It takes a lot of links to make a chain useful and of all the links in the chain, we’ve heard, it’s still only as strong is the weakest link. But that kind of thinking can make us reason that if we’re part of that chain then there’s no benefit in being any better than that weakest link. That might seem to make some sense but it’s really only an excuse to be mediocre. Most of us have heard about the weak link for years but we never talk about the the most valuable link.
I still remember the first time my bike chain came off and I learned about the “most valuable link” in the chain, the master link. The master link was different from the rest because it was the connector link. All the other links were closed links but the master link could open up and connect to other links and bring the whole chain together again. Being a master link in the value chain is always going to be more valuable because you can connect and bring people and ideas together. Whatever it is you do in your profession you can always add more value to your link by connecting ideas and people. That is what so much of innovation comes from. Malcolm Gladwell in his book “the Tipping Point” shows us the value of great connectors like Paul Revere who galvanized a new nation to defend their freedom. In Tom Kelly’s book about Ideo’s innovation strategy, “the Ten Faces of Innovation,” he defines one face as the collaborator, the person who brings diverse people and disciplines together and leaps organizational boundaries to get things done. The collaborator brings value to the pot by mixing it up while connecting ideas and people. In the book “the Innovators DNA” two of the five discovery skills needed are connecting with people, (networking) and ideas, (associating). Connector value is like the first phone and the first fax machine and the first email the more connections they had the more their value grew. So, if you are a part of a value chain (and just about everyone is) then be the most valuable link and start connecting more and more people and ideas. The chain will love you!
By: Kevin Minne
InnovationGrowthSystems.com
720-354-0291
I still remember the first time my bike chain came off and I learned about the “most valuable link” in the chain, the master link. The master link was different from the rest because it was the connector link. All the other links were closed links but the master link could open up and connect to other links and bring the whole chain together again. Being a master link in the value chain is always going to be more valuable because you can connect and bring people and ideas together. Whatever it is you do in your profession you can always add more value to your link by connecting ideas and people. That is what so much of innovation comes from. Malcolm Gladwell in his book “the Tipping Point” shows us the value of great connectors like Paul Revere who galvanized a new nation to defend their freedom. In Tom Kelly’s book about Ideo’s innovation strategy, “the Ten Faces of Innovation,” he defines one face as the collaborator, the person who brings diverse people and disciplines together and leaps organizational boundaries to get things done. The collaborator brings value to the pot by mixing it up while connecting ideas and people. In the book “the Innovators DNA” two of the five discovery skills needed are connecting with people, (networking) and ideas, (associating). Connector value is like the first phone and the first fax machine and the first email the more connections they had the more their value grew. So, if you are a part of a value chain (and just about everyone is) then be the most valuable link and start connecting more and more people and ideas. The chain will love you!
By: Kevin Minne
InnovationGrowthSystems.com
720-354-0291
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