• I was sitting with a client after a meeting and having an informal catch up. We started talking about machine learning. I went up to the white board, drew a few curves representing hypothetical relationships between two variables, and mentioned how fascinated I was with the ability to model different non-linear patterns of data. That sparked my client’s interest, and we collaborated on applying machine learning algorithms on the data from past quantitative surveys we had done to understand drivers of patient experience. Currently, we are engaging with many key opinion leaders and sharing our insights.
   

• I was travelling to Stockport with a client to do work on women’s health. My client was transitioning to a new role as the business leader for a novel hospital antibiotic. During the train ride, he began talking about the difficulty of understanding what really goes on in the ICU where doctors need to make decisions about patients in a rapidly changing situation. We brainstormed about how to recreate the ICU environment in our research with doctors, and the design we arrived at formed the basis of the insights work that supported the launch. This drug is benefitting many patients with difficult to treat infections.
   

• We were in the midst of trying to reverse the plateauing sales of a client’s brand. In Milan and Rome, we had planned to interview physicians at a qualitative research venue which is the normal practice in healthcare research. Whilst having lunch at a Japanese restaurant, my colleague casually remarked that the salespeople would really know what’s going on. The image of a salesperson in a doctor’s office flashed in my mind, and it occurred to me that doing our work ethnographically in the doctor’s office instead of a venue might help us discover what was actually happening. We changed the design which led to insights that led to a  40% sales growth for the brand in the next 6 months.

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The examples mentioned above are not about big breakthrough innovations but shifts in ways of working that led to positive benefits for the client. The common feature of all these examples was the unplanned nature of the interaction. There were three elements that were at play:

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1. The informal free flowing conversations led to ideas on which we could collaborate: In such settings, it is easier to surface random thoughts, often at the back of one’s mind. These then form the basis of generating new ideas.
 

2. The physical environment facilitated and improved such interactions: The spaces we described were not fancy ideation rooms, but just places where an unstructured conversation could take place easily without distraction. Additionally, physical objects such as the white board can stimulate ideas or help express ideas

The psychologist, Kevin Dunbar, in his research on scientific discovery rigorously observed how scientists actually work in a lab and shed light on different aspects of scientific thinking and creativity. He drew attention to the importance of the physical location and the role of informal discussions amongst scientists to generate and develop novel ideas 
 

3. Having extended periods of “non-productive” time helped the ideas to incubate: What we typically might consider as inefficient use of time, e.g., the breaks between meetings, waiting at airports, long commutes, might help us relax, and provide the space for ideas to develop and mature.     

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Here are a few suggestions to increase the chances of serendipitous innovation based on what we have tried:

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1. Improve the quality of remote interactions:
 

First, consciously allow for meetings to be more informal and less structured. Currently, many remote meetings are run with pre-determined agendas with little room for straying from the structure. Within our company, we deliberately plan for certain meetings that are entirely social in nature or with loose agendas. Similarly, with clients whom we know well, we often set up catch up meetings periodically which invariably help us generate new insights and ideas. With new clients, it is more difficult to have such meetings. Setting up weekly calls to discuss the project often helps. Not only does it help track the progress of the project, but the frequent interactions eventually lead to better relationships and informal conversations.

 

Second, use a host of digital tools, such as Miro, OneNote, and others that facilitate interaction and expression in a richer way.

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Third, take advantage of the online medium to frequently reach out to people with varied backgrounds in different countries. For instance, in the last two weeks I’ve had conversations with ex-colleagues and friends in the US and India on a wide range of topics including how consultants can price their work based on value created, how US Biotechs are thinking about investing in Europe, the unique aspects of serving not-for-profit clients, and how an Indian start up is developing AI-based antibodies.

 

2. Make the extra effort to have face-face interactions:

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Despite our high comfort level in working from home, we have been deliberately scheduling lunch meetings, attending networking events, and finding reasons for our internal team to meet in person. For instance, in a recent McKinsey alumni event I met a few founders of interesting start-ups in healthcare, e.g., using digital twins to create patient databases. I still don’t know where exactly it’s going to lead, but a few interesting seeds have been planted.  

 

3. Find ways to relax and be intentional about your online activity

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As a classic introvert, I get many ideas in solitude when I’m reading, spending time in nature, playing music, or practising sport. Using some of the time saved from not commuting on one’s hobbies, exercise, socialising or just getting more sleep is a great way of getting into a creative state. I have found that deactivating my Facebook account has also helped me reduce noise.

 

That said, often reading interesting posts on social media might spark insights.  I find it very helpful to be intentional about the choice of social media platforms and other channels used, the people one follows, and the time one spends.

 

At Insight Dojo, all the employees attend webinars and take online courses on topics loosely connected to our work, e.g., molecular biology, machine learning, behavioural science, clinical trial design, and cloud computing. These sources provide a constant stream of ideas.

 

But, even in these situations where we might get ideas in solitary situations, sharing these with colleagues or clients helps build practical innovations.