Now, can you think of a well-defined and implemented methodology in your workplace that most of your colleagues use when they have an idea about how to change work for the better? No? In fact, how many value-adding innovations can you think of that have been implemented in your organisation? You may not be able to think of any because your organisation has a dedicated department or role to deal with innovation challenges.
You get the picture. Processes and systems are widespread and well known throughout the organisation – and they dominate the picture in large corporations and government agencies. This is fine as long as the external environment (competitors, technologies, threats) is static. But in times of significant change or disruption (demand, technologies, war), our familiar processes are doomed to fail. Why is this? Processes and skills drive our behaviour in known situations. Think about it. How can you train your skills for something you don’t know?
You cannot go through life without change. In fact, change and innovation are a constant in all successful organisations. So it’s a bit of a paradox that you answered ‘no’ (you did, didn’t you?) to my question about the method for innovation in your work.
But you are not alone. This is the paradox that dominates most large corporations and government agencies. And that is why large corporations are always uncompetitive with their smaller counterparts/start-ups.
In order to innovate effectively, we need to get rid of the dominant processes that prove effective when corporate life is in cruise mode. And while other processes / methodologies will help you get on a better track in times of change and innovation (lean start-up methodology, ideation, incubation), the mindset must also change.
Why? Because while skills guide our behaviour in known situations, attributes guide us in situations of stress and uncertainty. Beneath the obvious skills, our surprising core attributes turn out to be hidden drivers of performance – including cunning, adaptability, courage, even narcissism – that determine how resilient or persistent we are, how situationally aware we are, and how conscientious we are (Rich Diviney).
This should have a dramatic impact on how you design your organisation. The right processes for static situations, the right attributes for changing situations. Roughly speaking.
While bureaucracy eliminates human error – as it should – it also punishes the inevitable deviations and failures of a learning and discovery process. Innovation is based on irregularity, so in times of change bureaucracies – with all their processes and systems and managers (controllers) – have to discard or heavily reprioritise the very core DNA (the structure they have put in place) in order to reach a new horizon, which may lead to a new static situation.
Far too often I hear hard-working professionals say they can’t do a job any other way because of ‘the way we do things’ (processes). But unconventional and innovative thinking is exactly what is needed.
In times of change, “can’t” is a lie.