Martin Reeves on The Imagination Machine

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is sponsored by our recent publication Designing Microschools: Why Small Learning Environments is a Big Idea

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark sits down with Martin Reeves, SVP Boston Consulting Group, BCG, and chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Martin recently co authored a book called The Imagination Machine, an executive’s guide to systematically harnessing imagination for organizational reinvention and rejuvenation.

Let’s listen in as Tom and Martin discuss collective imagination, how schools can better empower young people to imagine and how imagination intersects with strategy.

Key Moments from the Podcast

“Becoming skillful at harnessing imagination means becoming skillful at exploring and moving things from the unreal to real.”

“In a healthy business, no one thinks that they have the answer.”

“Impart curiosity – celebrate questions. My family celebrates especially if [I] don’t know the answer… and if mankind doesnt know the answer.”

“Algebra takes out the most important part of problem-solving — framing the problem. It already tells you what kind of problem it is.”

“Complacency and fear kill imagination in an organization.”

“Technology can power up our imaginations by detecting anomalies and serving as fuel for creativity. [Educators should ask themselves] is what’s being taught in the domain of things that machines will/can do? Or are they uniquely human traits?”