Companies are always looking for that edge – that uniqueness that no one else offers, and that customers are willing to pay for. The edge or unique advantage does not come from doing more of the same, or even variations on a theme. It comes from innovation – creating or developing something new, unique and valued.
My wife Candis is a veteran of the innovation world. She has spent over 15 years working with a company out of Cambridge, Mass., called Synectics. Synectics is the father of the innovation industry, having championed the body of knowledge starting back in the 1950s.
So with Candis’ help, I wanted to find out what innovative companies do that makes them successful. How do successful innovators bridge the gap between the creative thinking that drives new ideas and the linear thinking that drives the bottom line?
The issue of transforming a new idea into a practical application can be tricky. You must first develop something feasible without diluting the original idea until it resembles the more familiar. Then assuming you have transformed the idea into something doable and maintained its newness, the organization needs to buy into it.
Successful innovative organizations are adept in three intertwined areas: climate, thinking and action. Climate is about how people and ideas are treated. Thinking is about how to generate new ideas that hold potential for the business. Action is about transforming those ideas into committed action plans. Here are some illustrations of how organizations institute all three to nurture innovation.
Climate
High levels of trust and openness – People are open to offer creative ideas because they trust how those ideas will be received. People are open to hear creative ideas because they trust the intent behind the ideas.
Collaborative approach, less focus on hierarchy – A high level of cooperation based upon expertise, less upon title.
Leadership consistently and visibly models open-minded behaviors – Leaders openly solicit, effectively listen to and consider diverse perspectives and opinions.
New ideas are heard with an ear toward possibilities – Leaders pick useful elements out of new ideas and support further development.
Risk-taking is prudent, flexible and creative – There’s a demonstrated willingness to experiment and try things new.
Thinking
Wishing and mental risk-taking – These are powerful tools for turning off rational filters, enabling play with ideas and fragments of ideas.
Use of metaphor to express ideas and thoughts – Metaphors and analogies help to connect new ideas with the familiar, and often provide insight into nuances of a concept.
Proactive connection between seemingly unrelated things – This is the very essence of creative thinking.
Regular use of developmental thinking tools – This first step in transformation moves ideas from intriguing possibilities to committed action plans.
Action
Explore the widest possible range of options before making decisions – Good skills in generating options result in speed, so rather than slowing down decision-making, the overall quality is enhanced.
Purposeful collaboration for cross-functional buy-in – Without this, newness hardly stands a chance.
Applications of commonly shared processes – Create and support a rapid, cogent pace with tools that facilitate rapid problem solving, buy-in and ownership.
Consistent use of enlightened interaction skills – Interactions that honor one another’s thinking demonstrate appreciation for positive intent and elicit genuine collaboration.
Ken Cook is managing director of Peer to Peer Advisors, an organization that facilitates business leaders helping each other. You can reach him at kcook@peertopeeradvisors.com.
