Boundary Crosser

Diversity of Thought

I ran across two articles that speak to the importance of boundary crossing, the second just published today by The New York Times:

• Diversity of Thought:The Next Frontier
• Innovative Minds Don't Think Alike

Both articles emphasize how breakthroughs depend on resisting the temptation to surround ourselves with people who are like us. Homogeneity is the enemy of innovation.

The people who specifically don't fit the corporate culture are the ones who are likely to challenge the status quo, question outdated assumptions, and see the blinding obvious that the insiders have overlooked. The dumb question leads to smart insights.

Boundary Crossers are those individuals who not only ask the dumb questions but then go one step further to cross-pollinate.  The second article has a great example of a flashlight manufacturer getting a boost in sales when an employee with consumer packaging expertise but new to the flashlight industry suggested colors that appealed to women.

Is it my imagination or are there more and more examples of how boundary crossers are needed specifically because they don't fit? 

How to Save a Life

Students from Northwestern University's law school, medical school, management school and engineering school, are part of a boundary-crossing entrepreneurship program. Placed into teams of four, one from each school, these students shadow hand-picked physicians in hospitals.  The intended outcome of these groups:

• To develop ideas for new medical devices
• To identify process improvements that will increase patient safety

I particularly like this program because it imprints the value of boundary crossing before these soon-to-be professionals have specialized.  This isn't teaching smart people how to be dilettantes. It's having them try on a different lens, together, to produce a tangible result--one that could save lives. Innovation sprouts from multi-disciplinary teams.

I found out about this program from William White, a professor in both the engineering and management schools at Northwestern. As you might guess, White is a boundary crosser, but not just in his interest in both engineering and management. He crosses generational boundaries.

As the former CEO of Bell and Howell, a trustee of major institutions and a director on the board of several large companies, including Reader’s Digest, he operates easily in the world of corporate executives. And he seemlessly connects with his students. One of his passions is helping students and new grads navigate the work world, at the start of their careers. In fact, I first met White when I interviewed him about his book, From Day One. His undergraduate students also keep him grounded in today's technology. He's one of the first people I know to buy a Kindle, the new e-book reader offered by Amazon.

New ideas can come from anywhere. And I'm a firm believer that useful new ideas are more likely to come from boundary crossers.