brilliant panel discussion and conversation last night about the innovation of “citizen journalism.”
When it comes to innovation, we need to start talking about action listening.
True innovations surprise the imaginations of the market and by definition do not come from market demand. ÒListeningÓ to the market, when it comes to innovations, is not possible through traditional market and best practices research Ð because it makes no sense to ask the market if it wants something itÕs never seen or experienced before.
Keep in mind that this was tried with innovations as humble as Kleenex, Post-Its and the typewriter. What did the market say when asked if they wanted these? A loud ÒNo.Ó Period.
The only way to see if a market (of early adopters) exists is to pilot/field-test the innovation real-time. To prototype and learn from the experience is Òaction listening.Ó This was the only way these three innovations won enough early adopter support to attract market tipping points and legitimacy.
January 26th, 2006 10:23
Readers of this post would be better informed if the comments in the email thread you started were shared here…
January 26th, 2006 10:29
Thanks G. This was an email from Valdis (Krebs / www.orgnet.com) this morning in response:
I think the iPod is another example… no Apple computer user was dreaming of an MP3 player… but now the iPod with podcasting and iTunes and video on demand[my choice my schedule] is changing the whole media business!
Apple has been very good at “action listening” w/ the iPod… something they were not so good at with the Mac from the late 80s to the late 90s. Then with the first iMac they got a “hearing aid”….
January 26th, 2006 10:34
This from Ed Morrison (www.edpro.blogspot.com):
The idea of active listening solves for me the paradox of innovation: How do you design something new for a need that the market doesn’t even know it has?
Wow. The brainpower we have amazes me.
January 26th, 2006 10:36
From June Holley:
Add to that learning to identify those early adopters and building relationships with them so we can continually feed them innovations to explore with us. Early adopters like to feel they are on the leading edge, but we also want to look for those who really like to make things happen and are willing to take time to share with us what they’re learning.
January 28th, 2006 16:25
And I want to add that this not something that is so unique that it bypasses NEOhio and it’s “old school” mindset. Case in Point:
As late as 1990, the preparation and planning for radiation therapy for cancer was done using conventional simulators that essentially made fuzzy x-rays that oncologist, physicists, and dosemetrist would use with grease pencils and protractors to figure out the best angle to bombard the patient’s tumor. The process took about and hour and a half putting the patient who was in pain, sick, and scared into uncomfortable positions.
Along came Picker International (now Philips) who came up with the idea of using CT scanners for 3-D pictures of the patient and created 3-D manipulation, much like in video games, to make more precise solutions in about 22 minutes. Back then the market said “huh?, I didn’t know you can do that” and in the notoriously conservative medical industry, CT simulation is now the predominant and preferred method of radiation therapy planning.
See, we CAN do it.
January 28th, 2006 18:06
Great example Steve. I heard the pacemaker inventor once say if he tried to invent it today with what he had to work with then, he’d never be able to given the legal hurdles that would prevent the kind of prototyping he had to do.