the innovative LEDGER
An e-Newsletter from The Innovative Edge™ Inc.

  Vol. 10, No. 3 - March 2010

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Proof Negative, Pt. 2
By Jeff Govendo

Last month I mentioned an article by University of Toronto business professors Roger Martin and Jennifer Riel entitled "Innovation''s Accidental Enemies." In it, they explained why decision-makers' need for "proof" that a new idea will work is an innovation killer in most organizations. They noted that in breakthrough thinking, "there is no rule or pool of past data to provide certainty." So, when a CEO or manager demands evidence that a new, untested idea will prove profitable or otherwise beneficial to the bottom line, often the next step is to drop the idea.

The good professors advocated the use of abductive logic or "the logic of what could be" in those moments when fresh thinking is needed to provide breakthrough ideas for intractable problems or new opportunities.

Frankly, I had never heard the term (did they make it up?), but I certainly get the concept. And I know that many leaders have trouble with it. After all, they're paid to lead their organizations through sound, rational, evidence-based decision-making; not flights of fancy, hunches and high hopes.

But it needn't be one extreme or the other. Companies that have distinguished themselves through innovation didn't do it by giving up sensible, well-grounded practices. They've simply learned how to incorporate the imagination and creativity of their people as an integral part of their business model. And the most critical piece of that, in my opinion, is the mindset and modeling of the organization's leaders.

What follows, then, are 3 basic principles for leaders to keep in mind if they wish to raise the "innovation quotient" of their organizations.

1. Thinking about an idea is not the same as doing it!
As if we didn't know that. Yet sometimes we do need to be reminded there is no risk or harm in thinking about an idea, even if at first it doesn't sound at all feasible. It doesn't mean we're actually going to do it!

This is crucial, because true innovations almost always start with an unrealistic idea. Yet so often we completely turn off when presented with something that is strange to our ears or impractical on its face, and this keeps us from exploring where it might take us.

Now some will say, "The harm is that you waste time." Okay, time is indeed a precious commodity. But how much time do we waste repeating mistakes or going over the same tired fixes for problems that haven't worked in the past? In addition, how potentially harmful is it when we have the seed of a newer, better idea, but throw it away simply to save time?

2. When faced with an unusual idea, just say "maybe."
Say it out loud, say it to yourself...but say it! The point is to have an alternative to the usual up or down verdict when presented with a new idea. It's one of the few instances in which indecisiveness is a virtue (and it's not really indecisive; it's a conscious choice), as this opens the door to the kind of exploration and refinement a creative new idea needs.

3. New ideas are starting points, not finished products.
Think about it. How realistic is it to expect someone to come up with a brand new, never before thought of idea, that's all dressed up and ready to go to work? It's like expecting a polished gem to come straight out of the ground. By their very nature, new ideas are rough. They need to be tweaked, nudged, massaged, honed, put through the wringer -- the list of verbs is endless -- before they can possibly reach the stage we would call "working concept." By definition, this is the movement from pure to applied creativity (read: innovation). Without such a journey, we demand that it be "perfect" at the outset, or it's not worth thinking about.

Large companies employ elaborate systems for doing this (Six Sigma, stagegating, etc.), and smaller ones use less formalized procedures (for my 5-step process for developing a creative idea, click here). But regardless of the specific process, it all begins with that initial "maybe", and goes from there. Absent that, it doesn't go anywhere!

Understanding and modeling these principles can go a long way toward helping you instill a more idea-friendly, innovative culture in your organization, without sacrificing a shred of the traditional, left-brain logic that successful businesses rightfully depend on.

Go ahead...try it. Prove it to yourself.

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