Change is Innovation: The only constant

In these unprecedented times as government and businesses look at resilient strategies, it has only become more conspicuous that change is inevitable! But it is also a classic case where question itself is an answer.

As the saying goes “Nothing changes if nothing changes”.   

?Changes call for innovation, and innovation leads to progress. The world today needs a positive change. We need ideas. We need progress.

However, many regard innovation ideas to be treasure troves or magical wands, rare and difficult to find. But honestly this just reminds me of the story of Kutchu and his glasses. A man searching for his glasses everywhere, only to find them resting on his nose! It is quite humbling to notice that some of most basic lessons were imparted to us through such moral stories quite early in our lives. But over a period, we seem to have mastered the art of complicating things. 

As Confucius said, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated”

So, if we really stop and think for a moment, the answers to the questions, solutions to the problems, and keys to the locks, rest in “simplifying”.

Here is my attempt at simplifying the journey of change, innovation, progress!

Let’s start with the ‘The box’.

Thinking outside the box is a well-worn phrase, referring to novel or creative thinking. And while, it is a good go-to advice to invoke lateral thinking, it need not be the first step. The freedom of creating something new, with the world at our disposal can often be paralyzing for most of us. Asking someone to think creatively with a blank sheet of paper with no rules, is the hardest condition. In his TedEd Talk, Brandon Rodriguez touches upon the theory of ‘creative constraints’ by drawing analogy with any project that is restricted by many factors, such as the cost, time and scope. These limitations are what help project accomplish a goal. Hence, I am adding a spin to this term ‘creative constraints’ by redefining it not as boundaries but as ‘creative foundation’. So, to simplify, why not start with embracing ‘the box’ as incubator for thinking – ‘Thinking inside the box’. In innovation world, it is synonymous to ‘Optimize the existing’.

Next, comes ‘The Carrot and Stick’.

Traditionally, and even today, we see this being employed in motivating people to elicit desired behaviors. Sometimes the rewards are given in the form of money, promotion, and any other financial or non-financial benefits and sometimes the punishments such as relegation or in extreme cases coup de ’tat are exerted to push an individual towards the desired behavior. Obviously, we expect this Carrot and Stick theory to work for motivating humans (did you know this theory originates from a donkey story & behavior? hmm…). Dan Pink in his TedEd talk reckons, ‘Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think’ supported by social science research facts and figures. While neither carrot nor stick alone can solve this puzzle, the secret lies in the inclusion of purpose and vision. From financial or experiential rewards to public recognition, a motivation program should reflect an organization’s culture and vision and emphasize on purpose, while offering employees an array of aspirational carrots. With increasing wokeness and mindfulness, people want to impact and contribute to a greater good. This is synonymous to ‘Building innovation culture’, a healthy culture and ecosystem to innovate.

Finally, ‘The moonshot’.

At some point, we have heard of ‘moonshot’ or its twin brother ‘disruption’, one of the most abused words in innovation arena! While it sounds perfectly logical to categorize innovation types within 3 horizons – incremental, adjacent and disruptive, often the path to disruption itself is a disrupted one. 7th September 2019, as millions of people across the world watched, we bated breath, Vikram moon lander's descent, a problem occurred, and the lander lost contact with scientists. While the mission repute of success or failure remains controversial, without a doubt, it was a moonshot/ disruptive mission in every way, one laced with risks and uncertainties. In Dalai Lama’s words,

“Great love and great achievements involve great risks.”

And great risks call for psychological safety from their leaders and organizations. Workplaces that prioritize psychological safety provide emotional safety nets for employees to feel free to express their ideas & opinions without fear. This causes them to constantly innovate, feeling empowered to take risks, have candid discussions, and brainstorm creative solutions. To them, failures are learning experiences and confronting issues leads to positive outcomes.

Also, such mammoth disruption involves complexity and uncertainty requiring strong support of resources, capabilities, agility and risk appetite. Often, managing all this alone is too much for an organization. In this environment, the ability to collaborate with other organizations to access markets and channels, create compelling offers, and create more engaging relationships with customers comes across as a far more prevalent strategy.

So, as I step into this Innovation lead role in ABI UK, I step in with openness and humility, marked justly by William Pollard’s words,

“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.”

Keep learning, keep innovating, keep progressing.