A whimsical exploration of innovation techniques from a fractal point of view!

1. Zoom In
ZOOM IN
Innovation
May 2009
© Mick Yates May 2009 1

2. science?
Science?
z(0) = c = pixel
z(n+1) = z(n)^2 + c
© Mick Yates May 2009 2

3. beauty?
© Mick Yates May 2009 3

4. Beauty?
© Mick Yates May 2009 4

5. beauty?
© Mick Yates May 2009 5

6. new, or the same?
© Mick Yates May 2009 6

7. is this something new?
© Mick Yates May 2009 7

8. … or this?
© Mick Yates May 2009 8

9. … or this?
© Mick Yates May 2009 9

10. Innovation - just the other side of chaos?
© Mick Yates May 2009 10

11. Zoom Out
ZOOM OUT
© Mick Yates May 2009 11

12. this beige dot is the same …?
© Mick Yates May 2009 12

13. beige dot …. context makes it different?
© Mick Yates May 2009 13

14. beige dot …. relationships confuse?
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15. beige dot …. hair or sand?
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16. beige dot …. who cares?
It’s the big
picture that
counts!
© Mick Yates May 2009 16

17. Being a fractal in plain English…
• Leaders need to encourage and train
themselves and others to
– ENVISION: Look for patterns
– ENABLE: Provide tools to look for and act
on patterns
– EMPOWER: Allow people to find their own
tools and patterns
– ENERGIZE: Find ways to motivate people to
find their own tools and patterns
© Mick Yates May 2009 17

18. Point attractors …
People are drawn to
one particular
activity, or repelled
from another.
There is a point when
the energies are in
balance – the “saddle
point”.
e.g. programs are a
“point”, and so are
“dollar targets”.
agree on common goals
© Mick Yates May 2009 18

19. Cycle attractors …
People are drawn first to
one thing and then to
another, like a circling
magnet, attracting, then
repelling, then attracting
again.
e.g. keep thinking that
you can’t do anything
about a problem you
face .. not knowing
how to work with
others to fix it!
agree on external enemies
© Mick Yates May 2009 19

20. Torus attractors …
People are drawn to a
complex set of attracting
events which are
important to them on
many levels – repeating
again, year in and year
out.
e.g. seeing one’s own
experiences & function
as central to the needs
of the organization!
agree on interdependence
© Mick Yates May 2009 20

21. Strange attractors … Lorenz
Like a person who pulls
other people towards
them - like the gravity
around a star. The
people (points) will
remain in chaos and
change unpredictably.
Regardless of how
chaotic points
become, they will
always remain in an
agree on common values
orbit around the
attractor. © Mick Yates May 2009 21

22. Being an attractor in plain English
• Leaders need to encourage and train
themselves and others to
– ENVISION:Build a dream based on a common
valueset
– ENABLE:Institutionalize the dream with an action
plan (IQ?)
– EMPOWER: Provide opportunities to repeat
people’s learning about the dream (EQ?)?)
– ENERGIZE: Understand what makes people
dream and how to respond
© Mick Yates May 2009 22