In addition to the “design + build + run” mission component of my boys’ robotics team, there is also an innovation project assignment. Its requirements include developing a “desirability, feasibility, viability” style presentation and creating a prototype for their innovation.At last week’s meeting, the team of four boys and a girl passed the crucial point in all innovation projects where you have to stop thrashing and start subtracting.All teams of any size doing any type of work cross this threshold — when the creativity mindset takes second seat to the focus mindset.Here are my notes from last week.Notes on WorkThere are dozens of ways to dissect the anatomy of work. To simplify things, let’s look at the two mindsets for doing any type of work from mowing the lawn to sending people to mars.The two mindsets are Creativity and FocusThe Creativity mindset issurrendering to discovery and curiosityexploring any and all ideas and possibilitieslooking for buried treasure on an island without a mapThe Focus mindset isthe elimination of optionsthe devotion to disciplinethe execution of a well-groomed planLook back at any good work that “gets done” and these two mindsets were present. If you miss the creativity phase, your work falls flat. If you miss the focus phase, your work falls down. Hold the tension of both, and good work can become great. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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