One of the joys of pioneering an innovative new concept like ours, is the opportunity it gives to connect with other people who are thinking 'outside the box' and 'pushing boundaries.' This provides a sort of metaphorical camp-fire which offers warmth and comfort, as well as the camaraderie and encouragement that develops as people share stories and experiences.
Often the stories have the same theme and story line, yet they remain fascinating for several reasons:
- They are like a serial or a soap-opera that is never complete; they keep the audience coming back to find out what happens next.
- They tend to be like those party games where one person starts the story and then someone else has to take it up and continue it. This is because every time the protagonist reaches an impasse, the audience chip in and say, "Have you tried this?" or "Have you tried that? This all becomes very compelling, simply because we become personally involved and thus feel we have a stake in the outcome.
- The 'characters' – the concepts that are being championed.
As ever, the great stories, are the ones that have the best characters. Some are bland and, rather like a pet, only of interest to their owner/originator. Others are 'cute' and have people cooing over them because they are so good-looking and appealing. Yet others are like comic-book characters; they have enormous appeal for a very select group of people. But every once in a while, one comes along with the hallmark of greatness: a 'character' so revolutionary and grand that it is simply mind-blowing.
Well, I came across one yesterday, called "The PRIZM Game." This appears to be a relatively straightforward game that, in the space of anything from a few hours to a couple of days, can be used to develop the answer to any non-chemical or mathematical problem. Still in its very early stages of market development, this 'game' has already saved one company that has used it over £24 million in under two years.
What I saw blew my mind to the extent that I just cannot stop myself from telling everyone about it – and this after only a three quarters of an hour presentation. Obviously I am not best qualified to tell you much more about it, but I recommend you find out more for yourself by going to www.relishinnovation.co.uk. If you or your organisation are serious about innovation you cannot afford not to!