Every great innovation begins as a simple scribble.

I'm a napkin scribbler and serial tinkerer. I'm a 'what if' and 'how might we' thinker who thrives on crafting solutions to intriguing challenges. Have you heard that exceptional problem-solvers, whether in classrooms or boardrooms, create challenges if none exist? That's the innovative mindset we all need to cultivate to enhance our creative thinking capabilities.

Do you ever wonder if some people have lost their way and are simply regurgitating something a bit ‘old hat’ because they are scared of trying a ‘new hat’ on? This is the kind of professional without a spirit of experimentation that we should avoid emulating.

Fun fact: The title of this blog, "All These Engineers and No Sheddery," was born in a meeting with an education business startup who wanted some e-modules designed to support their new venture. As we discussed the challenges in the current education system, particularly how teachers lack time to experiment, I found myself saying, "We have all these fantastic engineers, but they don't have time to tinker." In my notebook, I scribbled "all these engineers and no sheddery" and "More Play!" (underlined twice). Now, a year later, I'm revisiting that scribble to bring this thinking to life.

Let’s take a look at what merits ‘engineer’ and ‘sheddery’ might really offer in today’s dynamic environments.

It is crazy to think about how far we have come with communication - especially since now our phones are mini computers, calculators, entertainment hubs and cameras all in one…

What defines a true innovator in education or the workplace?

An innovator treats their environment - be it a classroom, office, or workshop - as a playground for experimentation. Challenges spark interesting solutions, which in turn reveal more nuanced problems, pushing us towards even more creative resolutions. A workplace or educational innovator is a spiral hunter who recognizes that problem-solving is ripe for design thinking and that all solutions are part of a cycle. Think, Test, and Repeat. Ad Infinitum.

An engineer/innovator doesn’t take the status quo as being an acceptable status because there are always opportunities for little tweaks, little edits or big flips. Even if you don't have a physical 'shed', your innovative space might be a diary, a collaborative whiteboard, a post-it wall, a digital Padlet, a walk-and-talk session, or a lunchtime meet-up. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the magic of a veritable shed. The key is to create a space - physical or mental - where ideas can flow freely and experimentation is encouraged.

What’s the benefit of ‘sheddery’?

A tinkering mindset offers a shed load of advantages in both educational and professional settings:

Promotes problem framing as well as problem solving
Increases engagement in the workplace (for teachers as well as students and teams)
Cultivates an entrepreneurial spirit
Energises the workplace
Builds resilience
Fosters creativity and innovation
Increases practical capability
Fosters a growth mindset
Improves collaboration
Promotes personal agency in the workplace

By embracing 'sheddery', we create an environment that not only solves current challenges but also prepares us for future ones, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation

Let’s push ourselves into the ‘how’ camp and aspire for the ‘who and why’ camp. Buchanan 2020.

So what does this have to do with innovators and creative spaces?

Every great inventor, whether in education or industry, needs a dedicated space - a classroom, lab, or office where magic happens. It's where projects are conceived, deconstructed, and reimagined, and where resources await their next inspired combination. This space is filled with tools to experiment with and challenges to overcome - which makes it a hub of creativity. It's a place where imagination can be applied and tested to innovate, push boundaries, and explore new possibilities. Once we establish these creative spaces - even if they are just thinking spaces and not physical spaces - we can embrace the concept of fast failure as a crucial component of the innovation process

You don’t need a real shed - you just need an engineering and sheddery mindset to make space for tinkering and thinking.

Fast Failure to Rise Above

Innovators, be they teachers or professionals, are natural adopters of creativity who aren't afraid to combine interesting elements to 'just see' what happens. Educators become engineers when they experiment with teaching methods to develop new techniques. It's in this process of figuring out and playing with solutions that innovation is born. When things don't work, it's an opportunity for reflection and trying something else, accepting that fast failure often leads to exciting new directions. Interestingly, too, fast failure actually saves time and resources in the long run as people thrive with prototyping before any big spend (with either energy or money).

Creative Spaces in Learning and Work Environments

Put some fresh eyes on and scan your working environment. Where might you experiment with new approaches? How can you play with the tools already at your disposal? How might you introduce a fresh perspective to existing practices? Where can you incorporate some tinkering? And how might you embrace an innovative, problem-solving mindset? Where can you see some opportunities for some big, crazy, fun ideas?

Fostering a Culture of Collaboration and Experimentation

The best schools and workplaces treat failure as a natural part of the innovation cycle. With a culture of collaboration in place, one person's setback can serve as a valuable lesson for colleagues. There should be no shame in saying, "I tried this approach, but it didn't work as expected. What do you think I could do differently?" Chances are that someone else might have the perfect solution, or together you can brainstorm a new idea with a higher chance of success. Collaborating and failing together is akin to diving into the shed and tinkering beside one another - in parallel play that can do the distance.

Embracing the Creative Mindset

Head for the warm people and spend time with the people who are not afraid to bounce some ideas around. What great things might happen? What is the worst that could happen? Celebrate small wins, track your progress, gather qualitative data and explore the possibilities with your very own innovation ecosystem.

Even a very tiny win constitutes a win with a sheddery mindset.

Back to Engineers and Sheddery

You are the driver and you can design your own path to somewhere great. Sometimes a bit of ‘creative engineering’ is just the ticket. And if it isn’t, call it version 1.0 and keep tinkering.

If you're up for a sheddery session, connect with me, and let’s dive into some creative brainstorming—napkin sketches included!