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Solving Problems with Design Thinking: Ten Stories of What Works resources

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1 Dispelling the Moses Myth most of the managers we meet harbor a deep, dark secret: They believe in their hearts that they are not creative. Picasso they know they are not. They also know that being seen as short on talent for invention in these days of innovation mania is almost as bad as not knowing how to populate an Excel spreadsheet. It all seems so unfair. After years spent focusing on prudence and proving the return on investment of any new idea, years spent trying not to look stupid, now all of a sudden we are also expected not to look—what would the word be—unimaginative? And each time some “creativity” consultant asks us to imagine ten novel uses for a paper clip, it confirms what we already know: We are no Steve Jobs, either. For most of us there will be no Moses-like parting of the waters of the status quo that we might safely cross the Red Sea of innovation. Drowning is more likely our fate. But despite popular misconceptions, innate genius isn’t the only way to solve business problems creatively. Those of us who can’t part the waters need instead to build a bridge to take us from cur- rent reality to a new future. In other words, we must manufacture 1

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