Week 2: Observations

The main goal of the program for Week 2 was to test our powers of observations. As part of a warm-up activity, we looked at the phenomenon known as “change blindness.” Check out the following YouTube videos for an idea of what we’re talking about:

• Harvard Experimental Psychology Study
• Colour Changing Card Trick

We also had the recruits look examine a mystery box and try to guess the contents just by using their senses (including smell!).

After the warm up we divided into pairs and set off across the campus to observe people in their natural habitat. The rules were simple: 1) record everything you observe; 2) do not sit with your partner (to ensure that we observe the behaviour from different perspectives).

It was truly astonishing to see how much information we were able to gather in just 30 minutes of observation. At first many of us found it difficult to focus, but with a bit of conscious effort we noticed the patterns emerge.

 

Week 2: The Anthropologist

The second week of our program focused on the first “face”: The Anthropologist. Anthropologists observe people’s behaviours with curiosity and an open mind. They leave judgments and assumptions aside. It’s like they’re looking at the world with the ‘fresh eyes’ of a tourist in a foreign place. This is one of the “learning roles” in an organization because it is focused on bringing new information into the organization.

Why is the anthropologist important to the innovation process? This “face” grounds the work in reality: it keeps the organization focused on the needs (and wants) of the end user. Who knows? Maybe observing everyday, mundane behaviour will inform your next great breakthrough.