Innovation Inside Crisis

Innovation inside a crisis is not something I thought I’d ever write about. These past several weeks for me, like many, have been challenged and messy. The normalcy of life upended in a matter of a week’s time. When I say normalcy it’s every facet of life from work, school, hobbies, sports, activities…the list goes on and on. 

Sitting in the vortex of uncertainty I’ve been thinking deeply about the future - in all facets of my being - family, work, community, self. In my reflection the emerging theme is gift. I write this word with some hesitation because it is not without recognition of loss – the loss of life, of jobs, of stability. It is with deep empathy and compassion I find this time a gift. 

Courage in chaos

Seeing through what can be deemed as chaos takes courage and optimism.  This moment of time we are in is like no other and, I don’t imagine we will experience anything like this in my lifetime again. 

I read an article recently in Medium where the writer referred to this time as the Great Pause and I couldn’t agree more. We are thrust into a suspended moment of time pausing every part of our lives. As it relates specifically to organizations, there is an opportunity to take this pause and design a new way of working. If we don’t take the opportunity to discover, ideate and co-create a new future we simply have by-passed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Imagine what is possible

Today we are being assaulted by change – there was no time for change management in this situation. We are now living and working in a state of suspended chaos. Maybe the Lewin model of change is the best here: Unfreeze, make changes and refreeze. Simply stated, we have unfrozen our operating systems and rhythms and now presented the opportunity to make changes we’ve thought about but didn’t move towards or maybe never even thought possible in the first place.  

We’ve been living and working in an ‘age of rapid, constant disruption’ however in comparison to this situation, we may look back and say it's been more like a slow dance. Here in this suspended space is where we can tap into our creativity, curiosity and aspirational visions to pen a new or even modified playbook of how we work and how we live.

One of my favorite books is by Lisa Bodell called Kill the Company. In the book she outlines thinking strategies that help even those non-creatives peek inside what’s possible. I am urging us all to do the same – imagine what is possible and co-create it. Reflect on what changes were a result of the crisis that have been so successful you couldn't imagine moving back. 

Pick an easy exercise like Stop, Start, Continue to frame up for example at work, processes, policies, and procedures that served and supported your organizational operating system pre-crisis.

• What stays, and what should go? 
• Think about the communication channels and vehicles being used. What new platforms or methods created more and deeper connection?
• Observe about how rooted your values are in the decisions that have been made in this time – is your culture what you believed it was?

Innovation as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary is the introduction of some thing new. Let’s take this moment to accelerate personal and business outcomes, re-define and re-imagine what’s possible and create a bold new future.

I’d love to hear your stories and how your innovating through the crisis. Reach me at [email protected].