R. Keith Sawyer

Washington University

Collaborative Creativity

Inside the Black Box

Engineering Innovation in Action

Improvising a new business process

The “scientist special”

Improvising a new product

Reframing

The Innovation Process

Improvisation

Collaboration

Emergence

Tony Theresa, when you get a minute could you come here?

Theresa Sure. Just a sec.

Theresa What’s the problem?

Tony The problem is that some of the files need to go on the web server, and some on the video server. On the web, these files [draws on white board], on the video, these files.

Theresa It used to be on one server.

Tony Yeah, but how do you make it simple for the users? This has to go on this server [points], this on that server [points].

Theresa But even here [points] you may have these types of files.

Tony Well, we may at some point, for tech support purposes, have to allow them to have this list [points], or separate GIF and HTML folders.

[Pause, while both of them stare at the white board.]

Tony Here is the problem I see: the folders have to have different names, but you need a folder for each presentation to not override other types of files.

Theresa We need to have it ask the user to give the presentation a name—we need to have Jim add some code that gives it a name. Devin [turns to Devin]—does it make it easier for you if it has the same or separate folders?

3 Separate.

Theresa [Looking at Tony, pointing at Devin] So there’s your answer.

Tony Okay. Then here are the folders [pointing at white board].

Theresa Is index.html your Javascript?

Tony No.

Theresa I’ve got it! Make two starts! This will create two folders.

Tony So that loads start and that loads index?

Theresa You may want to not make it index, because that’s the default presentation.

Tony Having it up here screws you up either way.

Theresa The problem is if you’re doing many presentations…[pauses]. I’m not sure I understand the main issue any more.

Tony There’s a lot of naming issues and overriding issues that have to be addressed.

Theresa Let’s name the issues. Folders need titles for the name of presentation to reduce erroneous overrides.

Tony Plus ease of use for uploading stuff. So, rather than have fifteen folders [draws on the white board]

Theresa The options for multiple presentations are…[she adds to Tony’s drawing]

Tony Okay. So that would have a link to the presentations and to the images!

Theresa Great. Then Devin could point users here [points], and Jim could add the code that names the presentation.

Tony Cool.

Ensemble Jazz

Improv Theater: The Bus Stop

On or off?

I’m getting’ on, sir

In or out?

I’m getting’ in, I’m getting’ in!

All right.

Did I see you tryin’ to get in the back door a couple of stops back? Huh?

That was my brother.

Sawyer (2003). Improvised dialogues. Greenwood.

Group Creativity

Unpredictable

Contingent

Collaborative

Emergent

America’s Most Innovative Company

Knowledge Management

Overall frameworks (outlines, scenarios)

“Bits” (riffs, licks)

Structure is always in dialectic with improvisation

Equivocality

Innovative Teams

Improvisation: Don’t plan; Just do it.Structures: The group shares a few loose structures that guide the work.Expertise: Group members each contribute expertise that fits into the ongoing improvisation. They can reassemble this collective pool into new combinations.Communication: Each group member listens to the others, and they’re good at building on what the others do. Self organization: The group re-organizes itself in response to environmental changes, without central control.Heavily parallel: Small sparks of creativity are happening all the time, and are distributed throughout the organization.Constant failure: Many ideas never go anywhere.

Group Creativity

Improvisation

Collaboration

Emergence

www.keithsawyer.com

Oxford, 2006