Why and How WAH ! - Sino Associates Robert Gold by Sino Asssociates

Why and How WAH !

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Robert Gold

For over 30 years Robert has served as a consultant and instructor of innovation and creativity for Fortune 500 companies, small and medium size enterprises as well as US government agencies and the US military. Robert’s insights into innovation and creativity processes have led to him to the forefront of his field. He has written a textbook “EUREKA” and produced a CD-ROM “The IDEA ENGINE” which were used by industry and universities to facilitate innovation. “THE IDEA ENGINE” is the world’s 1st interactive Idea development system on CD-ROM and it also won two top awards at “Creativity In America” a national Conference co-sponsored by the US Patent and Trademark Office and Universal Studios in California. As an instructor Robert has created his own four part workshop series known as the Innovation Wave™ Series. In addition to this standardized series Robert also provides customized workshops to his clients that match their specific creativity and innovation needs. His consulting services bring fresh eyes and ideas to his clients’ innovation processes. 作者简介： Robert 担任顾问和导师 30 年来，为世界 500 强公司，中小型企业，以及美国政府部门和美国军队均提供过服务。他对发明创新的深刻洞察力使他走在了创新领域的前沿。他编著的课本 EUREKA 及发明的 CD-ROM “The IDEA ENGINE”被行业及大学用于促进创新的发展。同时，“THE IDEA ENGINE”获得了“创新在美国”（一个由美国专利商标局及加州环球影城共同发起的全国性联盟）的两项最高荣誉。作为导师，Robert 独创了一套名为“the Innovation Wave”的系列研讨会。另外，Robert 还针对不同客户的创新需求，为其提供量身定制的研讨会课题。他的顾问服务总能给他的客户带去新鲜的视角和灵感，助力客户创新之路。

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apoleon once said "Why and How are words so important, they can never be used too often". In Innovation WHY And HOW (WAH) are the focal points of energy and the essence at the core of every project. WAH exists in every stage of planning, as it is, in reality, "Strategy" (the "Why") and Tactics ("the How"). WAH is the reason that Sun Tzu's Art of War is a bedrock component of many serious business school courses. Understanding Why you're attempting to attain an innovation goal (your Strategy) and how to go about doing it (your Tactics) allow any project to begin. Without asking WAH at every step you quickly lose focus and, with it, momentum. Both Why and How are individual compendiums of thought that can delineate entire spectrums of inquiry regarding any specific innovation. They leave the proverbial "Who, Where, and When" as needed

破仑曾这样说过：“为什么和怎么做是如此重要的词，我们再怎么使用它们都不为过。” “为什么 (WHY) 和怎么做 (HOW)” ( 用英语字母可简称为 WAH) 是创新过程中所有能量的焦点，也是每个项目的核心精髓。计划的每一阶段都少不了“为什么和怎么做”(WAH)，它们恰恰代表着“谋略” ( 为什么 ) 和“战术” ( 怎么做 ) 。也正是这个原因，让《孙子兵法》成为众多商学院的必读教材。

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只有弄清楚了你为什么希望实现一项创新（你的谋略）以及具体怎么做（你的战术），你才能真正落实一个项目。每走一步都追问为什么和怎么做，你就可以集中精力，保持势头。

“为什么”和“怎么做”可以称为一个人的对于某项创新的思考梗概，可以勾勒出其探索的全貌。 “时间，地点，人物”三要素虽然必不可少，但与“ 为什么和怎么做 (WAH)”相比，却显得黯然失色。 WA H 就如一支矛上的

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but pale by comparison. WAH is the Tip of the Spear and the Aim behind it!

矛尖以及其要投向的目标。

The Why of using WAH is now obvious... Because without WAH we have no plan of attack, no logistics to support the effort, no reason to allocate resources, and no concept of the dangers and opportunities that await us on a particular venture. WAH opens our eyes as no other questions can. Their use is demanded, expected, needed and without question a part of every phase of any innovation effort.

为什么要使用 WAH 其实非常明了 …… 因为没有 WAH 就意味着我们没有前行计划，没有支撑付出的后勤设计，也没有资源分配的准则，对未来特定的商业冒险上的危险和机遇更是毫无概念。 WAH 比其他任何问题都更能让你睁开眼睛，看清现状。这两个词的使用是必须也是必要的，并且无疑是每一项创新中任一阶段里不可或缺的一环。

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那我们具体怎么使用 WAH? “怎么做 (How)”也就是在“怎么”之后填充一组基本的宾语。我们怎么开始……，寻找……，获得……，创造……，管理……，分配……，优化……这组宾语可简可繁，与你为这个项目罗列的每一个“为什么 (Why)”相对应。

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So, How (ha!) do we use WAH? The "How" is as simple as placing the word in combination with a basic list of objectives. How do we begin…, find..., source..., create...., manage..., allocate..., optimize..., The list can be as concise or as long as needed for each particular "Why" goal you've laid out for the project.

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to use the "WAH" at every juncture is the real trick! Once you become accustomed to asking "Why and How" about everything you come in contact with, the thought processes that spawn from these simple but dynamic duo of words is often the precursor to amazing new ideas. It surprises me how often people don't ask these simple questions. They are door-openers that allow the floodgates of our subconscious to release a thousand possibilities that can then be explored.

将 WAH 运用到每一个接合点才是真正的诀窍！一旦追问“为什么和怎么做”成为了你接触新事物的习惯性做法，从这两个简单有力的词语中迸发出来的思维火花，将成为你奇思妙想的先导。但让我惊讶的是，人们往往忽略了这些简单问题的作用。其实这两个问题就像开门器一样，能够如泄洪般释放我们潜意识里的千千万万的可能，从而让人得以进一步思考。

Coming upon any problem... an immediate "Why has this particular thing happened? Why Now?, Why is this a problem?" to envision a plan forward from that point, and "How can I use this to my advantage? How can I optimize this situation?" will adjust your point of view, and often shift the probability of a successful conclusion in your favor.

常思考为什么将调整你的视角，使你胜券在握。

Not long ago a client was developing a new product and had arrived at a bottleneck in product development. This new product was being engineered to be lighter than comparative products and

前不久 , 我的一位客户在开发新品时走到了瓶颈期。这个新产品需要设计得比其同类产品重量更轻、成本更低。其中一个零件，一直以来都是使用金属原料，在这个项目里正是大大影响了产品的重

Adjust your point of view, shift the probability of a successful conclusion in your future.

不论遇到什么问题……马上问问 “为什么会发生这样的问题？为什么在这个时间发生？它为什么是个问题？”可以让你预见此后的计划，接下来的“怎么能将它利用起来？怎么发挥现状的最大效益？”将让你调整视角，胜券在握。

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cheaper to come in under budget. One particular piece in the design had always been made of metal, which in the current plans both impacted weight and cost! The use of WAH during this project’s development resolved this sore point for the project team.

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正如刚刚提到的，这个零件原料首选是金属，但重量和成本是其问题所在。为了维持产品在高强度使用下的尺寸稳定性，这个零件一直是采用金属制成的，从没用过其它材料。当用了 WAH 来过滤一番后，该怎么做就一目了然了。团队成员们问：“为什么 (Why) 会产生这些问题？”他们发现把机械加工的成本计算在内时，金属提高了他们的成本投入——可塑料未必足够结实，如果要控制成本，就未必能够维持尺寸稳定性。他们继续问：“怎么做 (How) 才能在成本控制内维持产品的强度和稳定性？有多少 (How many) 塑料可以尝试？怎么 (How) 重新设计可以充分利用这些塑料的不同强度？制造模具的成本平均到第一批一万个零件里的平均成本

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As mentioned, metal was preferred, but weight and costs were a major problem. This part had never been made from anything but metal, in other iterations of the product, because it had to maintain a dimensional stability under extreme use. When viewed through the lens of WAH it became clearer what needed to be done. Team members asked, “Why was this such a problem?” They found metal was too expensive when the machining was factored into the cost – but injection molding the part in plastic was might not be strong enough and maintain its dimensional stability at a reasonable price. They then asked, “How could we attain the strength and stability need at the cost desired? How many plastic options could do the job, maintain their physical stability under use and be cost effective? How can we re-designed the part to utilize the dynamics of the plastic

量和成本的因素！此时，通过我们对 WAH 的运用，使这个项目突破了障碍。

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possibilities to attain the target model? How much is the mold amortized over the 1st 10,000 parts? In the end, the team redesigned the part specifically for plastic construction with a specific fiber reinforced high strength plastic. By using a computer design ribbing structure to maintain strength and physical stability the redesign cut out 45% of the weight, cut the per part cost by 25% and gave them an option to modify the part for a secondary product iteration via mold plug-in’s which altered its structure without rebuilding an entire new mold! This example of WAH is generic and somewhat simplistic, yet shows how asking the right questions can often lead our thinking into new avenues which have answers we had not explored before. That is the beauty and reasoning behind the use of the WAH in all basic decisions. Not as a “be all – end all” tool of decision, but as a perception bender and mind spectrum enhancer that opens us up to new possibilities. But be warned, there is a "dark side" to WAH. For it is far too easy to ask negative WAH. "Why me?

是多少 (How much)? A perception bender and mind spectrum enhancer that opens us up to a new possibilities. WAH 作为认知和思维的延展器，将为我们揭示新的可能。最终，他们重新对这个部分进行了塑料构造设计，通过一种特殊纤维来提高塑料强度。重新设计后，计算机设计的罗纹结构不仅维持了强度和稳定性，还使新产品降低了 45% 的重量和 25% 的成本；另外，只要对这个部分稍加修改，就可以把这个部分变成其插件式的二级产品，从而避免了重新制造一整个新模具！也许这个使用 WAH 的例子很普通也极其简单，但是它告诉我们，对的问题往往能够使我们豁然开朗，从而得到一个崭新的解决办法。这就是在做每一个基本决策之前，使用 WAH 的妙处所在。WAH 并非衡量一切决策的标准，而是作为认知和思维的延展器，为我们揭示新的可能。

但是你也要提高警惕，WAH 也存在它的“阴暗面”。因为我们极易提出消极式的“为什么和怎么

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Why can't I ever get a break?... How am I ever going to get through this? etc, are easy mental deal-breakers that fall back on self-pity and "Why can't someone help me" mind sets. Using WAH effectively requires optimism and a forward looking view of any situation, and life in general

做”。“为什么是我？为什么不能我让我喘口气？……我怎么才能熬出头？”等等，它们就像意志破坏分子一样，让我们陷入“为什么没人帮我一把？”的怨天尤人的境地。要想有效利用 WAH，我们就得保持积极乐观的心态，时刻向前看。

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的是每一次失败留给他的实验数据都是一项“又发现了一种不适合做灯丝材料”的积极发现！他对理想坚持不懈的追求，最终使

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A famous example of the “positive over the negative” power of WAH is the story of Edison’s search for the perfect filament for the light bulb. The story is often quoted, with a number as high as 6000 failures, in the search for that perfect mixture of materials to provide light and lifespan. Regardless of the number of times he failed in his quest – his mindset was not asking “Why” or “How” 爱迪生为了制造电灯泡寻找合适 his quest for the perfect material 灯丝的故事，很好的诠释了 WAH was leading him to failure so many 能够带来“战胜消极力量的积极 times – only that each attempt 力量”。为了找到既可以发光还 was providing him more data and another positive way “not to make 能长久使用的材料，爱迪生经历了 6000 次失败。尽管他失败了那 a light bulb”! His perseverance in seeking the ideal way to produce 么多次——他一次也没有问自己 his product would eventually “为什么 (Why)”或“怎么会 (How) change the world by becoming a ”在追求完美灯丝材料的过程中 true “disruptive technology”. 失败那么多次——相反，他思考

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他的“颠覆性技术”获得成功，进而改变了整个世界。

Today, WOW of great magnitude is a concept known as "Disruptive" - as in Disruptive technology (like Edison’s bulb). 今天，意义重大的“哇”往往被形容为“颠覆性” 概念，就像颠覆性技术（爱迪生的灯泡）。

WAH

– the meaning of its pronunciation in Chinese is "WOW". Super Thought Leader and Business Guru, Tom Peters, says "WOW!" represents the essence of innovation thought, and an innovator’s primary goal is attaining the “WOW Factor” in all that they seek to accomplish. WOW is not always a singular Idea that goes against the tide of "the Status Quo" and "the commonplace" –or even an idea that can change the “playing field”, but it certainly can be WOW, (using WAH) can be a process of your incrementally attaining small leaps forward in a world that is not ready for your forward thinking ideas. Today, WOW of great magnitude is a concept known as "Disruptive" - as in Disruptive technology (like Edison’s bulb). Your small WOW steps, even if they are unsuccessful, can sometimes create a big step that

WAH

的发音与中文中的“ 哇！” 发音

相似。超级思想领袖和商业导师

Tom Peters 说 “ 哇 !” 象征创新思想的真谛，得到“哇元素”是所有创新者的首要目标。“哇！” 想法不总是与“当前现状”或“一贯做法”相悖——或完全改变当前的局面，但它一定能让人感觉 “哇”。当大家还接受不了你超前的想法时，使用 WAH （为什么和怎么做）可以帮助你逐步实现你的目标。今天，意义重大的“哇” 往往被形容为“颠覆性”概念，就像颠覆性技术（爱迪生的灯泡）。你向“哇！”迈出的小小的一步也许并不成功，但这一小步有时恰恰是通往“颠覆性”水平的一大步，并可能永远改变整个行业的局面。要了解 WAH 的真实作用，需要理解“哇”的涵义，即颠覆陈旧、发展个性 !

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attains the level of “disruptive” and it can change the playing field forever. To learn the true power of WAH is to understand the meaning of "WOW", the concept of being Disruptive and the power of Individuality!

很多人来说，“哇”在 WAH 思路里代表的意义有些可怕。发展个性和挑战制度的观念从早教中就被抹去其实不仅仅是亚洲的区域性现象，而是全球范围现象。一代又一代的家长都在教育孩子“守规矩”，“服从领导”以及 “不要质疑上级”。在科技飞速发展的今天，意识形态和创新精神亟需拥有思想自由的思考者，即与陈旧的学习模式对立的、敢想的人。学习和实践 WAH，在你所有的目辟蹊径、独占先机。只有真正的创新发明者才能抓住那机遇的指

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标和理想中寻找“哇”，你将独

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For some people the thought of "WOW" in its many WAH iterations is a frightening prospect. This is not just true in Asia where individuality and bucking the system is often erased from people during early schooling but globally due to generations of parenting that told its children to "stay in line", "follow the leader" and "don't ask questions of superiors". Today's world of rapidly changing technologies, ideologies and innovations needs free thinkers who are the exact opposite of these past learning models. Understanding and embracing a mindset of "WAH", and seeking the “WOW” in all that you hope to accomplish, will create a path un-walked by others and unparalleled in opportunities which the true new innovators will find as a guide to an amazing personal sand business future.