Don't let anything stand in the way of innovation
By Heather L. Bordo
Article written for the Globe and Mail, Friday, October 1, 2004 (Page C1)
Innovation is risky. Adopting an approach that is different from what a business, industry or individual has known requires a shift away from the "tried and true" -- which, even when it is not the most efficient, the most customer-focused or even the most sustainable approach, may, nevertheless, be the most comfortable.
There is plenty of evidence to support the need for and value of innovation as a competitive differentiator. Yet, many factors discourage both new and seasoned leaders from embracing innovative thinking and approaches.
The longer a leader has been at a role, the more challenging it becomes to think differently about it. Underlying assumptions and ways of doing things tend to become more entrenched over time.
As well, the more history a leader has with an organization or function, the more the "been there, done that" feeling exists. Leaders who have spent their whole career in a particular industry or organization may not even have any reference points for new approaches.
The way leaders are measured can also discourage them from espousing innovation. It has long been known that compensation drives behaviour. Leaders who are measured on adopting innovation will be much more likely to support new approaches than leaders who are not.
Finally, people generally are averse to change and are especially reluctant to try it in times of crisis.
In theory, leaders who are newer in their roles are in the best position to support innovation, since they have not yet become entrenched or invested in the status quo. Yet, developing and implementing new approaches can be challenging for them as well.
The expectation for new leaders to quickly demonstrate results can undermine innovation since new ways of working require some time before the positive impact can be seen.
New leaders also know that their success will be at least in part determined by how well they fit into the organization. Inherent in the notion of fitting in, then, is operating in a way that doesn't rock the boat too much or go against accepted ways of doing things.
Because of the risk associated with trying something new and the degree of effort required to implement change, people will avoid taking that risk unless there is a highly compelling reason to do things differently.
Thus, the need to do things differently does not usually become strong enough to drive action until a business faces a crisis. And yet, people are the least inclined to pursue innovative approaches and take risks when the pressure is highest to improve performance.
One senior vice-president of marketing and business development in the pharmaceutical industry noted how, in sports, you may think you are at the top of your game until you work with a coach who shows you how much better you can be. This is often referred to as "unconscious incompetence" -- when you don't know what you don't know.
Some leaders may be fortunate enough to have peers, a boss or even team members that challenge their thinking. However, many leaders have indicated to me that the opportunities to have their views challenged and gain new insights often diminishes with experience.
How can leaders overcome the innovation inhibitors?
They must recognize innovation as critical to sustaining and differentiating their businesses and demonstrate that belief in their actions and words.
Leaders need to demonstrate their belief in this important concept through their own efforts to pursue innovation, through their encouragement of others and through the priorities that they establish.
How can leaders do this? Examine challenges and opportunities from different perspectives. Watch your customers in action. Ask provocative questions, such as:
- How might a customer or supplier see this?
- How would we deal with this if we were in another function/company/industry?
- What if all constraints were removed?
- What if anything were possible?
- What if. . .?
Create opportunities to challenge assumptions. Engage someone from outside your function, division, company or industry to help you test your thinking.
Every business operates under a number of assumptions. Exposing and reversing the assumptions within your business can be a great way to trigger fresh thinking and new ideas.
Inject new thinking into the business regularly. Incorporate innovation as a regular agenda item at meetings, and use the time to have people share their ideas for how to do things differently or better.
Initiate best-practice visits to companies in other industries to see how they address production issues or what they've done successfully to improve sales. Herman Miller, a U.S.-based furniture design company, developed its award-winning Aeron chair by looking at the ergonomics of how astronauts move in space.
Encourage those who attend conferences or courses to share their learning with colleagues and team members so that everyone benefits. Hire coaches to stretch and challenge leaders to think in new ways.
To truly be open to innovation, leaders need to be willing to give up some control and trust and enable those they work with to make decisions and act with some authority. The role of a leader is not to have all the answers -- it is to develop and enable others to perform at their highest level. The more leaders encourage others to ask questions, challenge assumptions and contribute their ideas, the more there will be benefits of innovative thinking.
Some people are more inclined by nature to push themselves out of their comfort zone. Leaders that do this -- for example, by taking on cross-functional roles, moving to new industries, or pursuing non-traditional career paths -- can create highly challenging experiences for themselves that, in turn, lead to significant new learning, new thinking and change.
What can organizations do?
Give leaders the opportunity to learn from what doesn't work as well as from what does. People make mistakes. How leaders recover and learn from negative consequences is what determines their effectiveness and enables them to grow. Don't penalize people for their perceived failures so that they can become opportunities from which people can learn.
Build innovation into the business culture. Create systems and structures that support innovative thinking and approaches. Hire people who think creatively and have a broad base of experience.
Incorporate objectives around innovation into individual and team performance measures. Engage all employees in identifying new and creative ways to improve processes, fulfill customer needs, distribute products and so on. Showcase examples of innovative thinking. Recognize and reward innovation.
Master processes for driving change. The better a business gets at implementing new processes, new structures or other new ways of working, the less the idea of managing change will deter the implementation of new ideas.
Be willing to invest in the longer term. Businesses that focus exclusively on managing short-term results hinder their own abilities to remain competitive. Leaders need to be measured over a long enough time span to enable new ways of doing things to take hold and see their benefits realized.
Introduce innovative thinking tools such as brainstorming sessions throughout the organization. Get people comfortable with a broad range of such tools through training and participation in facilitated sessions. Incorporate tools to stimulate innovation in strategic planning, problem-solving sessions, strategic account planning and other operational processes. When innovation is encouraged and its perceived risks are minimized, who knows what great ideas will emerge.