Funny thing, but as we grow-up and get “smarter,” we tend to make things more complicated than they need to be, and innovation is no exception. New product innovation is complex enough to begin with; so let’s look at a lesson we learned as children that can help simplify it and deliver more impact.
My wife taught four and five-year olds for many years, and whenever I was lucky enough to see her in action I always learned (or re-learned) something myself. During one visit, it struck me how smooth playtime was. You would think that a room full of five-year olds would be a real beehive of activity; while the children were certainly displaying all of the energy and enthusiasm you would expect, they weren’t flitting from one activity to the next. Since five-year olds don’t have the longest attention spans, I marveled, “How do you keep them so focused?”