Discussion for EA874 Topic 7 > Evaluating Emerging Tech, Innovation,
Trends
Post # 3
The six dimensions summarily discussed from Post # 2 are said to be building blocks of innovation (values, behaviors, climate, resources, processes, and success) and are interrelated to each other in helping build a culture of innovation and creativity.
The six dimensions summarily discussed from Post # 2 are said to be building blocks of innovation (values, behaviors, climate, resources, processes, and success) and are interrelated to each other in helping build a culture of innovation and creativity.
The Rao framework presents
“cultural climate” as one of the six building blocks for an innovative
culture. Climate refers to those patterns
present in the organization’s environment, essential to building the foundation
on which the spirit of innovation is cultivated. Climate is an intangible notion which is more
felt than directly seen. However, the effects of cultural climate are evidently
observed. According to the framework, the innovative climate for the
organization is influenced by three main factors or themes: Collaboration,
Safety, and Simplicity.
Collaboration is the
spirit of working with others to achieve shared goals. More important, it is an
effort to foster working relationships by sharing knowledge, learning, and
building consensus, in order to increase the likelihood of success.
Community. A sense of
community prevails in a collaborative environment. Individuals or entities tend to affiliate
with others who share common interests or goals. In a large organization, it is not surprising
for powerful sub-cultures to develop across the organization and bringing into
alignment with different points of view, essential for fostering a healthy
climate. There are organizations which
talks about the creation of a start-up sub-culture, and given autonomous power
to innovate. A strong community will
also build a rich communal language which facilitates a common way of speaking
and thinking about innovation. I have seen how successful companies reinforce
the sense of community through notions
of “synchronous and asynchronous rhythms” i.e. good combination of face-times
and asynch communications, “brown-bag” sessions, “round table” discussions, and
distinguish between invention and innovation. Some companies mention
“innovation champions”, “thinking-out-of-the-box” and “empowering
failure”. And some other cultures may
even require “forcing people to collaborate”.
Diversity. In a collaborative
environment, differences that exist in the community are appreciated,
respected, and leveraged. In global teams composed of different nationalities,
it is important to embrace a diverse set of individuals from different
countries in order to effectively execute on development and marketing of their
products. Diversity thinking is not only
bound within the internal organization, and extend to external consultants who
bring their expertise and "outsider" thinking.
Teamwork. The notion of
team emphasizes the healthy empowering behaviors necessary in a collaborative
environment. Collaboration only works
towards innovation when team members work well together to capture
opportunities. In places where teamwork
clicks, team members end their work days on high energy levels, filled with
enthusiasm and laughter, even if the day's problem was elusive and the solution
is not yet complete. Good places talk about the relaxed atmosphere of the
informal after hour sessions to encourage camaraderie even in the context of
technical discussions.
Safety is the second theme or primary factor in an innovative
climate. It is an appreciation of the environment which provides its members a
general sense of freedom from danger, risk, or injury. Safety is thus the provision
of freedom from intense distractions which hinder the innovative process and
productivity in general.
Trust. In an
innovative environment, members need to feel safe by having mutual confidence
that they can rely on each other to be consistent in upholding sustainable
values articulated by the organization. In some enlightened companies teams are
allowed to go out of their normal environments and are "given the
permission" to fail. And when we
speak of hiring best talents, it is not only for intellectual abilities, but
also for the maturities needed to work effectively in teams. Once hired, these talents trust each other to
take risks and accept failures as part of their learning realities. They know
that failures are just part of the real world, and do not define the team
members when they trip and fall from time to time.
Integrity. Safety
can only be promoted with integrity because integrity is the quality of
members that is manifested during conflicted moments, when nuanced scenarios
test their steadfast adherence to organizational values and code of
conduct. Integrity is strongly related
to trust.
Openness. Creativity
and innovation demands an abundant exchange and flow of ideas and
opinions. A respectful environment which
is open to suggestions allows its members to speak up and express their ideas
-- even those which are unconventional and perhaps controversial. Openness
allows the members to feel safe with these expressive freedoms. In good places,
members are not afraid of being ridiculed with their ideas, and independent
thinking was encouraged by stating that no ideas were 'off the table' and
participants are encouraged to use contrarian thinking to spark new ideas.
Simplicity is the third theme
or primary factor in an innovative climate. Simply put, it is the absence of
the unnecessary. Simplicity unclutters
the playing field for the organization, and brings a sharper focus on what is
essential to the mission. Simplicity allows its members to act with minimal
restrictions and hindrances.
No Bureaucracy. The
workplace is simplified when the organization chooses to minimize
bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is the set of
layers of administrative elements which can accumulate into many incoherent
places over time. Restrictions are reduced or removed when the organization
streamlines policies, rules, and procedures. As an example of how traditional
bureaucracy is avoided, a company can create a new business area such that it
could independently operate without being bound to the traditional ways of
doing business. And in certain groups, the weekly round table discussions will always
allot time specifically to identify opportunities to simplify processes.
Accountability.
Accountability promotes simplicity when responsibilities and ownership
of tasks are clearly defined. In a
reinforcing cycle, the simplification theme itself also promotes accountability
and forces the organization for better definitions. An organization with a healthy level of
accountability reduces the clutter and mess of resolving conflicts and avoids
counter-productive finger-pointing complications. Good organizations apply RACI
charts to major processes, and activities are documented to always identify
responsible parties and owners.
Decision-making. The process of innovation in its goal to
introduce change can be expected to go through several decision steps and
stages. When the organization adopts
simple clear guidelines on how to move the initiatives through the steps,
decisions flow smoothly and the innovations are realized expeditiously. Some companies calls decision facilities as
an “innovation funnel” that is used to capture and sift through ideas as these
pass stage-gates for reviewing and prioritizing projects and prototyping. Decision-making
is also facilitated by what we mentioned as independent operations free from
traditional ways of doing business, as well as the use of asynchronous
discussions to move actions along in the pipeline.
Conclusion
These building blocks are dynamically linked. Values
drive priorities and decisions, which are reflected in how a company spends its
time and money. Behaviors describe how people act in the cause of
innovation. Climate sets the tenor of the workplace. An innovative climate
cultivates engagement and enthusiasm, challenges people to take risks within a
safe environment, fosters learning and encourages independent thinking. Resources
comprise three main factors: people, systems and projects. Of these, “innovation
champions” are the most critical, because they have a powerful impact on the organization’s
values and climate. Processes are the route that innovations follow as
they are developed. These may include the familiar “innovation funnel” used to
capture and sift through ideas or stage-gate systems for reviewing and
prioritizing projects and prototyping. The success of an innovation can
be captured at three levels: external, enterprise and personal. Success
reinforces the enterprise’s values, behaviors and processes, which in turn
drive many subsequent actions and decisions: who will be rewarded, which people
will be hired and which projects will get the green light.
The Rao matrix is thus
a useful tool that gives us another
framework in which to view common characteristics that are typically found in
innovative companies. Combined with the other assessment tools from Gartner
and Forrester, we can perhaps provide a better profile for our innovation culture,
and thus have a clearer set of actions to address deficiencies.
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