Innovation is currently perceived to be one of the greatest contributors to increasing organizational value. A famous quote by Christopher Freeman emphasizes this fact:
“…not to innovate is to die.” Innovation is about the successful exploitation of new ideas and it is essential for sustained competitiveness and wealth creation.
Companies that innovate generally stay ahead of the competition.
IS MY PROJECT AN INNOVATION?
Successful innovation requires good management, appropriate financial skills, and a supportive overall climate.
To determine if a project is an innovation rather than an organizational change the following should be determined:
Is it a tangible product, process, or procedure?
Is it new to the organization within which it was introduced?
Is it intentional rather than accidental? (However, innovations can result from accidental observations, see 3M Innovation for examples.)
Is it not simply a routine change?
Is it public in its effects?
Does it result in benefit to some person or organization?
WHY INNOVATE?
Innovation is the fountain of long-term business success.
Innovation is key to growth.
In the global market in which we all now operate today’s bestseller can be tomorrow’s failure.
Innovation is often the means to help avoid failure.
BUT WHAT IS INNOVATION HOW DO YOU DEFINE IT?
Innovation is generally something new to the environment that it is introduced. This newness could be a new product, new service, new process, new strategy, or new feature to something that already exists (see incremental innovation), etc.
While there is little consensus on how to exactly define innovation a number of good innovation definitions do exist.
One of my favorites is the following…
“Innovation is not a single action but a total process of interrelated sub-processes. It is not just the conception of a new idea, nor the invention of a new device, nor the development of a new market. The process is all these things acting in an integrated fashion.” – Myers & Marquis (1969)
When people ask me what is innovation I like to define it to them as creativity with a purpose… That is a creative idea that you see value in and then immediately begin to put that idea into action. The action part however can be quite complex, involving many departments, many skill sets, many people and resources, project management, and excellent leadership skills.
Another way to consider innovation is to create something new that meets the needs of someone. When people pay for products or services they are doing so to either satisfy a need or to make something easier in their lives i.e. they are paying for the product or service to do a job for them. If you are able to determine what jobs need fulfilling and then consider what is currently available to meet those needs you can then start considering better ways to perform the job and meet the needs.
For example, people go to the cinema to be entertained. When they get to the cinema and pay for the ticket, the movie that they see should serve the purpose of entertaining them. Cinemas, therefore, compete with other forms of entertainment. In the movie arena, they now compete with innovations such as video on demand and home cinema surround sound / high definition home viewing options. But they also compete with other forms of entertainment, this could be sporting events, video gaming consoles, musicals, etc. To be innovative in the entertainment industry you would either need to think of new forms of entertainment or ways to improve people’s current entertainment experiences.
When considering what is innovation it can also be simply a matter of problem-solving i.e. finding a new and creative way to solve someone or some group’s problem. Meeting a requirement with new know-how, new knowledge or new technology, or a combination of such.
Unleash Your Inner Einstein: How to Turbocharge Your Thinking Power
Ever feel like your brain is running on dial-up in a fiber-optic world? We’ve all been there. That moment when you’re staring at a problem, and your thoughts feel like a tangled ball of yarn. Well, buckle up, because we’re about to ditch the dry textbook jargon and dive into some seriously cool science that’ll help you sharpen your mental edge. Think of this as your personal pit stop to upgrade your cognitive horsepower.
The "Blackboard" of Your Brain: Welcome to Working Memory
Ever heard of "short-term memory"? Turns out, the eggheads in cognitive science have updated the name to "working memory." Why the switch? Because it’s not just about holding information; it’s about actively using it.
Imagine your working memory as a digital whiteboard. It’s where you jot down numbers while you’re doing a quick calculation, or where you hold the key points of a conversation while formulating a response. The catch? This whiteboard is surprisingly small. Most of us can only scribble about five items on it at once – think five numbers, five words, or five distinct ideas.
Anything that doesn’t directly serve your current mental task gets wiped clean faster than a spilled latte on a white shirt. This limitation is crucial for understanding how to boost your thinking.
Cracking the Code: Strategies to Sharpen Your Mental Saw
So, how do we move beyond the five-item limit and start thinking like a strategic genius? It’s all about smart organization and clever mental tricks.
1. The Power of Hierarchy: Building Blocks for Big Ideas
One of the most effective ways to manage complex information is through a simple hierarchy. Think of it like Russian nesting dolls, but for your thoughts. The rule of thumb here? Each level should contain no more than five distinct points.
How it works: You start with your big, abstract idea (the outermost doll). Then, you break it down into its most significant components (the next doll). You continue this process, dissecting each component into smaller, manageable pieces, always sticking to that five-point limit per level.
Real-world application: Planning a major project? Instead of getting overwhelmed by a giant to-do list, start with the five main phases. Then, for each phase, list its five most critical tasks. Keep drilling down. This structured approach prevents your working memory from being overloaded and ensures you don’t miss crucial steps.
Actionable Tip: Next time you need to brief your team on a new strategy, don’t just dump information. Present it as a clear hierarchy: Vision -> Key Objectives (max 5) -> Actionable Steps per Objective (max 5 each).
2. Mnemonics: Making Memories Stick (Like Superglue!)
Remember those seemingly magical memory feats you see on stage? They often rely on mnemonics – fancy memory aids that link information to something more easily recalled.
The Magic Behind It: Instead of trying to memorize raw data, you create vivid, often bizarre, mental associations. The weirder and more memorable, the better!
Example: The original article mentioned the French word for poster, l’affiche. Your brain conjures a giant, ridiculous poster… with a fish plastered all over it (la-fish, get it?). This visual is far more sticky than just the word itself.
Application for Professionals:
Remembering Names: If you meet a "Mr. Baker," picture him wearing a baker’s hat or holding a rolling pin.
Product Features: To remember five key features of a new software, create a quirky story linking each feature to an action. Feature A (login) could be a knight entering a castle, Feature B (dashboard) could be the king surveying his domain, and so on.
3. Mind Mapping: Unleash Your Brain’s Inner Cartographer
Tony Buzan popularized mind mapping, and for good reason. It’s a visual way to capture and organize thoughts that genuinely mimics how our brains often work – in a web of connections.
The Concept: You start with a central idea (the sun) and radiate outwards with branches representing related thoughts, keywords, and images (the planets and their orbits).
Why it Rocks: It’s incredibly flexible and allows you to see the big picture and the intricate details simultaneously. It encourages creativity by allowing free association.
Tools of the Trade: While a pen and paper work wonders (just grab a big sheet!), there are some excellent digital tools. One long-standing free and open-source option is FreeMind. It’s a solid starting point for anyone looking to explore digital mind mapping without breaking the bank.
A good free, open-source software product is available to assist with mind mapping called freemind.
Pro-Tip: Don’t just use words. Incorporate colors, symbols, and drawings. The more sensory input you provide, the more your brain will engage.
Myth vs. Fact: Debunking Thinking Power Fallacies
MYTH: You’re either born with a “good brain” or you’re not.
This is like saying you’re either born a great chef or you’re destined to burn toast. Your cognitive abilities, like any skill, can be developed and significantly improved with practice and the right techniques. Neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to reorganize itself – is real!
FACT: “Thinking power” is a skill that can be cultivated.
Just like building muscle at the gym, consistent effort using effective strategies like those mentioned above strengthens your cognitive functions. It’s about working smarter, not just harder, with your brain.
Your Next Move: Sharpening Your Cognitive Toolkit
Improving your thinking power isn’t about some mystical secret; it’s about understanding how your brain works and applying proven techniques. Whether you’re planning a complex project, brainstorming new ideas, or just trying to remember where you put your keys, these strategies can make a tangible difference.
So, which technique will you try first? Will you embrace the hierarchical structure for your next presentation outline? Or perhaps create some hilariously weird mnemonics for your client list?
Start small, be consistent, and watch your thinking power soar. Your future, sharper self will thank you.
To improve your thinking power it helps to know a little about cognitive science. With recent discoveries in this field scientists are now re-naming what was always referred to as “short-term-memory” to “working memory”?
The working memory is a kind of blackboard where computations and results are calculated for later use, anything deemed not relevant to the task at hand is swept away.
Working memory capacity is quite limited with people usually being able to hold (memorize) no more than five number or words.
To improve thinking power there are a number of cognitive structures and tools that can assist. One is a simple hierarchy where each entity can contain no more than five points – working memory deals with each level one at a time. So you would start with your abstract thought or idea and break it down into successive components in the form of a hierarchy.
Another method is mnemonics which are sometimes used by magicians or memory performers. This is where you assign meaning to the data that you are trying to remember. A similar method to mnemonics is sometimes used to remember foreign words. For example, French for the poster is l’affiche (which sounds like la fish) so you could picture in your mind’s eye a large poster with a fish on it.
A further method to assist with thinking power is the mind mapping concept developed by Tony Buzan. This is where you start with one concept or field and place it in the center of a page. You then branch out with related thoughts and images from that central concept. This structure is supposedly meant to mimic how our mind organizes data.
Hope this gives you some ideas for further study/research.
A good free, open-source software product is available to assist with mind mapping called freemind.
Supply chain innovation can make a difference in gaining or losing customers.
Supply chain operations are often behind-the-scenes activities but they have a big influence on an organization’s overall competitiveness.
To remain competitive companies are always striving to reduce defects in products and processes, reduce cycle times, reduce wait times, improve customer service, increase product availability, etc.
The global marketplace that we now operate in has further increased the competitive pressures that organizations face. As a result, it is more important than ever to take advantage of technological innovations, best practices, and process innovations, particularly with reference to improving your supply chain.
Supply chain innovation is about applying best practices and technological innovations to your own supply chain in order to reduce such cycle and wait times and other waste (to use a Lean term) in your in-house processes. This should have the ultimate goal of improving the customer experience. Give your customer more choice, more accuracy, faster order fulfilment, increased visibility, and better service by looking at areas in your supply chain where you can develop new practices / better ways of working.
BASELINE YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN PROCESS
In order to know that the best practices, new methods, and technological / process innovations that you apply have had a positive effect on your supply chain you first need to begin with a baseline of your current process.
Map out the “as is” process and use operational (including headcounts) and financial data (if applicable) to formulate a set of metrics related to your process. If you follow the Lean production practice in your organization then you might consider performing a value stream map of your supply chain process.
Document all the steps in the process map that you create and get domain experts for each stage in the process to comment on the effectiveness of each particular step.
Incorporating another Lean tool you might want to ask the “five why’s?” This is simply where you successively ask why a particular process step is done that way.
Try and focus on any waste in the process such as bottleneck and also closely analyze inputs and outputs, particularly with reference to outputs that act as inputs to the next stage in the process.
Time all the steps within the process and total these times to get a total start-to-finish time of the entire process.
BENCHMARK AGAINST INDUSTRY STANDARDS
Benchmarking gives you a chance to determine where you currently are with your process in relation to others.
Get your hands on published data where possible but also consider asking suppliers, customers, and other partners – they may have similar processes to yourself which you can benchmark against.
Obviously what is of utmost importance here is ensuring that you are in fact comparing like with like. There is no value in benchmarking against a process with many differences from your own.
It can be possible to benchmark processes with completely different non-competitive industries. Although your markets are different you might have similar supply chain processes.
DESIGN YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN INNOVATION
This is the part where you create your “to be” process map.
Here too it can be wise to contact non-competitive organizations, businesses that have no relation to your own may have best practices for a particular process that you are trying to enhance. For example to improve the interface with your end customer you might want to look at the hospitality industry’s best practices for interfacing with their hotel guests.
When designing try and use a modular approach that keeps interfaces and other linkages to a minimum. Complexity results in a difficulty to change further down the line. You want your design to be simple enough to be able to accommodate future products, future product changes, and any other beneficial changes.
Have your growth forecasts readily available and ensure that your design can cope with future demand. Scalability and flexibility are extremely important during the design of your supply chain innovation.
Be realistic about your design, and ensure all proposals are workable. To assist with the acceptance of the changes get the people who work with the process to be involved / part of the design. i.e. ask them for their advice, feedback, and ideas. People are much more likely to accept a process change if they feel that they were involved in the creation of the solution. For further information, please refer to the resistance to change article.
IMPLEMENT YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN INNOVATION
This is where you put all of your hard work into action. In an attempt to reduce risk try an agile-type phased approach if possible – making small well defined process changes that you can immediately test for success. Or alternatively, try piloting for just one product group or within one business unit before rolling the changes out to the wider group. This again can help in reducing the risk element and can also give you the ability to make some final tweaks and small improvements to your process prior to implementing on a wider scale.
Record metrics from your new process changes and use the metrics that you collected in the baseline and benchmark phases for comparison. There will be a lot of visibility on you in this stage of your supply chain innovation and therefore it is important that you get the buy-in from key stakeholders via demonstration of small positive quick wins/improvements (particularly to gain early confidence).
Once again it is important to refer to the earlier-mentioned change management article. You could have designed the most perfect process in the world but if you have every man and his dog against you it is never going to be implemented successfully.
CONTROL AND IMPROVE PHASE
Once you have implemented your supply chain innovation your job is still not complete. In order to ensure its continued effectiveness you should continue to measure and monitor the key metrics that you defined in your analysis.
To demonstrate that improvements are within or better than defined targets consider using statistical run charts. If possible look for ways to get this data automatically so that you can demonstrate effectiveness via real-time computerized dashboards.
You should also continue to look for further areas of improvement. Continuous improvement or kaizen to use the Japanese term is essential if you are to continue to stay ahead of your competitors.
A shared vision is a view of some future state that is agreed upon and shared by others. It is useful when managing change and when you have people who are initially resistant to change.
It can also be described as a shared mental model of a future state of a product, process, group, or organization or a shared cognitive image of some ideal future state. Fortune magazine suggests that it is the most important leadership idea that came about in the twentieth century.
Craig Pearce and Michael Ensley define shared vision as :
”a common mental model of the future state of the team or its tasks that provides the basis for action within the team.”
The vision should generate excitement, which in turn will encourage involvement. It should be clear and concise enough for people to be able to effectively communicate the vision to others.
In particular, the vision should make it clear how the organization will improve as a result of its implementation. If possible use tangible measurements to convey this point. For example, implementing will result in increased sales, profit, return on investment, larger bonuses, opportunities for advancement, etc.
Make it clear in the vision how the implementation of it will be of benefit to those involved. For example, it may result in safer working conditions, more interesting work, less effort on a particular task enabling more time to focus on other more interesting work projects, etc.
To make it shared is the responsibility of the managers. They must communicate it throughout the organization. Doing so should make it clear to all why the change is important.
More and more so it is teams who are responsible for developing innovation and for this reason having a vision that all are agreeable to is increasingly important. This importance was proven by Craig Pearce and Michael Ensley in the research that they undertook in 2004…
”Innovation effectiveness was positively, reciprocally, and significantly related to a shared vision. Thus, the perception of innovation effectiveness appears to have a facilitative effect on teams that are responsible for delivering product and process innovations and this effect appears to carry through to future success in the innovation process.”
To have others share your vision it is important to listen to the people you are sharing it with – try and make sure that it includes some of their aspirations, hopes, and ideas for the future and to do this you have to ask questions and listen very carefully to the answers that you get back before formulating the vision.
Is ‘Change’ the Four-Letter Word That’s Killing Your Innovations?
Think about this: You’ve got a brilliant new idea, a game-changer that promises to streamline operations, boost efficiency, and inject some much-needed dynamism into your organization. But then… it hits a wall. Resistance. Employees instinctively dig their heels in, departments clash, and your innovation grinds to a halt before it even gets off the ground. Sound familiar? It’s a story as old as business itself.
Take, for instance, the seemingly simple act of introducing a new web-based system for booking flights, car rentals, and hotels. On paper, it’s a win-win: employees get more control and convenience, and the company could see cost savings. But in reality? The travel booking department might see it as a direct threat to their jobs. Others might groan, thinking, "Great, another new system to learn. I’m already swamped!" This isn’t just a minor hiccup; it’s a full-blown roadblock.
This kind of resistance isn’t an anomaly; it’s an inevitability. But the good news? It can be anticipated, managed, and even transformed into fuel for your innovation engine. Let’s dive into how.
Why Do People Slam the Brakes on Change?
Before you can navigate the choppy waters of resistance, you need to understand the ‘why.’ It’s rarely malicious; more often, it’s rooted in something far more human. Here’s a breakdown of the usual suspects:
The "What’s In It For Me?" Gap: People just don’t see the value or understand how the change actually benefits them. If it sounds like more work with no clear upside, they’re out.
Fear of the Unknown: Humans are creatures of habit. Stepping into unfamiliar territory, even if it promises better outcomes, can trigger anxiety.
The "My Voice Doesn’t Matter" Blues: When people feel change is being done to them, not with them, they’re less likely to embrace it. Lack of input breeds resentment.
No "Carrot," Just "Stick": Where’s the reward for the extra effort? If there’s no incentive – be it recognition, a bonus, or simply making their lives easier – why bother?
The "More Work, More Problems" Syndrome: Let’s face it, implementing something new often means a temporary surge in workload. If this isn’t managed or communicated well, it’s a recipe for pushback.
The Lurking Job Cut Fear: In times of uncertainty, any significant change can spark worries about job security. This is a potent driver of resistance.
Personality Puzzles: Sometimes, it’s as simple as friction between the change champion and the people affected. Personal dynamics can derail even the best ideas.
"I Don’t Trust You" Syndrome: If there’s a history of broken promises or poor execution by leadership implementing the change, skepticism is guaranteed.
The "This Won’t Work" Conviction: Deep-seated belief that the proposed change is unnecessary, flawed, or will actually worsen the current situation.
"Better Ideas Exist" Mentality: Individuals might genuinely believe another solution is superior, leading them to resist the chosen path.
Loss of the Familiar Comforts: Change can disrupt comfort zones, impacting perceived security, status, social connections, or even financial stability.
Echoes of Past Failures: Previous botched attempts at similar changes can leave scars, making people wary of "here we go again."
Understanding these root causes isn’t just academic; it’s your strategic advantage. Pinpointing which of these are at play for your specific innovation is the first crucial step to dismantling resistance.
Mobilize Energy and Commitment: Start with the "Why"
Before you even whisper the word "change," you need a compelling answer to the burning question: "Why are we doing this?"
This isn’t just a mission statement; it’s a business problem articulated with laser focus. It needs to:
Clearly Define the Pain: What are the negative consequences of not changing? Paint a vivid picture of the status quo’s shortcomings.
Create a Sense of Urgency: Make it clear that inaction is no longer an option. The cost of maintaining the current course must demonstrably outweigh the effort of the transition.
Be Convincing: The justification needs to resonate, tapping into shared organizational goals and highlighting the tangible benefits of moving forward.
Think of it like this: employees are more likely to endure a tough workout if they understand why it’s necessary for their long-term health and fitness, rather than just being told to lift weights.
Crafting a Magnetic Shared Vision
Once the problem is crystal clear, it’s time to paint the picture of the future. This is where you develop a shared vision – a compelling snapshot of what success looks like after the change is implemented.
This vision must be:
Clear and Concise: Easy to grasp, no ambiguity.
Inspiring: It should evoke excitement and a sense of purpose.
Universally Understood: Everyone involved needs to be singing from the same song sheet.
Communicated Relentlessly: Don’t just announce it once; weave it into every conversation, meeting, and update.
Identifying Your Change Champions (and Addressing the Doubters)
Every successful transformation needs a robust leadership structure. You need:
A High-Level Sponsor: Someone senior in the organization who publicly champions the change, allocates resources, and holds ultimate accountability. Think of them as the project’s biggest cheerleader and safety net.
Visible Leadership: The entire leadership team needs to be on board and visibly supporting the initiative. Mixed messages from the top are death to change.
But what about those who aren’t buying in? Trying to force-feed change rarely works. Instead, focus on understanding the resistors:
The Art of Understanding Resistance
As an experienced IT manager, I’ve seen firsthand that getting your core users involved from day one is pure gold. Make them feel like the project is theirs. Let them influence the design, brainstorm improvements, and feel ownership.
But when that’s not feasible, or you’re left with vocal resistors, here’s the playbook:
Identify the Resistors: Who are the loudest critics? Who is actively or passively blocking progress?
Diagnose the Root Cause: Refer back to our list of common causes. Which one(s) are driving this individual’s resistance?
Empathize and Understand: Step into their shoes. What do they value about the current system? What are their genuine concerns?
Reframe Benefits: Can you connect the proposed change to their existing values or address their specific fears? Instead of pushing your benefits, show how the change supports their priorities.
Avoid the Argument Trap: Don’t get drawn into debates. The goal is understanding and persuasion, not winning a fight. Overselling or becoming defensive will only dig the trenches deeper.
— Case Study —
The “Mandatory Training” Meltdown
A retail company rolled out a new inventory management system. The IT team announced mandatory training sessions, scheduled during peak sales hours. Employee morale plummeted. They saw it as disrespectful of their time and a disruption to their sales targets. The ‘why’ wasn’t clear, and the impact on their daily work was ignored. The resistance was palpable, leading to system errors and widespread grumbling.
Expert Insight: The company failed to connect the training to employee benefits (easier stock checks, fewer customer complaints about availability) and didn’t consider the operational impact. A better approach would have been to explain the system’s benefits for sales staff *first*, then schedule training during slower periods, perhaps even offering incentives.
— End Case Study —
Engineering Quick Wins and Building Momentum
Big changes can feel overwhelming. That’s why focusing on early, tangible successes – "quick wins" – is critical. These aren’t just busywork; they’re strategic:
Build Credibility: Demonstrating that something positive is happening, and happening soon, builds trust and silences cynics.
Generate Positive Energy: Small victories create momentum and a sense of progress that can be infectious.
Refine the Vision: Early wins provide real-world feedback, allowing you to fine-tune the plan and the vision as you go.
Turn Skeptics into Supporters: When people see tangible improvements, their negativity often transforms into cautious optimism, then outright support.
Focus on Results, Not Just Activity
Constantly ask: "Does this task directly contribute to the end goal?" Many activities, like excessive meetings or preliminary restructuring, can feel important but offer little immediate impact. Prioritize actions that deliver visible, positive outcomes quickly.
The Power of Adaptive Planning
Let’s be real: change rarely unfolds exactly as planned. New information surfaces, unforeseen obstacles appear, and priorities shift. The key is flexibility.
Be Ready to Pivot: Embrace adaptability. Don’t cling rigidly to an outdated plan.
Regular Reviews: Schedule frequent check-ins to assess progress, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments to the vision and timeline.
Resource Realism: Ensure your plans align with the available resources (people, budget, time) and adjust accordingly.
— Interactive Scenario —
What Would You Do?
Your team is implementing a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. A key senior salesperson, known for his success with the old, clunky system, is openly complaining about the new CRM, saying it’s “too complicated” and “slows him down.” He’s influencing other team members. You’ve confirmed the CRM is performing as expected and offers significant long-term benefits.
Effective communication isn’t just important; it’s the lifeblood of any change initiative. It needs to be:
Timely: Don’t wait for problems to fester.
Relevant: Tailor messages to different stakeholder groups.
Energizing and Inspiring: Connect back to the vision and the "why."
What to Communicate (and How):
The "Why": Clearly articulate the business problem being solved. Explain the alternatives considered and why this specific solution was chosen.
The "What": Detail the plan, expected timeline, and measurable goals. Crucially, explain how this change will benefit the specific audience you’re addressing.
The Scope: Define precisely what’s changing and what’s not. Identify who is affected and who isn’t. Use data to ground the communication and address fears.
Honesty and Transparency: Don’t sugarcoat. Deliver bad news promptly and clearly.
Risk Management: Share identified risks and your mitigation strategies.
Rewards and Incentives: Explain how individuals will be recognized or rewarded for their efforts during and after the transition.
Pro Tip: Create a multi-channel communication plan. Use a mix of formats – stand-up meetings, town halls, emails, newsletters, intranet posts, Q&A sessions, even informal chats. The goal is saturation and understanding.
Overcoming resistance to change can be key where innovations are concerned.
For example, a new web-based software system to enable employees to book their own flights, car rentals and hotels might be seen as a threat to the travel booking department and it may be seen as additional unnecessary work that people simply don’t have time for by your employees.
Such resistance to change should be anticipated early on in a project and methods put in place to help diffuse it, work around it, or if you are left with no choice simply ride straight over it.
Possible Causes For The Resistance To Change
Before you can overcome the resistance it is wise to be aware of why the resistance exists. Usually, it is a result of one of the following causes…
People not agreeing with or understanding the value/benefits of the innovation.
Fear of the unknown.
People have had no opportunity to provide input in the planning or implementation of the change.
Little or no reward/benefits to the people impacted by the idea.
Increased effort from people is required as a result of implementing the idea.
Fear that the change will result in job cuts.
Personality clashes between the people affected by the idea and the inventor of the idea.
No trust in the people who have been mandated to implement the change
Belief that the change is unnecessary or will make the situation worse
A belief that the idea is inferior to another idea.
A feeling that the change will result in a loss of security, status, money, or friends.
Bad experiences from similar changes that had been or been attempted to be implemented in the past
Being aware of the causes mentioned above and being able to specifically identify which ones may be relevant for the particular innovation that you are implementing greatly assists your chances of overcoming the resistance to change.
Mobilize Energy And Commitment
To get everyone motivated and committed to your change you should always begin a change effort with a clearly defined business problem.
Business problem definitions should make it clear to all concerned why the change must be undertaken. They should be well thought out so as to ensure they effectively define the problem and they should be convincing enough to motivate people through a sense of urgency in the message that they convey.
You need to get people to understand that the pain and additional effort involved with implementing the change will far outweigh the future pains associated with maintaining the status quo.
Create A Shared Vision
Once you have defined the business problem you then need to start thinking about the future state. Here you need to create a clear, shared vision, which you should communicate to all to ensure they fully understand the reasons for the change.
Identify The Leaders
For change to be successful, strong leadership needs to be put in place and this must be clearly defined and communicated.
You should have someone senior to the organization champion or sponsor the change. They should be responsible for providing the resources required to make the change a success and they should be responsible for the success or failure of the change.
Create Quick/Small Wins
Try and get some momentum and motivation going by focusing on some results rather than just the activities. Does the task that you are working on actually contribute to the end result? Often many tasks that seem important in fact contribute little at all to the end result, for example, training or re-structuring a team, etc.
Focus the team’s efforts on result-driven activities, particularly ones that can be implemented quickly. Anything that you can do immediately to improve performance will undermine the cynics and make it difficult to block the needed change. Small result-driven wins also assist with fine-tuning the vision and can turn people who were negative of the project into supporters.
Adjust The Vision If Necessary
Changes rarely go to the exact plan that was set out for them. As new knowledge or circumstances arise be ready to adjust your vision. The key is to be flexible, adaptable, and realistic at the same time. Adjust plans regularly so as to accommodate the schedules of the people on your team and the resources at hand.
Communication
When overcoming resistance to change good, relevant, and timely communication is essential. You may need to tailor your communications to the different stakeholders so that it better fits their unique perspectives of the change you are trying to implement. Try to make your communications energizing and inspiring. In particular, you will need to tell them…
Why you are undertaking the change? What business problem, issue or reason are you trying to rectify? What were the available solutions? Why did you arrive at the current solution?
What your plans are? When do you expect to have the change implemented? What do you hope to achieve by its implementation (quote metrics / actual numerical targets if possible)? Explain how the implementation of the change will benefit the group or individual with that you are communicating.
Be clear on the scope of the change. What’s in scope, and what is out of scope? Who is affected, and who isn’t? Use facts and figures where possible to help try and eliminate any upfront fear, uncertainty, or reservations. Explain what will change and what won’t.
Be as honest and as up-front about the change as you can. Don’t delay the communication of bad news.
Communicate the risks that you have identified and what your plans are to mitigate those risks
Communicate the rewards of success. How will people be incentivized for the additional work that will be required to lead to success? Create a communication plan that utilizes a diverse set of communication styles. Consider stand-up presentations, group meetings, emails, blogs, wikis, newsletters, hosted events, websites, etc. Your goal is to get the change program across and understood by all the stakeholders so the more communication styles you can use the better.
Don’t make the mistake of only giving out in communications. Remember communication is a two-way process and therefore you should also listen and provide answers. If people aren’t asking questions then ask them how they are doing and how they think the change will impact them.
Lessons I Have Learned
As an IT manager, I have spent most of my working career implementing systems that result in a change to a number of people and as a result one of the best lessons I have ever learned towards diffusing the resistance to change and making the change more acceptable is to attempt to get your core users involved in the project from the very offset. By that I mean make them feel that the project is theirs. Involve them with the design; ask them how things could be improved and generally make them feel part of the project.
Obviously, this cannot always be done and if that is the case and your project has one or more resistors then you first need to identify who the resistors are.
Second, you need to determine the cause of the resistance to change, and then you need to try and gain a deep understanding of why that individual has adopted this position. Try and imagine yourself in their shoes. What do they currently value about the status quo? Can you present the benefits of your idea to the resistor in ways that will promote/strengthen their existing values?
The key to all this is not to oversell your case and end up in an argument the last thing you want is to further your disagreements with the individuals involved as this can end up simply increasing the resistance to change.
Don’t just broadcast; listen. Actively solicit questions and feedback. If people aren’t asking questions, don’t assume all is well. Prompt them: "How do you see this impacting your role?" or "What concerns do you have that we haven’t addressed?"
Final Thoughts from the Trenches
Implementing change is rarely a walk in the park. But by understanding the human element, planning strategically, communicating relentlessly, and staying adaptable, you can navigate resistance and turn potential roadblocks into springboards for innovation.
Remember the power of empathy, the clarity of a shared vision, and the momentum of quick wins. Embrace the challenge, and you’ll find that resistance, when managed effectively, can actually strengthen your initiative.
Ready to transform resistance into groundbreaking innovation? Explore more insights:
Process innovation can be just as important as product innovation. We are all aware of everyday product innovations such as those in the latest flat-screen televisions, computer displays, or cell phones.
Often we are not so aware of the innovations to processes that take place in order to reduce the unit production costs of such products.
Innovations of this nature often use such techniques as business process reengineering or lean-based tools to analyze a process and reduce the number of steps by removing any redundant, repetitive, or simply wasteful process steps.
It is about applying knowledge and thinking to create services with new processes.
Process innovations can be classified as radical when they deliver significant differences from existing processes.
EXAMPLES:
Traditionally glass making went through a number of steps…
Furnace: melting of the raw material ingredients
Casting: the glass in a mold
Hardening: the glass in a special oven
Grinding and polishing: the glass using various grades of abrasives
Pilkington glass in the 1960s revolutionized this process by combining all of the steps into a single process known as the “float glass process” in which raw materials were fed into a furnace at one end and then a continuous strip of molten glass would be fed into the oven for hardening.
This float process eliminated the need to grind and polish the glass and in turn gave Pilkington a major competitive advantage in the glass-making process for many years.
An innovative process often needs to precede an innovative product in order for a product to be manufactured at a price that the market will accept.
REFERENCES:
Katz R (2009) The Innovators Toolkit – 10 Practical Strategies to Help You Develop and Implement Innovation, Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing
Carlo, J, Lyytinen, K, & Rose, G (2012), ‘A Knowledge-based model of radical innovation in small software firms’, MIS Quarterly, 36, 3, pp. 865-A10
Process innovation can be just as important as product innovation. We are all aware of everyday product innovations such as those in the latest flat-screen televisions, computer displays, or cell phones.
Often we are not so aware of the innovations to processes that take place in order to reduce the unit production costs of such products.
Innovations of this nature often use such techniques as business process reengineering or lean-based tools to analyze a process and reduce the number of steps by removing any redundant, repetitive, or simply wasteful process steps.
It is about applying knowledge and thinking to create services with new processes.
Process innovations can be classified as radical when they deliver significant differences from existing processes.
EXAMPLES:
Traditionally glass making went through a number of steps…
Furnace: melting of the raw material ingredients
Casting: the glass in a mold
Hardening: the glass in a special oven
Grinding and polishing: the glass using various grades of abrasives
Pilkington glass in the 1960s revolutionized this process by combining all of the steps into a single process known as the “float glass process” in which raw materials were fed into a furnace at one end and then a continuous strip of molten glass would be fed into the oven for hardening.
This float process eliminated the need to grind and polish the glass and in turn gave Pilkington a major competitive advantage in the glass-making process for many years.
An innovative process often needs to precede an innovative product in order for a product to be manufactured at a price that the market will accept.
REFERENCES:
Katz R (2009) The Innovators Toolkit – 10 Practical Strategies to Help You Develop and Implement Innovation, Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing
Carlo, J, Lyytinen, K, & Rose, G (2012), ‘A Knowledge-based model of radical innovation in small software firms’, MIS Quarterly, 36, 3, pp. 865-A10
The Pilkington Glass Revolution: A Classic Case Study
Process innovation can be just as important as product innovation. We are all aware of everyday product innovations such as those in the latest flat-screen televisions, computer displays, or cell phones.
Often we are not so aware of the innovations to processes that take place in order to reduce the unit production costs of such products.
Innovations of this nature often use such techniques as business process reengineering or lean-based tools to analyze a process and reduce the number of steps by removing any redundant, repetitive, or simply wasteful process steps.
It is about applying knowledge and thinking to create services with new processes.
Process innovations can be classified as radical when they deliver significant differences from existing processes.
EXAMPLES:
Traditionally glass making went through a number of steps…
Furnace: melting of the raw material ingredients
Casting: the glass in a mold
Hardening: the glass in a special oven
Grinding and polishing: the glass using various grades of abrasives
Pilkington glass in the 1960s revolutionized this process by combining all of the steps into a single process known as the “float glass process” in which raw materials were fed into a furnace at one end and then a continuous strip of molten glass would be fed into the oven for hardening.
This float process eliminated the need to grind and polish the glass and in turn gave Pilkington a major competitive advantage in the glass-making process for many years.
An innovative process often needs to precede an innovative product in order for a product to be manufactured at a price that the market will accept.
REFERENCES:
Katz R (2009) The Innovators Toolkit – 10 Practical Strategies to Help You Develop and Implement Innovation, Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing
Carlo, J, Lyytinen, K, & Rose, G (2012), ‘A Knowledge-based model of radical innovation in small software firms’, MIS Quarterly, 36, 3, pp. 865-A10
Process innovation can be just as important as product innovation. We are all aware of everyday product innovations such as those in the latest flat-screen televisions, computer displays, or cell phones.
Often we are not so aware of the innovations to processes that take place in order to reduce the unit production costs of such products.
Innovations of this nature often use such techniques as business process reengineering or lean-based tools to analyze a process and reduce the number of steps by removing any redundant, repetitive, or simply wasteful process steps.
It is about applying knowledge and thinking to create services with new processes.
Process innovations can be classified as radical when they deliver significant differences from existing processes.
EXAMPLES:
Traditionally glass making went through a number of steps…
Furnace: melting of the raw material ingredients
Casting: the glass in a mold
Hardening: the glass in a special oven
Grinding and polishing: the glass using various grades of abrasives
Pilkington glass in the 1960s revolutionized this process by combining all of the steps into a single process known as the “float glass process” in which raw materials were fed into a furnace at one end and then a continuous strip of molten glass would be fed into the oven for hardening.
This float process eliminated the need to grind and polish the glass and in turn gave Pilkington a major competitive advantage in the glass-making process for many years.
An innovative process often needs to precede an innovative product in order for a product to be manufactured at a price that the market will accept.
REFERENCES:
Katz R (2009) The Innovators Toolkit – 10 Practical Strategies to Help You Develop and Implement Innovation, Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing
Carlo, J, Lyytinen, K, & Rose, G (2012), ‘A Knowledge-based model of radical innovation in small software firms’, MIS Quarterly, 36, 3, pp. 865-A10
How to Spark Process Innovation in Your Organization
Process innovation can be just as important as product innovation. We are all aware of everyday product innovations such as those in the latest flat-screen televisions, computer displays, or cell phones.
Often we are not so aware of the innovations to processes that take place in order to reduce the unit production costs of such products.
Innovations of this nature often use such techniques as business process reengineering or lean-based tools to analyze a process and reduce the number of steps by removing any redundant, repetitive, or simply wasteful process steps.
It is about applying knowledge and thinking to create services with new processes.
Process innovations can be classified as radical when they deliver significant differences from existing processes.
EXAMPLES:
Traditionally glass making went through a number of steps…
Furnace: melting of the raw material ingredients
Casting: the glass in a mold
Hardening: the glass in a special oven
Grinding and polishing: the glass using various grades of abrasives
Pilkington glass in the 1960s revolutionized this process by combining all of the steps into a single process known as the “float glass process” in which raw materials were fed into a furnace at one end and then a continuous strip of molten glass would be fed into the oven for hardening.
This float process eliminated the need to grind and polish the glass and in turn gave Pilkington a major competitive advantage in the glass-making process for many years.
An innovative process often needs to precede an innovative product in order for a product to be manufactured at a price that the market will accept.
REFERENCES:
Katz R (2009) The Innovators Toolkit – 10 Practical Strategies to Help You Develop and Implement Innovation, Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing
Carlo, J, Lyytinen, K, & Rose, G (2012), ‘A Knowledge-based model of radical innovation in small software firms’, MIS Quarterly, 36, 3, pp. 865-A10
Process innovation can be just as important as product innovation. We are all aware of everyday product innovations such as those in the latest flat-screen televisions, computer displays, or cell phones.
Often we are not so aware of the innovations to processes that take place in order to reduce the unit production costs of such products.
Innovations of this nature often use such techniques as business process reengineering or lean-based tools to analyze a process and reduce the number of steps by removing any redundant, repetitive, or simply wasteful process steps.
It is about applying knowledge and thinking to create services with new processes.
Process innovations can be classified as radical when they deliver significant differences from existing processes.
EXAMPLES:
Traditionally glass making went through a number of steps…
Furnace: melting of the raw material ingredients
Casting: the glass in a mold
Hardening: the glass in a special oven
Grinding and polishing: the glass using various grades of abrasives
Pilkington glass in the 1960s revolutionized this process by combining all of the steps into a single process known as the “float glass process” in which raw materials were fed into a furnace at one end and then a continuous strip of molten glass would be fed into the oven for hardening.
This float process eliminated the need to grind and polish the glass and in turn gave Pilkington a major competitive advantage in the glass-making process for many years.
An innovative process often needs to precede an innovative product in order for a product to be manufactured at a price that the market will accept.
REFERENCES:
Katz R (2009) The Innovators Toolkit – 10 Practical Strategies to Help You Develop and Implement Innovation, Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing
Carlo, J, Lyytinen, K, & Rose, G (2012), ‘A Knowledge-based model of radical innovation in small software firms’, MIS Quarterly, 36, 3, pp. 865-A10
The game of bingo has been around a very, very long time — dating back to the 1500s and a community lottery game that was played regularly in parts of Italy. That may not make bingo as old as some other popular games like chess or checkers. But to give some perspective, bingo is older than some modern forms of poker. And to compare it to another game that’s evolved from an in-person experience to a renowned video game, bingo is also old than table tennis! According to a brief history on LiveAbout, modern table tennis really only dates back to the 1880s (though it does have roots in a 12th-century game).
Any way you cut it, it’s something of an ancient game. And yet in the last few years, its most popular versions have become almost shockingly modern. Video game poker, in one form or another, has been around for decades. But today’s casino and gaming platforms are presenting almost a different kind of game entirely. Foxy Bingo’s game offerings exhibit the evolution with total clarity, showcasing all of the best of modern internet bingo. There are live community games, digital bingo rooms packed with vibrant graphics, and games based on popular content such as the American TV sitcom Friends. This particular platform even presents a different spin on bingo altogether: “Slingo,” a game which combine arcade slots and bingo cards.
Compare these offerings to traditional bingo — in which a wheel is turned, numbers are called, and people fill in simple cards with small chips or markers — and you really notice the remarkable innovation that has gone into modernizing the experience. The interesting question though is whether this innovation should strike us as surprising or inevitable.
On the one hand, such an abrupt change to a game after hundreds of years is surprising. From those early Italian iterations in the 1500s through the 1990s, there were few if any noteworthy overhauls of how bingo was played, or what it looked like. The game lasted more than 400 years, in other words, without changing all that much. And then in the span of just a few decades, bingo became a popular digital game. Then, even more suddenly, it reached a point at which online players are guided by an animated fox into multiplayer, pop culture-themed bingo rooms augmented with visual graphics. It’s safe to say those 16th-century Italians, at least, would be rather shocked at the state of the game.
On the other hand, when we look at modern bingo innovation specifically through the lens of the video game era, it is arguably far less surprising. We covered ‘The Invention of Video Games’ in another article, noting the earliest computer game in 1958, but focusing primarily on the emergence of games like Pong, Space Invaders, and Tetris in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
These particular games are beloved, and still exist in something close to their classic form today. But they also laid the groundwork for the incredibly rapid advancement of video games that has continued to this day. Look to the latest industry updates by GameSpot, and you’ll see eye-popping images of massive modern video games that would stop the original Tetris and Pong programmers in their tracks. If bingo took 400-plus years to truly evolve, gaming has transformed into something well beyond its earliest examples in just 50 years’ time.
In the end, it’s essentially a matter of perspective! If you look at the entire history of bingo, there is something surprising and remarkable about how suddenly it made the leap to become something drastically changed, and far more modern. On the other hand, if you look at bingo in the video game era, and consider that there were some fairly early examples of digital bingo, the evolution seems natural and obvious.
Whichever way you look at it though, one thing remains clear: Modern online bingo has become a whole new game, and one that at its best is thoroughly engaging and entertaining.
Post written by Harvey Hobbs
More companies are outsourcing innovation which is in part due to global markets, geographically dispersed subject matter experts, and a faster emergence of disruptive technologies.
Companies may also choose to outsource in an effort to lower their research and design costs or when they are trying to tap into a market that they have little knowledge or experience. Sometimes they may outsource simply because the project does not fit strategically with their core competencies or to avoid internal bureaucracy and politics or because they have limited resources.
Done well outsourcing innovation has the potential to reduce risks, reduce cycle times, and lower innovation costs.
Research by Linder, Jarvenpaa, and Davenport in their 2003 paper “Toward an innovation sourcing strategy” highlights that 45 percent of innovations originate from external sources and this figure is nearer the 90 percent mark for service-based industries.
SUCCESS DRIVERS FOR OUTSOURCING INNOVATION
Building a high degree of trust and strong communication channels with your innovation partner. Meet and communicate regularly and build trust by doing what you said you would do.
Ensuring that your partner has the appropriate knowledge, competencies, and resources to complete the project. Check for evidence of competence by analyzing your partner’s efforts on previous projects.
Ensuring that you as the purchaser of the innovation have enough related knowledge. Outsourcing a project in which you have no related knowledge is highly risky.
Having the problem clearly defined. This is a success driver for most projects but needs to be mentioned as it is essential for an outsourced innovation project in which the uncertainties are much greater. Define the problem, define the business case, and define your success metrics, goals, or targets. To reduce the likelihood of disagreements further down the road define these in a legal drafted statement-of-work and master service agreement documents. Meet with your partner to discuss and ensure an understanding of the statement of work prior to signing.
Define the key stakeholders of the project and enable communication channels to these stakeholders on a regular basis.
Employ an experienced project manager to manage the project. The project manager can report back in monthly or weekly meetings on progress related to defined milestones.
Involve your customers: Reach out to them for ideas, requirements, and expectations. However, be aware that they can be a source of risk for radical innovations.
Service innovation can be a significant aspect of a business’s strategy.
We all know how important good service is. Good service leads to happy customers and “word of mouth” based referrals. Bad service gives the exact opposite, an unhappy customer and one who is ready to inform as many people as possible of the bad service received.
DEFINITION
Service innovations are defined as new services offered by organizations to meet an external user or market need. Three types have been identified.
Total innovations: These provide new services to new users
Existing services: Provided to a new user group and therefore expanding the reach of the service
Evolutionary innovations: Delivering a new service to an existing set of users
EXAMPLES
Examples of businesses that have based much of their core strategy on an innovative service model include:
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
Started in Texas on March 15, 1967, by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher, WestJet transformed the airline service model by offering cheap fares, frequent service, and fun for its customers. It was originally developed to compete with on-ground bus and automobile services. Its innovative service led to SouthWest being one of the most profitable airlines in the United States. Many other airlines copied their innovative ideas towards service, including Ryanair and EasyJet in Europe and WestJet in Canada.
DELL COMPUTERS
Dell revolutionized the service delivery model of computers by cutting out the middleman and selling its custom made personal computers directly to the end customer. Later they also made innovative changes to their supply chain management which ultimately led to them being one of the most successful computer manufacturers in the world.
REFERENCES
Katz R (2009) The Innovators Toolkit – 10 Practical Strategies to Help You Develop and Implement Innovation, Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing
Walker, Richard M (2008) An Empirical Evaluation of Innovation Types and Organizational and Environmental Characteristics: Towards a Configuration Framework, Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory, Vol. 18 Issue 4, p591-615
A warm welcome to the promoting creativity page.
If you manage or supervise people then one of your objectives should be to get people interested and focussed on being more creative.
Spurring people to be creative and ultimately innovative is good for you and the organization that you work for.
The trick though is to encourage creativity with subtlety. Creativity just doesn’t happen if people are put under pressure to be creative.
To promote creativity within your team consider the following areas…
PASSION
People tend to be most creative when pursuing something which they are passionate about so look for work areas that your subordinates excel in and encourage them to excel yet further in these areas by learning new knowledge. This can then be combined with knowledge of creativity techniques so as to look at work areas or work problems from new perspectives.
MANAGEABLE RISKS
Encourage your team to take small and manageable risks. Experimentation is key to the creative learning process. Praise failed experiments as these provide new knowledge in terms of what won’t work as a creative solution. Thomas Alva Edison one of the greatest innovators of recent times would conduct thousands of experiments in his quest for new innovative products.
OWNERSHIP
One primary method for encouraging creativity is to give your team members a sense of ownership of a particular project and a degree of autonomy in terms of how that project is completed. Let your people determine the constraints and parameters of the project don’t define these for them.
AWARDS AND REWARDS
What may surprise you is that rewards can deter the creative process. People need to have the intrinsic motivation to complete the project by themselves. If you need to award (bribe) an individual to be creative then they don’t have the appropriate interest required to be creative with the project in the first place.
Awards and rewards must be used carefully…
use them to celebrate milestones.
Do not formally mention that rewards will be given on successful completion at the start of a project.
Do give rewards and recognition even when projects fail. After all, if you are promoting creativity then you should be rewarding the creative effort and not the outcome of that effort. This should act as a powerful motivator for your team.
FUN AND ENJOYMENT
Tests have concluded that if you put two separate groups working creatively on the same problem domain; let’s say Group A and Group B and Group A is informed that they are competing against Group B whereas Group B is informed to simply have as much fun as possible the Group B will be the most creative.
So to conclude from this try and avoid getting your team members to compete with one another instead try and instill a sense of fun and enjoyment with the problems that people are addressing. Competition only adds to the pressure which can act as a barrier to creativity.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Martin Gilliard is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.co.uk.
Additionally, this site displays Google AdSense advertisements.
You may also be interested in my other website leadership-and-development.com covering topics on leadership and personal development.
