Innovation by Accident
Greetings. While successful and consistent innovation is all about creating and following a clear and engaging process, it's also about being curious and flexible. There are many wonderful examples of this notion, including the invention of Scotchgard–the amazing fabric protector. Simply spray it on your favorite carpet, cloth sofa, or winter coat and the most disgusting dirt, grime, and slime will refuse to stick. Remarkable! Now, one might imagine that this "miracle" of modern science and technology was created in some world-class laboratory by the deliberate work of a team of highly-educated geniuses. Geniuses who happened to be passionate about protecting fabric and furniture. But that wouldn't be the case…
In 1952 a group of researchers at 3M, a company with a very rich history of innovation, were trying to create new products using fluorochemicals. As part of this effort, a team member named Patsy Sherman was given the challenge of developing a rubber material that would resist deterioration from jet aircraft fuels. Unfortunately, her best efforts would fail. But one day, an assistant working in her lab accidentally spilled a few drops of an experimental compound on her new tennis shoes, and became frustrated when she was unable to clean the drops off. Sherman was curious about the resiliency of this compound and with help from another 3M chemist named Sam Smith began to think about the possibility of creating a fluorochemical polymer that could actually repel oil and water from fabric. It was an idea that would lead to the creation of Scotchgard.
Sometimes we win in business merely by accident, and even that requires a sense of curiosity and discipline. And we always win by protecting the very "fabric" of those we have the privilege to serve. Will you and your colleagues be ready when the right mistakes present themselves? If not, it might be time to stretch your thinking about where brilliant ideas often come from.
Cheers!
