castlecamp, april 2012, göhrde, germany

Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

3GSP A solution for emerging

innovation landscape

The future isn’t,

what it used to be

- Yogi Berra

Harnessing Serendipty


Serendipity renaissance is coming?

The Persian folk tale “ The Journey and Adventures of Three Princes of

Serendip

Horace Walpole was inspired by the theme – wide correspondence with his

“network”

Merton found the word “serendipity” while looking something else in Webster’s

Dictionary – got hooked, the book was published 25 years after that

Roberts analysed about 100 cases in “ Serendipity - Accidential Discoveries in

Science”

Some great examples after dot.com era in business

Social media and coworking movement getting alerted into it now!


Discovery consists of seeing, what everybody has

seen and thinking what nobody has thought

Ref: Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

.


Companies, innovations, findings, careers

Google, Pixar, 3M, Virgin …..

Post-It, Teflon, Viagra, SMS services, artificial rubber, safety

glass ….

Kolumbus, Archimedes, Isaac Newton, Röntgen, the structure of

DNA , peniscillin, quinine, vacination for small box, ….

Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Sergei Brin ….


Theories linked to explain serendipity

”Complex Adaptive Systems”, Santa Fe Institute, University

of Michigan – Kauffman, Axelrod ….

”Synchronicity” – Jung, Jaworski …..

”Structural Holes” – Burt, Granovetter

Biology, evolution theory, ecosystem theories

Social Network Analysis


The secret alliance of diversity and serendipity

Diversity:

•“Connecting generations”

• Combining Arts, Science and

Business

• Global approach

Serendipity:

• Ad-hoc interactions

• “Expect the unexpected”

• New combinations of

competences

FlexLab opening in Joensuu Science Park, September 2004


© Lee Fleming 2004 /HBR November 2004

Diversity and Value of Innovation


Business is filled with people who have become efficient

planners, schedulers and time managers. Much more rare

is an individual who has developed the awareness and

flexibility to notice unexpected opportunities

Ref: J. Willard Marriott, Chairman and President of Marriott Corporation.


Some ways to harness it on personal level

Do something extraordinary every now and then

Do what you are passionate about

Listen to everybody, all kind of people have a story to tell, try to learn from

each story

Keep your calendar serendipitous

Keep enough time for silence and wondering

Try to be positive

Learn from nature

Attract people in your own way


”To win friends and influence others, there is no

substitute for living a meaningful life”

Ref: Muller&Becker 2012

.


Contact information:

Ilkka Kakko

+ 358 50 536 2941

[email protected]

Skype:ilkka.kakko

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Serendipitor

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilkka.kakko

Blog: http://serendipitor.wordpress.com/

mailto:[email protected]

https://twitter.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top

https://www.facebook.com/ilkka.kakko

http://serendipitor.wordpress.com/

castlecamp, april 2012, göhrde, germany

Technology