The Power of Serendipity

In 1948 3M, one of America’s most consistently innovative companies, launched an intriguing program that is even more relevant today. It allowed all (yes “all”) of its employees to spend 15 percent of their time not doing their jobs. Instead, they could work on their own ideas and projects. Or they could hang out with other people in the company whose work intrigued them. Or they could simply wander around the business with their eyes wide open in the hope that serendipity would lead to innovation. In the process, the company believed they would discover dots that could be connected to create something of value.

Not surprisingly, the program worked and led to the creation of several of 3M’s most significant new products. The most famous of these products was the Post-It Note which spawned a whole new category of products with annual sales approaching $3 billion dollars. The original product also made its inventor, Art Fry, something of an industrial and business rock star.

The short version of the Post-It Note story is a wonderful case of serendipity. Art, a member of his church choir, often had trouble remembering which hymn was about to be sung. He imagined that he could apply a unique adhesive, developed years earlier by a colleague Spencer Silver, to a bookmark that would stay in place then easily lift off without damaging his hymn book. All so he could follow along with the church service and sing the right songs. But his idea had much broader applications as we now see from all the products and uses of Post-It Notes. Though it is worth noting that very few people in 3M were particularly excited about this idea.

Fast forward to today and it is clear to me that you and your colleagues should also spend some of your time wandering around. In search of specific ideas and insights, but also open to serendipity and the simple possibility that you are likely to create a new idea or solve a pressing problem by connecting dots that no one else has ever connected. In fact, in our fast-changing world, serendipity is likely to play an even greater role in innovation. And the folks most likely to create real breakthroughs will be the ones with open minds, great curiosity, and a keen eye for the presence of wonder and possibilities. The folks that are “in the right place at the right time” and know it. Think of Uber, Airbnb, Netflix, the Dollar Shave Club, and many more of today’s most creative companies that were born out of serendipity.

What 3M knew in the 1940’s was the simple notion that to survive and prosper companies and organizations needed to create a steady flow of great ideas. Today we need to do the exact same thing, only faster as technology, business models, and customer preferences continue to change. Innovate or perish should be our mantra, and serendipity should be one of our most important guides.

A Book Worth Reading…

During my recent trip to Sweden I received a copy of I May Be Wrong by Bj?rn Natthiko Lindeblad (originally published in Swedish as Jag kan ha fel) from two very dear friends. It is the story of a young man who leaves a promising business career to become a forest monk in Thailand. Quite a remarkable story and one that I couldn’t put down. It’s a book that will challenge you to think about life and business in a new light, and about the things that really matter. And it is made more poignant by the fact that the author died of ALS in 2022 and shares his powerful insights about confronting death. While it is not the type of book that business consultants recommend, I can’t help thinking that you will find this to be well worth the read if for no other reason than to challenge yourself and your colleagues to think about what really matters in your business.

A Quote Worth Thinking About…

In keeping with this edition’s theme, I would also like you to think about a new type of travel company called Journee which curates trips for travelers willing to be surprised. It’s a business model based on the power of serendipity, and I think you will find it to be fascinating and even tempting. Come to think about it, I will write about them in more detail in a future issue. Not only do I love their idea, but it reminds me of the following quote attributed to Thomas Edison:?

“Everything comes to him (her, those) who hustles while he (she, they) waits.”

The more situations we put ourselves in surrounded by new ideas and possibilities, the more likely we are to make meaningful and important discoveries and connections. But it often requires us to go out on a limb or try things that we are not entirely comfortable trying or were not intending to try.