I am currently at the Water Innovation Summit in
Singapore. A 2 day event, involving 350 senior water executives from 35
countries, all passionately and fervently discussing ways to make the water
industry better. I love it.
Last February, in Note 84, I shared that I had been
invited to chair one of the sessions. I requested suggestions on how I could
make my session a bit more lively and engaging and I was bombarded with ideas.
I submitted to the organisers seven different options, ranging from the
traditional (read bland) through to the truly audacious (read mad). They picked
option 3, nearer the traditional than the audacious, but still with some
surprising elements. As part of my session, which was focussed on the culture, values and behaviours that an
organisation needs to adopt to be a successful innovator, I had invited Vikram
Banerjee, a former professional athlete (cricket) and current Head of Consulting
for Footdown, to give a thought-provoking talk about experiences from outside
the water sector. It was during his talk that I experienced something that will
stay with me for a very long time….
As a short ice-breaker exercise Vikram asked everyone in
the audience to take a piece of paper, find a partner and then, in 30 seconds,
draw a picture of that person. After a brief moment of stilted discomfort
everyone got on with the task and, 30 seconds later the room was abuzz with nervous
laughter as we all shared our pathetic artistic creations, caveated with lots
of apologies for how bad they were. The aim of the exercise had been to
demonstrate how, as we get older, we tend to be less open to failure and it
worked perfectly. Children apparently embrace this exercise, yet as adults we
don’t like to do something where we know the result won’t be brilliant so we
tend not to try. This fear of failure stifles innovation. It was a brilliant point,
very well made.
I happened to be sitting next to His Excellency Dr So-and-so
(names not my strong point) from Cambodia. He is a member of the Royal family
and is also a senior director of the national water agency. He was my drawing
partner. Due to the language barrier I am not sure he fully understood the
purpose of the task, but he enthusiastically participated nonetheless. His
picture of me looked like Yul Brenner (probably not unfair). Unfortunately my
picture of him looked like Hitler. Realising my emerging mistake I hastily drew
on glasses to try and soften the impact. I think I got away with it. We laughed,
we bonded, we moved on.
It was, without a doubt, my personal highlight from the
summit. So far at least. We still have another day to go…..
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