To Swift, or not to Swift?

Taylor Swift and the topic of Innovation.

Permission to Fail.

This week, Tay Tay, T.Swizzle, T Swift, or whatever you may know the incredibly talented singer-songwriter Taylor Swift as, received more accolades at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, receiving two awards for Song of the Year and iHeart Radio Innovator.

In her acceptance speech, T-Dubb (that’s a new one from me. You’re welcome) shared a few thoughts on innovation that captured my attention as someone who works in an industry where innovation is top of mind and one of the many things that keep us up at night.

T-Dubb (it’s sticking, right?) was very open about the vulnerability surrounding doing something new, particularly when society (or the record label) has decided what’s good or has already defined what success looks like. Being vulnerable and putting your ideas, your thoughts, and your passions into the world can feel uncomfortable, it can feel awkward, and it can be embarrassing when you fail. But without failure, there is no growth. Without risk, there are no new ideas. And without T-Dubb, there is no Anti-Hero.

Give yourself permission to fail.

Intuition over Data.

In my field, the perception around data is that it’s our oxygen, you can’t survive without it, and it’s an essential part of your job. And when you don’t have it, you are somehow limited in your decision-making and point of view. Data is important, but how you use it is more important.

We need to consider that data can sometimes create conformist ideas (“the data says X, then X must be true = a decision made”), and using data to evaluate innovation efforts as you do something more established can create unrealistic expectations and limit the commitment towards your innovation (“X isn’t performing like Y, ahh, it must suck = pull the plug”).

There are times to ignore the data ( Stranger Things would never have happened if Netflix had listened to the data), and as T-Dubb (I’m fully committed now) acknowledges in her speech, if she listened to the data, she wouldn’t have released Anti-Hero as her first single, changing music history as we know it.

“What I did do was try to make the right decision for me at the time, whether or not it had ever been successfully done before.” - Taylor Swift aka T-Dubb.

Source: KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES FOR IHEARTRADIO

Whether you are using data to innovate new products and services, grow a business, or make decisions in your life, there are times when we must draw on a variety of data from multiple methods:

1️⃣ Logic ( we tend to overcomplicate because we are scared. Use your common sense and simplify your approach. The answer tends to be right in front of you)

2️⃣ Intuition (you’re smart, experienced, and know your stuff, don’t ignore that!)

3️⃣ Qualitative ( there tend to be real people behind the numbers, ask them what they want )

AND 4️⃣ Quantitative……… My point is that data is and can be powerful, but there is also a time when you need to just trust yourself and your intuition and make a decision and act.

Grace and Humility.

Lastly, when innovating (reminder, the definition of innovation is simply the introduction of something new: an idea, process, solution. We all can do it. ), give yourself some grace and show humility. It is ok; shit happens. Just acknowledge it, learn from it, and move on. Don’t beat yourself up, and don’t hide from your mistakes.

Our individual growth compounds to collective growth. We all win.

In the famous words of T-Dubb, "Go easy on yourselves."