Yesterday I ordered the book recommended by Lianne Dalziel in her Newsroom article, “How Big Things Get Done”, by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner.
I’m excited about this book because for a long time I have been unsettled by standard decision-making processes. In all my work in design I have labelled it “slowing down to speed up”. And this is what a rigorous design process must demand. Without reading the book, I can be pretty sure this will echo the book’s message.
I am really looking forward to reading the authors’ recommendations for how me might do this. My observation over the years led me to thinking about how we put together a decision-making team. In the rush to get started it seems to me that we are in the habit of involving whoever is available, and if external, do they fit budget.
Once again, this is my personal view, but I can say it hasn’t made me very popular over the years. The refrain “AND Dorenda, we need to make a quick decision here” is something I have experienced many times over in questioning the big picture. “We have an agenda and limited time; can you keep your questions till later.” But we know, there is no later because we are so focused on speed.
The problem with this approach is that, in putting a team together, we tend to consider diversity in terms of profession, gender and culture. What started to become obvious to me was that we were missing an opportunity by not seeking out people with a broad view not limited to their professional standing. Those questioning minds, big-picture thinkers, creative heads, that can help us truly understand the challenge at hand.
It's been a long journey, and one that has taken me away from standard design thinking.
I had a hunch, that neurodiverse people were key to new thinking, and statistically, the numbers are huge. The most common neurodiversity is dyslexia, most frequently hiding in plain sight.
Some work Unlock Innovation Unlock Innovation Limited did recently, with a city council owned entity, has had enormous effect across that organisation. In the end everyone wanted to have a dyslexic project partner.
What Unlock Innovation is working toward, is a world where we recognise that we are all neurodiverse, and for a reason. Those who have been sidelined in the past by our “think fast” mentality, have significant benefits to offer organisations, and to our country.
I look forward to commenting on the book once I’ve read it.
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