If the dictionary were to host a popularity contest among its tenants, the word mess would be unlikely to win many awards. As a noun it's something dirty, untidy, confused, and full of difficulties. It's something to be avoided, cleaned up or swept under a rug, or approached with great caution, as in “Careful, that situation's a hot mess.” As a verb it's not much better; it's meddling or interfering with something, or fooling around, often with implied negative consequences. As Al Capone's character expresses in Untouchables, when people mess with him, he's gonna mess with them.
Culturally, the concept of mess in its various forms is typically considered undesirable. Yet research on creativity as well as our work in the Deloitte Greenhouse has shown that being willing to mess with things, to make a mess as our principle advocates, is a critical aspect of breakthrough thinking.81 Indeed, it seems even working in a messy environment can help promote novel ideas.82 So how can you stop shunning mess and instead harness it as a force for good?
Let's start by digging into why mess holds such a negative place in many people's minds. After all, kids usually don't have a problem with mess. They are often the sources of it and they revel in it, while adults look on indulgently. Build ...
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