Are You Willing to Innovate?
A few weeks ago I performed at an event for Kaplan University entertaining at a conference they were hosting in Chicago for their faculty and administrative staff. I'd been contracted to present my comedy waiter routine, my stage show and a customized keynote on innovation and its relevance to education.
My father was a teacher and university professor. I grew up with a passion for learning; the core principles of education were a topic of discussion in my home and I've always been interested in innovative approaches to growth. I spent a lot of time on my keynote. I had ten pages of notes to use at the podium following my show.
My work as a meeting presenter is all about innovation. I compete for work in an industry that demands it, since most crowds have short attention spans and have seen it all before. Teachers know what I'm talking about. Our audiences often sit in the back of the room with their arms crossed, demanding to be won over before they will engage. Innovation can bring our audiences to life.
The question, "How do we innovate?" however, is not a very innovative question. The question itself reinforces the assumption that we don't already know how to innovate. On the contrary, we are born with innovation in our bloodstream. Children are the most innovative people on the planet and they do it without extra prep time, rounds of meetings or government grants. They do it because they have necessity in the moment and they see things the way they are and respond to them without hesitation.
I was quite excited about my keynote actually and couldn't wait to consider these ideas with a room full of 400 passionate and dedicated educators.
Fast forward to the actual event. The room I wound up performing in was the rotunda of a beautiful art gallery. The only problem was that it was a performer's nightmare. The ten giant square pillars that held up the roof of this room ran the length of the space in pairs, basically making it impossible for everyone in the room to see the same thing at the same time.
The waiter routine was no problem, but for the show I had to modify most of it on the spot to keep the audience engaged. They loved the show, though a small number of audience members who couldn't see anything were conversing loudly in ad hoc groups at the back of the hall.
When it came time for the keynote it was clear that standing behind a podium while 25% of the audience were chatting animatedly in the same room was not going to fly; in fact it would have been deadly. My fabulous scripted talk on innovation had been suddenly replaced by the need for actual innovative action.
I walked off the stage right down to the edge of the crowd and started to speak about what I know of learning and innovation. I connected to the real people who were there, attentive and eager for something real and somehow it flowed right out. Many people communicated that they were deeply appreciative and even touched by my comments.
Innovation is a result of pursuing reality, understanding a circumstance or a person deeply and directly, at which point it will often be obvious to us what we can do that will be effective. Innovation is not something we make up out of thin air; it’s the ability to respond to what is being called for by real life. Then the necessity to innovate is no longer an obstacle, something we feel that we are obligated to do to keep our jobs or save our businesses; it becomes the basis of the delight we take in going to work, serving our children, going to school and just getting up each and every day.
Buffet Line Fun
Quotable
"I got an A in philosophy because I proved that my professor didn't exist."
Judy Tenuta"My parents sent my brother through law school. He graduated. Now he's suing them for wasting seven years of his life."
Mike Binder
Past Newsletter Topics
Kindness Heals Everyone
Get Out of Jail Free
3 Things to Remember in an Economic Downturn
If You Love Something ...
Does Your Success Need an Audience?
Perfectionism or Professionalism?
What Doesn't Kill You ...
Ever Had One of Those Days?
The Power of Humor and Relaxation
Rick's Agent Friendly Site
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Monthly Laugh on Video
of The World's Funniest Waiter in action.
Rick Lewis has been entertaining and inspiring audiences for the last 30 years. The success of The World's Funniest Waiter over the years is based on clean, interactive comedy and high-level circus skills.
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