Innovation is deciding (Part 1)

"Effective executives do not make a great many decisions. They concentrate on the important ones." - Drucker

If innovation requires discipline to nurture the spark and divergence to fan the flames (with AI too ), then deciding is the crucial act of shaping the fire. It's where the rubber meets the road, turning ideas into action. And as Steve Jobs famously put it:

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying ‘no’ to 1,000 things.”

This happens at multiple levels.

Deciding at the individual level.

Deciding as a group.

Deciding as an organisation.

If we diverge, at the basic level we have to decide what we take from the multitude of options and go next. At the individual level, you have to decide how you focus and create and decide on the thing you see as value and say no.

Is it a personal choice? Is it gut based? Is it data?

At a group level, the dynamics change dramatically. This is the hard. Does the culture enable dissent. Does the culture and facilitation enable divergent thinking. And does the culture enable us to accept mistakes and failures as learning spaces.

In the early 1970s, Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) was a hotbed of innovation, developing groundbreaking technologies like the graphical user interface (GUI), laser printing, and Ethernet networking. Yet, Xerox famously failed to capitalise on these innovations, largely due to indecision and a lack of strategic focus. This serves as a cautionary tale of how even brilliant ideas can wither on the vine without a clear decision-making framework to guide their implementation.

Despite the risks of indecision, as exemplified by Xerox PARC, effective decision-making processes are crucial at the organisational level.

At the organisational level, we need decision processes to manage innovation. What is our strategy? How does innovation support it? Do we support innovation? Do we have processes like blind voting? Is there an innovation dashboard to showcase learnings to everyone? Do we have innovation metrics as success KPIs?

During the development of the iPhone, Apple's design team famously had a mantra: "No." Steve Jobs was relentless in his pursuit of simplicity and elegance, and he would often reject seemingly good ideas if they didn't align with his vision for the product. This rigorous decision-making process, while frustrating at times, ultimately led to the creation of one of the most iconic and successful products of our time.

This approach wasn't always easy. Engineers and designers would pour their hearts into features, only to have them cut in the pursuit of a simpler, more elegant product. But this ruthless prioritisation ultimately led to the iPhone's groundbreaking design and intuitive user experience.

The "No" anecdote highlights a crucial aspect of the decision-making stage of innovation: It's not enough to diverge and generate countless possibilities. We must also converge, making difficult choices and sacrificing good ideas for the sake of achieving greatness. This requires strong leadership, a clear vision, and the courage to say "no" to the distractions that could derail a truly transformative innovation.

Ultimately, the success of any innovation depends on the willingness of executive leadership and the board to not only embrace the idea of innovation, but also to actively support the often messy and uncertain process that leads to breakthrough results. This means providing the necessary resources, establishing clear decision points, and fostering a culture that values both creativity and discipline. Are we prepared to make the tough choices and invest in the infrastructure necessary to turn our innovative ideas into reality? Only then can we truly unleash the power of innovation to drive growth and transform our world.

Are you ready to tackle the challenges, emerging trends and opportunities or to transform? Reach out to me for coaching, facilitation, strategy, or a good coffee chat!

To make the most effective decisions for fostering innovation, consider these pointers:

• Establish clear criteria: Define what success looks like for your innovation efforts. What are your goals? What metrics will you use to measure progress?
• Prioritise ruthlessly: Don't be afraid to say "no" to good ideas that don't align with your overall strategy.
• Empower decision-makers: Give teams the autonomy to make decisions within their areas of expertise.
• Learn from mistakes: Don't let fear of failure paralyse you. Instead, view setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth.
• Review and adapt: Regularly evaluate your decision-making processes and adjust them as needed to ensure they are serving your innovation goals.

By implementing these pointers, individuals, teams, and organisations can create a culture of decisive action that drives innovation forward.