I've recently been working a proposal for an innovation program at work. Today, I met with one of my peers to discuss it and he suggested adding an element of competition to the program as a means to drive quality and interest.I recoiled at the suggestion. My reaction was something like "Competition is such a cheap way to drive people, the value created through collaboration is much more interesting." I was thinking of the work of Improv Everywhere, a group I first heard about on This American Life. Their original No Pants stunt is now an annual event in New York City.
When I got home, I set about reviewing the work they've posted on their site, and I ran across a couple of "missions" that made me so happy I wanted to cry. First, "Rob!" in which they turn a significant part of a baseball stadium into willing collaborators. And second, "Best Game Ever," in which the participants in little league baseball game are gifted with what may well recall as one of the best days of their lives.
More collaboration, less competition. Truly a goal worth striving for.
1 comment:
We looked at these. It was fun to look. They were clever.
However, they garner collaboration largely by fiction, theater of a sort. I wonder if there are any collaborations that do not involve deception or mystery (harmless in this case).
Post a Comment