Innovate Yourself Newsletter #3 - Understanding Innovation Groundedness
It was lunchtime in early February of 2010, the Christmas holiday crush had finally subsided, and Valentine's Day was fast approaching.? My untouched lunch sat beside me as I stared at the computer screen, my vision blurred and heavy brain fog was taking over.? Involuntarily my elbows lurched onto my desk just in time for my hands to catch my falling face.?
I knew no one would notice, they were all working away at lunch too in the sea of cubicles at our San Francisco office. It was the moment I accepted a hard truth, I had Corporate Burnout, the face fall being a crescendo moment that had been building for years. The signs were there -- but ignored.? Like so many in Silicon Valley, I just kept burning the candle at both ends, believing hard work, more hours and grit were all I needed.??
My burnout crescendo occurred while working at HP-Snapfish, the premier online photo/video service on the planet at the time. I lead a stellar team across multiple time zones, rolling out innovative new products and stabilizing the photo/video upload and storage platform for HP-Snapfish and its global partners.? Our team kept pushing the boundaries of what was possible as Innovators and human “do-ers”.??
We were fueled by a hard-driving company culture focused on building scale, profitability, and growth, where working through illness, loss, sleep deprivation, 24/7 availability and arbitrary deadlines was not only a cultural norm but a badge of honor.? I bought into it all, excited to be part of something with such global reach and impact. For me, working at HP-Snapfish was part of a dream realized, but the experience ultimately cost me my health and wellbeing.? And even worse, it almost cost me my closest relationships and family. The truth was harsh: I had lost balance, what I now call Innovation Groundedness, and my capacity for Innovation Grit had been slowly diminishing.?
My Unexpected Road to Innovation Groundedness
With my fuel tank empty, my body and mind shutting down, I wanted nothing more than to first get healthy. Months earlier I had survived the H1N1 flu (swine flu) when it tore through Snapfish at the start of the holiday crush.? We all worked through it, but I had never fully recovered.? At the time Hewlett Packard and Snapfish’s published corporate wellness program consisted of basically a gym membership discount and some EAP sessions that were a nightmare to schedule and few ever used. As innovative as these companies were, they didn’t yet understand the importance of a grounded and balanced workforce needed to face the acceleration of innovation coming our way.? And, there were certainly no Chief Balance Officers influencing the culture at the time.??
Days after my face fell into my hands, I took back control and found a Health & Wellness retreat called “Perfect Health” happening within days at the world-famous Chopra Center in Southern California.? My husband, likely noticing I was finally coming to my senses and hoping for a turning point, was supportive. So I bought my ticket for a much-needed human reboot. ??
Within hours of arrival, it was abundantly clear I was a fish out of the water, never exposed to terms like “wellness retreat”, meditation, yoga, restorative massage, or “mind-body-spirit”. ? My world view was software, technical books, emerging technology, and GSD -- getting shit done.??My initial reaction to this new experience was to run out the door, hail a taxi, and get on the next flight home.??
Instead, I stayed, allowing my gut, engineering curiosity, and the promise of “Perfect Health” to lead the way.? The old ways weren’t working, I had to pivot, take a leap, and experiment.? By the end of the week, I still did not have Perfect Health, but I could sense a glimpse of it and got committed to adopting new practices that would steer me in the right direction.??
A Messy Path to Perfect Health and Balance
It would take about 6 months of practice to notice sustained Perfect Health and how it was a natural state of being.? My prior burnout state was not natural at all. This new grounded state included an abundance of energy, flow, and clarity.? And, to my surprise the unexpected benefits I noticed, were enhanced creativity in problem-solving and a rise in productivity and Innovation Grit.?
It took an additional 6 months to repair broken and strained relationships in my life.? During that time I respectfully left Snapfish to join another HP start-up acquisition called MarketSplash, the B2B counterpart to Snapfish, focused on printing and sharing marketing assets.? And I would have the opportunity to return to work for a fantastic leader Aaron Weiss whom I worked for years before in the HP Mobile Imaging team.? I didn’t realize it at that time but the Mobile Imaging Team culture he created enabled me to stay more balanced.? I learned that I not only had to take responsibility for my own burnout but also understand how culture had a role to play.??
The Rise of a Chief Balance Officer
?? Once I fully accepted the truth of my burnout and took control of my re-boot, healing, and work.? I was able to metabolize the experiences and grow much-needed Innovation Groundedness. ? The big learning for me was that I would need to become my own Chief Balance Officer, establish a more strategic “wellness” program for myself, and become aware of the early signs of burnout, so I could course correct them earlier.? Over time, I learned that cultivating balance, wellness, and groundedness wasn’t just about survival.? Innovation Groundedness would become an unspoken strength I could bring to any Innovation Challenge and the secret key to unlocking more Innovation Grit.??
The “Balance” Naysayers?Rise Too
It wasn't long after committing to build “balance” for myself that I learned the term was controversial both privately and publicly.? The practices seemed strange to those around me, since meditation, yoga, and mindfulness were not yet mainstream.? Public figures were shunning the term, saying balance is unrealistic, impossible or woo….business wasn’t about balance.
?I could appreciate the perspective as I too held that worldview prior to my burnout. This gap fueled my curiosity and I began noticing a pattern emerge in the visual metaphors naysayers used when mocking balance.? Let’s do a little thought experiment for a moment and see what comes up for you.? Generally, the word “balance” evokes imagery such as:?
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What is common across all of these images?? In my opinion, each image represents only a snapshot in time where things line up if we are lucky. And, the images are away from any actual challenge or intense activity that requires balance or groundedness.? They can generate groundedness, but never express the level of groundedness seen in a dynamic innovation experience or in moments of challenge where action, challenge, and grit are also present.??
If you noticed the same pattern or felt a similar tension, I invite you to extend your view of balance and groundedness to also include dynamic and sustained expressions of groundedness with imagery such as:?
Hopefully, this second list of images (imagined in your mind) evokes a deeper and more dynamic sense of the meaning of groundedness and balance in an applied way.? It's not about a snapshot in time when everything lines up, to me that’s only a glimpse of balance.? Instead, I believe it's a dynamic and persistent state needed across the pursuit of creative expression, facing a challenge, being of service, and personal growth.? And, I hope for each image you could see yourself or individuals of diverse ages, gender identities, and skin colors because this persistent state of groundedness and balance can be cultivated by anyone.????
Innovation Groundness fuels Innovation Grit
?My journey through burnout taught me that without Innovation Groundedness, Innovation Grit will become constrained.? This is something that each individual must notice in themselves and is an open invitation to innovate within. I also invite companies to notice if Innovation Grit is waning across their workforce and where Innovation Groundedness could be enhanced in their culture.
Ultimately, innovating yourself to become your own Chief Balance Officer and building a strong Innovation Groundedness practice, enables you to build Innovation Grit without burning out early. I learned this the hard way, I hope this newsletter helps you learn a better way. ?
This Month's Reflection: ? Think of an innovator who has demonstrated great Innovation Grit, advancing breakthrough innovations through challenges and other headwinds of Innovation.? How grounded are they (centered, balanced, recovers rapidly, humble learner, helps others feel grounded)? What habits or practices do they have to build such fortitude?? How could you apply that insight to your own Innovation Practice?
Next Month:? We go beyond the action orientation of Innovation Grit or its stabilizer Innovation Groundedness and explore how outcomes (good, bad, or ugly) trigger, hijack or traumatize an Innovator and how to get unstuck. ?
Until then, please let me know if you “liked” this article or found it insightful.? I welcome your feedback and hope to learn from you all too. ? Thank you to those that reached out with helpful feedback (you know who you are), you are making this newsletter series better already.??
Keep Innovating!
Copyright(c) March 2022, Michelle Vendelin
PS: In case you were wondering, I currently work for CableLabs the Innovation Lab for the Cable, Broadband & Wireless Industry. The culture is fantastic and thoughtfully developed to create space for Innovation Grit, Groundedness & Greatness. Our President and CEO is a battle tested Innovator, with a deep reservoir of wisdom he pays forward on a regular basis: https://killerinnovations.com/
Here are links to the prior newsletters in this series:
Communications Specialist | Writing Coach | Digital Storyteller
1 年This was helpful, Michelle. Thank you. I appreciated your view of balance here: "I believe it's a dynamic and persistent state needed across the pursuit of creative expression, facing a challenge, being of service, and personal growth."
Sr. Managing Director | Computer Science, Mathematics, Economics
2 年Thank you Michelle Vendelin for a very insightful article. It resonates to a lot of people who are lost in the corporate world. I enjoyed reading it from the first letter to the last period.
Distinguished Technologist, Advanced Technology Group
2 年Interesting insights...something also came to mind as I read your post. Balance is achieving equilibrium between personal and business. Sometimes, I think personal can become overwhelming. I don't mean a lazy apathetic approach to work and an over indulgence of personal time. When children, relationships or other personal hardships become too burdensome, it is important to get the help needed to deal with this aspect of life too. As much as we can become workaholics, we can also start to drown in personal challenges. This affects our ability to innovate as much as burnout. A mind at peace sparks innovation. While a mind fully at peace may never be completely realized, recognizing the affects of both sides of the pendulum and seeking respite and/or guidance is equally important to innovation success.
LinkedIn's Top Re-Invention Guru: Career Coaching & Leadership Development at its Best!
2 年Great insights, Michelle! Thank you for sharing the dynamic images of balance, which help integrate that with the concept of "flow." After working with more than 7,000 clients of different flavors I came to realize that much of the burnout they suffer is caused by their own behaviors (most of our stress is caused by our own reactions), and if we pursue fulfillment in our jobs and not riches, it changes the way you approach your obligations. Easier said than done, but I have witnessed many of my clients reach this state of realization and equilibrium. Can't wait for your next installment!
Leading the Cable Industry's Energy Management Program, Strategically Directing Business Continuity, & Eternal Optimist
2 年Thank you for sharing your story and more importantly seeking balance in your world each and every day!