The world of innovation scares many people. Typically, these frightened people associate innovation with HUGE, risk-laden ideas that change things dramatically. To the contrary, “innovation” refers to change and to doing something new. Here, size does not matter. In fact, some very small changes create dramatic innovation.
MIND-BUILDING — Where, then, can your innovation work begin. Picture a body-building program, only this one is for the brain. You need strength, agility, flexibility, clarity, and simplicity. Strength manifests itself in conviction and the ability to persevere. Agility appears in your ability to visualize possibilities. Flexibility materializes in your challenging established rules. Clarity emerges when you try to share your changes with others. Simplicity springs from your desire to be understood and your belief in the changes you propose.
STARTING POINT — If your innovation skills are under-developed or flabby, start in the work environment where you are most comfortable. No need to try to lift 200-pounds in your first exercise. The least territorial environment is the processes within the business. People accept them as a matter of getting the work done. They feel no conviction about preserving any given process.
To begin your mind-building, list all of the processes that come to your mind. The first ones that come will be the ones you regularly use. Next, come the ones used by people who report to you. If you have official manuals which detail official processes, add these processes to your list. Finally, let your mind stretch to include processes that you know are being used in the business but are not necessarily official.
#1 REPETITIONS — Now the “reps” begin. Start with any category of processes. Look, first, for ones that can be retired. The first retirement is difficult because you have not done this for a long time, if ever. Each repetitive retirement becomes easier. What is happening is that, as you move through the list, you are developing retirement criteria. Every retirement is innovative. You have changed the environment.
At this point, you can involve others in verifying your retirement choices. If even one person wants a process to remain, it remains. What you are doing in this exercise is strengthening your connections to other potential innovators. As they detect your willingness to let go, they gain their own strength-to-participate. Again the environment changes.
#2 REPETITIONS —The second set of “reps” offers different challenges and opportunities. The people who worked with you on the “retirees” now become your exercise partners. They enhance your agility and flexibility. Ask them to review the processes in your list. Ask them to choose ones that they believe can be changed. Change takes many forms. People can identify other processes in your list that need to be retired. People can admit that they have found a better “unofficial” way to do an official process. People can venture into dangerous territory to suggest that a process needs to be changed dramatically. As you progress, observe how your ability to visualize possibilities and to accept the breaking of rules changes. You improve. Your exercise partners improve. Your business environment improves.
#3 REPETITIONS — The third set of “reps” offers hurdles to be overcome. Now, you need to work with your partners to develop the needed changes. Ask them to review processes related to their work. Ask them to identify anything that needs to be clarified. This clarification arises from comments such as, “We don’t really do it that way.” Then, ask how they suggest that the process be done. Integrate their thinking into your thinking about what changes need to be made.
Simplification, also a part of the third set, emerges from the need to examine impact. What does each change really mean for the business? What are the outcomes of the changes? More innovation? Savings of time? Reductions in required completion time? Empowered workers? An environment of trust? Ask your exercise partners to add to the list of outcomes they see and experience. As the list grows, the people involved engage in participation at a much greater level. They have grown beyond the need to protect themselves to an excitement about what can be done in moving forward. You created a world of innovation.
THE NEXT PHASES — When you feel that the current work with processes is finished, your brain-building moves to other areas of the business in search of innovation, of change, of the new. Depending on the extent of your brain building, you can continue to work inside the business. Look next, possibly, to practices that are not necessarily processes. These could be as simple as how we greet each other. These can be more complicated as to how we engage others in work outside their area of expertise. How do we leverage their knowledge, insight, and foresight?
Finally, you can look to internal policies. Start again with retirement. Work yourself through the brain-building. Assess the impact of each change. With your innovative, internal house-cleaning completed and your brain-building solidly implanted, you are now ready to enter the world of innovation beyond.
Virginia L. McBride, The Haven Maven Founder, EPROW Images Creator, “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE THINKING” Virginia builds personalized “thinking environments” to strengthen innovative thought. Working with EPROW Images, clients analyze processes, practices, policies for change potential. Analysis reveals innovation opportunities. To qualify for a free 30-minute consultation, submit a “pitch” through EPROW’s PAPPY program => http://www.eprowimages.com