TTI Success Insights Blog

Uncovering New Paths to Innovation: The Medici Effect

Written by Dave Clark | Sep 19, 2018 11:00:00 AM

Maybe you are a business entrepreneur looking for ways to assemble and motivate a productive staff. Maybe you are a human resource professional whose livelihood depends on understanding the best practices for hiring, leading and motivating a workforce. Maybe you are just looking for some inspiration and ideas?

If you are seeking innovative new ways to accomplish your most audacious goals or trying to create unique ways to maximize the potential of everyone on your staff in a meaningful, productive way then you may want to learn a little more about Frans Johansson. His message of creating meaningful change through innovation may revolutionize the way you think about business, and life, in general.

 

Who is Frans Johansson?

In his groundbreaking work entitled The Medici Effect, world-renowned author and motivational speaker, Frans Johansson uncovers non-traditional ways of thinking that create unparalleled positive change for both individuals and organizations.

Since its publication in 2004, The Medici Effect has become the definitive book on how diversity drives innovation. The book’s premise is that we have the best chance of finding game-changing ideas when we combine insights and concepts from diverse fields, industries, cultures and backgrounds. Where innovation is the "what" a company seeks, diversity becomes the "how" that innovation happens most effectively.

Johansson and his team have helped hundreds of organizations and leaders. The Medici Effect has become a “go to” text for leaders in economic development, and has been used to stimulate economic growth and change everywhere from Silicon Valley to Nigeria, Sweden and Australia.


Using diversity and convergence to create positive innovation

Johansson’s message urges individuals and organizations to break down traditional silos and step into a place where different fields, disciplines, departments and cultures converge to create new, remarkable breakthroughs. Thousands of organizations worldwide have incorporated The Medici Effect into everything from strategy and innovation to human resources and marketing.

His general premise is that we can change the rules of the game when we encourage the unexpected. Johansson believes that if we look for new ideas that are closely connected to previous ideas, ground-breaking innovation is less likely. But if we diversify our thoughts and look for ideas where we’ve never looked before, that’s where and when true change can happen.

This especially holds true when you put a group of people together from different backgrounds, ethnicities and genders who all bring unique perspectives to any discussion. The more the people differ in their backgrounds, the greater the chances that their experiences and perspectives will create unique ideas. When you take two radically different ideas and intersect them, that’s where the innovation happens.


How it works

One specific example Johansson has sited in his talks improved procedures within an emergency room in a hospital. This particular hospital was able to minimize the mistakes made in an ER surgery room by using very innovative, non-traditional methods. Instead of observing another hospital’s ER practices, this hospital’s key personnel instead observed NHRA pit crews and how they worked under pressure. Observing this much different, yet similarly high-pressure situation, shed new insight on methods that could be incorporated into the ER to make it operate more effectively.

Johansson believes the answers are always in front of you if you know where to look. What’s most important is to be open to diverse thought and considering things from perspectives never before considered.

 

See Frans Johansson live

Johansson has captivated audiences all over the world and impacted thousands with his message. He will be a featured keynote speaker at TTI Success Insights’ annual conference known as TTISICON, taking place in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday, January 11, 2019. TTISICON brings together industry leaders and visionaries highlighting trends within the management solutions industry. The public is welcome to attend this event and registration for the conference is now open.