Innovation killers

Today, most of us will encounter someone or read something written by someone who is anti-innovative. There are many plays in the anti-innovation playbook and the players come in all sizes, shapes and places. They wear different uniforms and hats and sport sneakers with many different endorsers on them. They wear shirts with company logos and their carry- on bags have embroidery that proudly displays their provenance.?

Bosses might be the worst. They are cagey, wiley creatures who climbed the ladder by not taking too many chances and are wary of those in their charge who do.

Every day?we hear anti-innovative blubs. But, actions speak louder than words. There are many arrows in the boss anti-innovation quiver:

1. Marginalize those with the courage to tell truth to authority.

2. Spread rumors about the trouble?makers and their previous failures.

3. Use the HR system, with annual performance reviews particularly, to demoralize and stigmatize as one of "those people" who did not meet expectations.

4. Label them as "disruptive". I don't mean Clayton Christensen disruptive in the good sense, either.

5. Gradually, but relentlessly, deprive them of administrative support and other resources to make their lives more and more uncomfortable.

6. Physically distance organizational gadflies and send them down, since they are obviously no longer fit to play in the bigs.

7. Tell them to write a business plan about their new idea.

8. Say that you want people to innovate, but then have no innovation management plan or system for those who foolishly try. Just sit back and watch them run into the C-suite buzz saw.

9. Say you will be a sponsor and then bail or get promoted to the next level of incompetence when the going gets tough.

10. Promote innovators to get in someone else's hair.

But, anti-innovation can be systemic, not just personal. Do these things happen where you work?

?The current business model dominates the agenda

One-size-fits-all decision making hurts speed & inventiveness

?Insisting on untested and detailed business plans

Opinions and past experience matter more than evidence

Outsourcing customer discovery and testing

?Lack of senior leadership participation

Obsession of competitor rather than customers

Predominant focus on technology risk at the expense of other risks

?Innovation is career suicide in most organizations

The innovation engine is siloed from the execution engine

Integrate new ideas into the execution engine too quickly

Does this look like the org chart where you work?

Anti-innovation goes way beyond merely whining and complaining about who moved the cheese. It has become a well refined organizational blood sport with trophies and awards for those who, through years and years of practice, have perfected it to a fine art. Where everything seems to be gamified, you get a badge for that.?

Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA is the President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs on Substack