The term ‘idea work’ focuses attention where it should be – on the collective practices of everyday work.
Across all sectors of the economy, capabilities for innovation depend upon work dominated by symbolic analytic problem solving. Ideas are here simultaneously the main input, the content and the key deliverable, often crossing boundaries, redefining edges, and re-charting maps of the possible. We call such work ‘idea work’.
Idea work involves activities of conceiving, reinforcing, combining, rejecting, testing, recombining and re-conceiving ideas for use in products and services. The notion of idea work captures the power of ideas to make a difference and embraces the emerging nature of thought.
The term ‘idea work’ also represents an alternative to the myths of creativity. Basic conceptions of what it means to be creative in organizations tend to lead people’s thoughts towards:
- Images of generalised techniques independent of the specificity of domains
- Deliberately staged bouts of innovative efforts
- The lone genius or maverick
By contrast, using the term ‘idea work’ focuses attention where it should be- on the collective practices of everyday work.