At Work Newswire

By Adrian Brown

Some of the most famous creative minds who we may romantically assume were “lone geniuses” were in fact supported by large teams. Thomas Edison is considered to be one of the most prolific inventors in history. He has a total of 1,093 patents in his name at the U.S. patent office, including the phonograph, the telephone and the typewriter.

The vast majority of these inventions were only possible with the assistance of dozens of researchers working at what was the world’s first industrial research laboratory at Menlo Park, New Jersey. As Francis Jehl, Edison’s longtime assistant, explained, “Edison is in reality a collective noun and means the work of many men.”

The invention of the light bulb provides an illuminating example (if you will excuse the pun). Edison assembled a team of researchers at Menlo Park to refine and improve upon existing light bulb technologies. These bulbs tended to be temperamental even under laboratory conditions and burned out very quickly. Edison’s team boasted a diverse range of talents, from glass-blowing to machining, and this allowed Edison to experiment with hundreds of filaments and bulb designs. By 1879, they had produced a lamp in a very high vacuum which would burn reliably for hundreds of hours.

Edison’s success further stemmed from his ability to commercialize the discoveries flowing out of Menlo Park. He was able to sell the light bulb to many businesses and homes with the support of the first network for the distribution of electricity. Edison himself was under no illusions about the secret of his success. He once famously observed that “invention is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.”

Rarely are we expected to work alone on a project from inception to conclusion. We usually find ourselves working within, and managing, teams of people. These teams are often required to think and act creatively. In fact, groups can often achieve greater creative output than individuals working alone because they bring a greater sum of competencies, insights and energy to the task at hand.

The benefits of teams become even clearer if we consider the psychological theories of creativity which describe breaking out of a particular pattern of thinking. The more diverse the group, the more likely it is that different individuals within that group will naturally display different patterns of thinking and therefore different ways of approaching a problem.

Working in a team also presents challenges such as agreeing on roles, managing conflict and reaching consensus. However, with some thought and preparation these challenges can usually be managed, freeing creative teams to solve some formidable problems.

This is an excerpt from Adrian Brown’s book “Creativity & Innovation” (MindEdge Press, 2007). Brown has worked as a consultant and advisor in both the public and private sectors. From 2002-2005 he served as an advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair covering a wide range of policy areas including health and transport.

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Copyright © 2007 Adrian Brown

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