“Serendipitous” describes an event or discovery that happens by chance but results in a beneficial outcome. I had a minor, and I mean really minor, problem in the context of daily challenges, over the last couple of weeks. I was using a small plastic bottle of Evian water which fitted into a pocket in the door of my car. It ran out in the recent heatwave. I tried for several days to buy a single replacement but could only find packs of six which I was too mean to buy. This was becoming annoying. Then I started thinking laterally and realised I was looking at the problem completely the wrong way. What I needed was a reusable stainless steel insulated water bottle, available on Amazon - and in a colour almost matching my car. These things matter! It arrived in a day and fits neatly in the pocket which was clearly designed for this very purpose. I have permanently resolved my problem and am also helping the environment by using a sustainable solution. Indeed, there have been a surprising number of important inventions throughout history which happened more by chance than careful development. See this article Serendipitous Inventions which cites as examples Velcro, matches, Coca-Cola, the microwave oven and Post-it Notes. Another such beneficial event is Alexander Fleming’s accidental discovery of penicillin.
My point is that in our professional lives we should always be on the lookout for these incidental improvements in our work and its associated processes which may not be immediately obvious. We can I suggest be consciously more receptive to such events. See this article from Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge Innovation at work: the power of serendipity which observes “rather than being merely an event that happens to an individual or organisation, serendipity requires ‘sagacity’ – it builds on the notion that positive discoveries are facilitated by controllable elements such as an open mind.” The authors propose that “Organisations can encourage behaviour leading to serendipity” avoiding the “functional fixedness” that may result from the “The process of professionalisation”. Their research found “serendipity triggers” such as
They cite the example of the animation studio Pixar whose main buildings “were designed to maximise inadvertent encounters” with “a single big space with a big atrium [which] led to people bumping into each other”. As we all spend so much time working from home such opportunities for chance encounters and incidental creativity are more challenging. However why not finish say a Teams meeting 5 minutes early and open the floor to a quick and open discussion on any lessons learned?
Crossing the Atlantic the Harvard Business Review has some quick tips see Unlock Innovation Through Serendipity including:
The last rings particularly true to me as when as a lawyer who has crossed the boundary from private practice to the in-house world. In a law firm you are mainly working on a day-to-day basis with other lawyers. In industry I was exposed every day to so many more cross team interactions with colleagues in different disciplines from commercial and procurement, technical architects, and salespeople through to senior management. Once I stopped thinking (rather arrogantly) that as a legal adviser I had to be the only source of the truth, these interactions often made me reconsider my approach and practice as a professional. For example, I once watched a senior manager step into a convoluted project crisis he knew little about at a pre meet in a café at Swindon railway station. Not ideal for the complex negotiation to follow. However, he simplified everything by asking us to create a timeline of events which ultimately not only gave him an effective understanding, but enabled us to unravel the intertwined issues and ultimately resolve them.
This is even more true in our world of continuing technology advance which I have witnessed as an IT lawyer over many years. AI observes (if that is the right word) “In the AI age, serendipity—the accidental discovery of valuable ideas while pursuing something else—is your most valuable human differentiator. While algorithms prioritize hyper-personalization and efficiency, true professional innovation requires cultivating a "prepared mind" that connects unrelated dots across your industry.” But there are inherent dangers. See this article In Support of Serendipity from the INSEAD Business School which observes that “AI-driven recommendation algorithms… may ultimately constrain our self-determination.” Therefore, we should introduce serendipity “developing AI systems that are more flexible and less tied to past preferences”. It summarises a more detailed academic paper from the University of Chicago How Artificial Intelligence Constrains the Human Experience. This suggests that whilst “powering breakthroughs” “AI systems can also have the opposite effect: reducing and constraining the range of experiences that are available to consumers”. It observes that “One of the joys of life is serendipity, making fortunate discoveries by accident. …. However, recommendation algorithms often limit our experience of serendipity”.
I think to take advantage of serendipity in our working, and private lives we need not only to adopt an open and receptive mindset, but also to have a sense of humour even of the seemingly absurd. AI suggests “Humour and serendipity are two sides of the same psychological coin: both require a playful mindset that embraces the unexpected and recognizes the hidden connections in everyday life.” Why, well because they sort of go hand in hand:
Cognitive Flexibility: Both humour and serendipity thrive on your ability to hold two conflicting or distinct ideas at once and suddenly see how they connect.
The "Precipice of a Smile": Walking through life with a state of receptiveness—expecting to be delighted rather than disappointed—puts you in a position to notice accidental comedy and fortunate coincidences.
Building Trust: Laughing with someone over an unexpected coincidence releases oxytocin, forging rapid emotional bonds.
More generally on the concept of serendipity Loius Pasteur observed that “In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.
While Isaac Asimov suggested “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’, but ‘That’s funny …’”.
Ultimately “Most discoveries even today are a combination of serendipity and of searching.” The Indian physician and biologist Siddhartha Mukherjee.
My point is that in our professional lives we should always be on the lookout for these incidental improvements in our work and its associated processes which may not be immediately obvious. We can I suggest be consciously more receptive to such events. See this article from Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge Innovation at work: the power of serendipity which observes “rather than being merely an event that happens to an individual or organisation, serendipity requires ‘sagacity’ – it builds on the notion that positive discoveries are facilitated by controllable elements such as an open mind.” The authors propose that “Organisations can encourage behaviour leading to serendipity” avoiding the “functional fixedness” that may result from the “The process of professionalisation”. Their research found “serendipity triggers” such as
- curiosity
- alertness
- positive emotions
- humility (lack of dogmatism)
- improvisation
They cite the example of the animation studio Pixar whose main buildings “were designed to maximise inadvertent encounters” with “a single big space with a big atrium [which] led to people bumping into each other”. As we all spend so much time working from home such opportunities for chance encounters and incidental creativity are more challenging. However why not finish say a Teams meeting 5 minutes early and open the floor to a quick and open discussion on any lessons learned?
Crossing the Atlantic the Harvard Business Review has some quick tips see Unlock Innovation Through Serendipity including:
- Encourage openness to surprises
- Foster cross-disciplinary interactions
The last rings particularly true to me as when as a lawyer who has crossed the boundary from private practice to the in-house world. In a law firm you are mainly working on a day-to-day basis with other lawyers. In industry I was exposed every day to so many more cross team interactions with colleagues in different disciplines from commercial and procurement, technical architects, and salespeople through to senior management. Once I stopped thinking (rather arrogantly) that as a legal adviser I had to be the only source of the truth, these interactions often made me reconsider my approach and practice as a professional. For example, I once watched a senior manager step into a convoluted project crisis he knew little about at a pre meet in a café at Swindon railway station. Not ideal for the complex negotiation to follow. However, he simplified everything by asking us to create a timeline of events which ultimately not only gave him an effective understanding, but enabled us to unravel the intertwined issues and ultimately resolve them.
This is even more true in our world of continuing technology advance which I have witnessed as an IT lawyer over many years. AI observes (if that is the right word) “In the AI age, serendipity—the accidental discovery of valuable ideas while pursuing something else—is your most valuable human differentiator. While algorithms prioritize hyper-personalization and efficiency, true professional innovation requires cultivating a "prepared mind" that connects unrelated dots across your industry.” But there are inherent dangers. See this article In Support of Serendipity from the INSEAD Business School which observes that “AI-driven recommendation algorithms… may ultimately constrain our self-determination.” Therefore, we should introduce serendipity “developing AI systems that are more flexible and less tied to past preferences”. It summarises a more detailed academic paper from the University of Chicago How Artificial Intelligence Constrains the Human Experience. This suggests that whilst “powering breakthroughs” “AI systems can also have the opposite effect: reducing and constraining the range of experiences that are available to consumers”. It observes that “One of the joys of life is serendipity, making fortunate discoveries by accident. …. However, recommendation algorithms often limit our experience of serendipity”.
I think to take advantage of serendipity in our working, and private lives we need not only to adopt an open and receptive mindset, but also to have a sense of humour even of the seemingly absurd. AI suggests “Humour and serendipity are two sides of the same psychological coin: both require a playful mindset that embraces the unexpected and recognizes the hidden connections in everyday life.” Why, well because they sort of go hand in hand:
Cognitive Flexibility: Both humour and serendipity thrive on your ability to hold two conflicting or distinct ideas at once and suddenly see how they connect.
The "Precipice of a Smile": Walking through life with a state of receptiveness—expecting to be delighted rather than disappointed—puts you in a position to notice accidental comedy and fortunate coincidences.
Building Trust: Laughing with someone over an unexpected coincidence releases oxytocin, forging rapid emotional bonds.
More generally on the concept of serendipity Loius Pasteur observed that “In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.
While Isaac Asimov suggested “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’, but ‘That’s funny …’”.
Ultimately “Most discoveries even today are a combination of serendipity and of searching.” The Indian physician and biologist Siddhartha Mukherjee.
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