Frontier improvisation

The power of problem-solving depends on a fine balance

In 1948, Idaho’s Fish and Game Department carried out one of the most unusual wildlife relocation efforts in history: the “beaver drop.”

Faced with overpopulation of beavers in certain areas and the ecological need to reintroduce them elsewhere, officials devised a plan to parachute live beavers into remote wilderness locations.

Using surplus World War II parachutes and specially designed crates, the beavers were safely dropped into the backcountry, where they thrived and helped restore habitats.

It wasn’t the only solution of this kind.

In the 1950s, Borneo faced an ecological crisis after DDT spraying to combat malaria killed off insects, lizards, and local cats, causing rat populations to surge and spread disease. To restore balance, the British Royal Air Force parachuted 14,000 cats into remote areas, successfully controlling the rats and stabilizing the ecosystem.

Also in the 50s, the Pacific Power and Light company faced a dangerous problem: ice buildup on power lines in the Cascade Mountains in northwestern US. Traditional methods required linesmen to climb poles and shake the lines, risking falls and other hazards.

Struggling for a safer solution, the company brought together a diverse group of employees, from linesmen to office staff, for a brainstorming session led by a facilitator. It turned up to be a framestorming session instead.

During a coffee break, a linesman’s story about a bear chase sparked a chain of humorous ideas, including training bears to climb poles or using helicopters to place honey pots to attract them. A secretary, recalling her experience in Vietnam, suggested using helicopter downwash to shake the lines and dislodge the ice. Her idea, initially met with silence, became the solution.

Creative problem-solving seems an understatement in these examples. It might be worth thinking of these solutions as breakthrough thinking or frontier improv.

The best solutions come from groups leveraging collective intelligence. Groups that are large enough but not too large—a thin line between individual creativity and the stagnation of committees—are optimal because they harness both expertise and spontaneity.

A diverse group offers not only technical skills but also fresh, unorthodox perspectives from participants who might otherwise be seen as peripheral. When facilitated effectively, such groups transform into engines of innovation.

Ideas sparked from seemingly unrelated anecdotes or offhand comments can gain traction in this collaborative environment, ultimately leading to practical breakthroughs.