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When you become TRIZ competent are your new, good, brain powering habits like a TRIZ field effect or more like a TRIZ process? To me the answer is both - the TRIZ directed power of our talent and experience, makes a field effect of our cleverness, while our practice and frequent TRIZ application becomes an instinctive process. AND It builds us muscle memory for genius instincts.

In my first TRIZ conference in the last century in California I encountered some elderly TRIZ masters (now deceased). They were uniquely impressive and as they thundered about the importance of the good TRIZ habits, they declared that TRIZniks were not just the most innovative problem solvers but could even resist propaganda and fake news.

If only TRIZ was as universal as brainstorming perhaps then many more difficult problems might get resolved faster. Brainstorming is great, BUT is often quite hit and miss, which means it only works well about half the time, especially when there are challenges which are too tough or complex to be solved by brainstorming alone.

Most people were horrified by the late Stockton Rush’s declaration that "certification / safety is the ‘enemy of innovation”.  TRIZ people know that the contradiction of innovation vs. safety is not hopeless, as all its known answers can be found in the 40 Inventive Principles. 

TRIZ is like many activities - the more we practice the better and faster we get, although talent is a factor, everyone can excel at TRIZ. Many find that TRIZ is a joy as it boosts brain power so we think more clearly and find the fastest ways to innovative, sustainable solutions. Getting started with Oxford TRIZ is straightforward and easy if you want to become a Master it's like chess or golf - just do it - as often as possible. 

Terrifying problems need a fast response with the cleverest solutions. This is true whether it’s a global problem like defending Ukraine or a local one of a child or adult being bullied.

Is 2022 offering us all an important, innovative moment in history to get things better? We all need to respond intelligently to the new 2022 opportunities and move surely in the right directions. I hope TRIZ will help us to avoid false starts, dead ends and time-wasting trial and error, as following its logical steps points us towards the best, sustainable answers.

What does Innovation beyond BS mean to you? I coined the phrase in despair when yet another team thought a more effective BRAIN STORMING (BS) method was all they needed to achieve innovation.

Beware of using words, acronyms or abbreviations which you don’t understand – or have forgotten the meaning of – one word can lose you your hard won credibility.

When I remarked to my husband that the whole Oxford Creativity team were working very hard, his (extremely annoying!) response was "work smart not hard". After 44 years of marriage I know such infuriating comments need logical reactions, so I calmly pointed out that TRIZ delivers the ultimate world beating way of ‘working smart’.