Title: Beyond the Obvious: Killer Questions That Spark Game-Changing Innovation

Author: Phil McKinney

Year of Publication: 2012

Category: Innovation Management

“Beyond the Obvious” by Phil McKinney is a compelling guide for fostering innovation within organizations through the power of questioning. McKinney’s primary premise is that groundbreaking innovation arises not from conventional or superficial inquiries but from probing, “killer questions” that challenge assumptions and provoke deeper thinking. This summary provides a structured overview of the book’s major points, enriched with specific examples and actionable advice for implementing McKinney’s strategies.

Summary:
McKinney emphasizes that traditional brainstorming sessions often fall flat because they fail to challenge the status quo. Killer questions are designed to uncover new opportunities and identify hidden barriers to innovation.

Example:
A killer question might be, “What will customers need three years from now that they can’t articulate today?”

Actionable Advice:
When in a strategy meeting, make it a practice to pose and answer at least three killer questions. Encourage the team to think beyond immediate problems and consider long-term, unspoken needs of customers.

Summary:
The Firestarter methodology is McKinney’s structured approach to developing killer questions. It involves identifying obvious assumptions and challenging them with “What if…?” scenarios.

Example:
For a company in the transport industry, an obvious assumption might be that customers value speed above all. A killer question might then be, “What if customers preferred more sustainable transportation over faster options?”

Actionable Advice:
Conduct regular workshops where team members list all known assumptions about your product or service. Challenge each one with “What if…?” questions to explore alternative scenarios.

Summary:
McKinney introduces the concept of “Broken Combs” – individuals who have deep expertise in multiple areas, resembling a comb with a few missing teeth. They are contrasted with “T-shaped” individuals who have deep knowledge in one area and broader skills in others.

Example:
A Broken Comb individual in a tech company might have expertise in software development, user experience design, and cybersecurity.

Actionable Advice:
During the hiring process, evaluate candidates for multiple areas of deep expertise, ensuring they bring versatile skills that can cross-pollinate ideas across different domains.

Summary:
Diversity in teams is crucial because it brings a variety of perspectives and experiences, which can lead to more creative solutions and innovative ideas.

Example:
A tech company developing a new app benefits from including team members with backgrounds in not just coding but also psychology, design, and market research.

Actionable Advice:
Build project teams that encompass a variety of disciplines, cultures, and professional backgrounds. Set protocols to ensure every team member’s voice is heard.

Summary:
Being able to spot trends and forecast future changes is essential for staying ahead of the curve. McKinney discusses tools and techniques for identifying weak signals and emerging trends.

Example:
An example of trendspotting is recognizing the growing consumer interest in augmented reality (AR) and forecasting its impact on retail environments.

Actionable Advice:
Create a trend-spotting task force dedicated to monitoring signals from a variety of sources such as industry reports, academic journals, and social media. Have them present their findings quarterly.

Summary:
For innovation to thrive, organizations must foster a culture that supports experimentation and tolerates failure. Leadership plays a crucial role in setting the tone.

Example:
Google’s 20% time policy encourages employees to spend 20% of their work time on projects they are passionate about, leading to innovations like Gmail.

Actionable Advice:
Implement policies that allow employees to dedicate a portion of their work hours to innovative projects. Celebrate both successes and valuable failures to reinforce a positive attitude towards risk-taking.

Summary:
Quick and early prototyping helps test ideas and gather feedback before significant resources are invested. McKinney argues that working models can often reveal flaws and opportunities that a plan alone cannot.

Example:
A company designing a new coffee maker might create a basic prototype to test user interactions and gather early feedback instead of waiting until the final design phase.

Actionable Advice:
Adopt an iterative process where prototypes are developed, tested, and refined continually. Allocate a small budget specifically for rapid prototyping and testing various ideas.

Summary:
Engaging with customers and obtaining their feedback is vital. However, real insights come from observing behaviors rather than just listening to what customers say they want.

Example:
A retail company might notice that customers frequently handle a product but rarely purchase it, suggesting issues with price or value perception.

Actionable Advice:
Set up observational studies or use analytics tools to track how customers interact with your products and services. Develop surveys that ask about their experiences rather than what they want in future products.

Summary:
Sometimes innovation requires letting go of beloved projects or products that no longer serve the organization’s strategic goals. This can open up resources and focus for more promising initiatives.

Example:
Netflix famously shifted from DVD rentals to streaming despite the former being their initial successful business model.

Actionable Advice:
Regularly review your portfolio of projects and products. Identify those that aren’t yielding expected results and have the discipline to phase them out, no matter how much you’ve invested in them.

Summary:
McKinney underscores the importance of measuring innovation efforts. He discusses various metrics that can provide insight into the effectiveness of innovation initiatives.

Example:
Measuring the time it takes to move from ideation to market launch can indicate the efficiency of the innovation process.

Actionable Advice:
Define a set of innovation metrics relevant to your industry. Possible metrics include the number of new ideas generated, the percentage of those ideas that reach prototype stage, and the return on investment (ROI) for new products launched.

Phil McKinney’s “Beyond the Obvious” serves as a roadmap for cultivating a culture of relentless innovation through the art of asking the right questions. By delving beyond the surface and challenging ingrained assumptions, companies can uncover hidden opportunities and drive meaningful change. The actionable strategies and compelling examples provided by McKinney equip readers with practical tools to implement and sustain innovation within their organizations.

By embracing these practices, organizations can significantly enhance their capacity for innovation and drive sustainable growth.