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Background
• Transformation depends on innovation is universally acceptable notion. We cannot
accomplish transformation without implementing something new and different.
• Innovation is driven by ideas; and transformation needs particularly transformative
ideas.
• Transformative ideas depend to a large extent on the forces of our imagination.
• The characteristics that differentiate a transformative idea from all other ideas is
quite complex.
• Generally, transformative ideas are discovered and cannot be found through the
process of innovation.
• To discover transformative ideas and enable subsequent innovation, contextual
imaginations of the unknown and re-imaginations of the known is very essential.
• Imagination and re-imagination are symbiotic and difficult to separate.
Hence, to accomplish transformation, we need to use creative thinking in a way that
facilitates imagination and increases the probability of discovering transformative
ideas. This document presents a method for discovering transformative ideas
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Atul Apte, All rights reserved (c) 2020
Discovering transformative ideas

Characteristics of a transformative idea
We cannot conceive ideas, without the capability of imagination. Therefore, an
idea is always a manifestation our our imaginations.
Documenting an idea amounts to capturing our imaginations in a format that’s
accessible to others.
Transformative ideas are manfiestations of our imaginations with a specific
purpose – to accomplish our goals and objectives of transformation.
There are three parts to capturing our imaginations that manifest as a
transformative idea:
• What – is the part of our imagination that envisions and/or defines a
particular (transformed) state of things.
• Why – are the cognitive drivers that can explain the reasons or motivations
for the “what” (disruptive or conforming)
• How – is the part of our imagination that outlines how we will accomplish the
“what”.
Example, imagining a transformed system (“the what”) is different than
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imagining the transformation of a system (“the how”).
An idea doesnot classify as a transformative idea unless all three parts of our
imaginations are manifested – the what, the why, the how. This implies that
there are fewer transformative ideas relative to all other ideas.
Hence, to justify an idea as transformative, we tend to elaborate (or sometimes
over elaborate) the cognitive drivers of our imaginations instead of elaborating
our imaginations.
A greater emphasis on elaborating and documenting the manifestations of our
imaginations is more likely to result in the discovery of transformative idea than
documenting the details of the reasoning or justification of an idea.
Discovering transformative ideas 2/14/2020
Atul Apte, All rights reserved (c) 2020 2

Observations, experiences, and opinions
• We talk about creative thinking as a capability that is available uniformly in
everyone
• We also seem to expect that people can turn-on and turn-off creative thinking
when needed (e.g. bring your creative thinking to a hackathon)
• We also seem to constrain the opportunity to use creative thinking by allocating or
assigning innovation as a role and responsibility to some people
In reality, creative thinking happens over time and there are some principles and
dynamics of creative thinking that determine the type of ideas generated.
The dynamics of creative thinking are two fold – abstract thinking that enables us to
imagine the unkonwn and practical thinking that enables us to re-imagine the known.
These two dynamics (abstract and practical thinking) are opposing forces of creative
thinking. A balanced idea is based on contextual imaginations and re-imaginations.
These dynamics are supported by three principles that make creative thinking a
facilitator or imaginations.
1. Imaginations of the unkown, in a specific context, is similar to abstract thinking.
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Hence, abstract thinking is mandatory for imaginations and therefore essential for
discovering transformative ideas
2. The contexts used for contextual imaginations are either independent of each
other or are connected with each other.
3. When contexts are connected, contextual re-imaginations (based on practical
thinking) can create opportunities for contextual imaginations (based on abstract
thinking) in one of the connected contexts
It is important to ensure that we use every opportunity for contextual imaginations to
its fullest.
If we follow these simple dynamics and principles of creative thinking, we can
facilitate broader imaginations, increase the odds of discovering transformative ideas
and thereby have more success in accomplishing system transformations.

Method for harnessing our imagination
Harnessing our imaginations is different from controlling our imaginations.
Harnessing is about focusing our imaginations on specific goals whereas controlling is
about curtailing or constraining our imaginations.
How can we harness our imaginations?
One way to harness our imaginations is to use cognitive guardrails.
Cognitive guardrails are effective in creating an environment where contextual
imaginations can occur.
There are two types of guardrails for discovering transformative ideas capable of
accomplishing transformation of complex systems.
Type A – context
Type B - topic
Context defines a cognitive boundary that helps us pick part of our imaginations that
are deemed relevant.
Topic defines context sensitive, impactful subject matter. The impacts that are of
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specific importance include – creation (new creations), improvements (measurable
improvements), and transformation (eradication of current state).
The basic (general) set of guardrails for discovering transformative ideas is a three tier
hierarchy of contexts and topics.
• Ecosystems (highest leve context)
• Topic: Protocols (rules, controls, standards)
• Topic: System portfolio (operational systems, administrative systems,
governance systems)
• Topic: Infrastructure (digital, bricks_and_mortar)
• Systems (context)
• Topic: People (roles, responsibilities)
• Topic: Process (manual, automated)
• Topic: Technology (legacy, contemporary, emerging, robots)
• Automation (lowest level context)
• Topic: Human-machine interface (aesthetics, interactions)
• Topic: Information (transactional, analytical)
• Topic: Functions (atomic, shared)
Abstract thinking is an vital aspect of contextual imaginations. The proposed method
for harnessing imagination also seperates the use of abstract thinking into proactive
and reactive contextual imaginations. Proactive abstract thinking and contextual
imaginations can lead to disruptive ideas where as reactive abstract thinking and
contextual imaginations are helpful in discovering conforming ideas
In addition, creative thinking (exclusive of abstract thinking) can be used within each
context to reimagine the current state. It is possible that reimaginations in a context
can create opportunities to imagine (using abstract thinking) in a different context.
By using this method, it may be possible to increase the odds of discoverying
transformative ideas.

Summary
System transformation is a complex and long-term endeavor. It requires
transformative ideas capable of creating something new.
Discovery of transformative ideas is a probability and not a planned result of some
innovation or brainstorming process.
Hence, we need a method to harness our imaginations with appropriate guardrails
that do not constrain our imagination but provide necessary information to focus and
find relevant parts of our imaginations.
Our imaginations depend on our ability to apply creative thinking in much broader
context. This requires the use of proactive or reactive abstract thinking resulting in
contextual imaginations,
Our expectations of discovering transformative ideas must be realistic and based on
the understanding that a lot of creative thinking is needed to capture some
contextual imaginations which results in a few transformative ideas.
The good news is that it is possible to accomplish system transformations, provided
we learn to harness our imaginations appropriately and persevere to discover

transformative ideas.

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Discovering transformative ideas by atul apte

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Discovering transformative ideas by atul apte