Permission Based Innovation
I was recently presenting to an organization (un-named to protect the innocent) on how to create an innovation culture. During the session, the question was asked "What changes were needed to make the organization more innovative?". I was awestruck with the string of suggestions, mostly starting with ... "If management would ....". A common theme was around "be less conservative", "be more open to ideas" and "allow us to develop innovations". The last one really struck a nerve with me.
Are you waiting for permission to innovate?
Some organizations seem to be stuck - where employees seem to be waiting for management to come down and say some magic words that will grant them permission to begin to innovate. Now to be fair, this response most likely is the result of many years where any attempt to innovate was met with the reaction from management that was less then encouraging. If that's the case for you, find a new team.
Now, If you are one of these people waiting for permission -- get over it. It's not going to happen. Management is not going to come down and give you permission. Do they come down and give you "permission" to make every decision?
It seems that some people (not all) use the "waiting for permission" response as a way to not take responsibility. Give it up. If you are on the team, passionate about the opportunities and wanting to contribute, then innovate away. If you are not passionate or willing to contribute your ideas and innovations, then go find a job that does ignite your passions. Life is too short to have a job were you are "punching the clock".
I'll make it crystal clear .... I hereby give you permission to innovate. Any questions?
Comments
I'll give an example that I am currently working on. My department is very frustrated with the top-down messaging and decision making of the company. So, I am going to create some off-site blogs (behind a password) where we can start a conversation. I'll invite various employees who can come to the site and start a blog, and invite others who can either lurk and reply, or start their own blogs. I'm not asking anyone for permission. I like to call the spirit behind this "conversation above command-and-control."
This company claims to be a Kaizen practitioner, so for them to have a problem with this is hypocritical. And if this is a big problem, this is not a company I will want to work for.
Posted by: Nick D | January 30, 2007 05:19 PM
While people definitely shouldn't hold back or wait for permission to come up with innovations, I think you likely hit on the real problem at this organization in your post.
In employee motivation, one of the key ideas from Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene theory is that people need to be given opportunities to put their ideas forward and to have them accepted. Could it be in this organization that people would put forward ideas to management only to have management turn around and squash the ideas? If ideas really are given real consideration and nurtured with support from management, I don't think the question would have been asked.
Posted by: Mike Bohlmann | January 31, 2007 02:44 PM
Yep, I agree waiting for permission is just an excuse. Management (at least "upper" management) knows things need to improve. The people on the front line see all the problems and deal with the customers, so they know it too. Middle management gets measured on results that don't encourage taking the time to try and find improvements or work with their staff to improvement. So it's the blame game - "they won't let me....if only...yada yada yada" People need to learn from Nike, "Just do it!"
Posted by: Chuck Yorke | January 31, 2007 03:25 PM
Here's a non-organization - self-given-permission based innovation podcast:
http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=c_leadbeater
Posted by: Seth Taylor | February 7, 2007 05:25 AM
While a lot of engineering of all levels sometimes involves a process that seems to be "waiting for permission" most innovation I have witnessed both in my own work and others at the companies I've worked at happens not at work but elsewhere.
Just like in college when you saw the two major types of students those that worked hard and those that were brilliant. Sometimes innovation can be ground out through work and sometimes you need that moment of inspiration.
Right now with the US economy as it is those spectacular ah-Ha! moments are harder to come by as corporate focus is put on work efficency.
So its not so much waiting for permission its waiting for the moment. My only suggession is for a corporate environment that allows its employees to skip their daily tasks when they get a possibly innovative idea to pursue.
Note: I think google already thought of that.
Posted by: Bryan | February 9, 2007 10:39 PM
Hi Phil,
I think you're right on with all your points in this post! I took the liberty of building on it with some thoughts on why it's important for new ideas to come from the passions of the team members. My main points are:
Keep the great thoughts coming!
Susie
Posted by: Susie Wee | February 11, 2007 11:21 AM
I always face problems when management wants new things and new ideas on platform. It is difficult to find what you want to innovate unless there is some problem area management is facing and looking to improve. There has to be some problem (specific or general) and then only innovations springs up. Problems in my opinion has to come from management that this is what is happenning and causing problems.
Posted by: Raj | February 14, 2007 04:44 PM