#FutureFit Yourself: How to make innovation great again

Spring is still in the air, and it is that time of the year, where the end is in sight. The air is abundant with bliss and the fields filled with blossom. For many of us, this time of the year inspires us to do a good thorough spring cleaning and for others, this season is the beginning of many allergies.

Spring is still in the air, and it is that time of the year, where the end is in sight. The air is abundant with bliss and the fields filled with blossom. For many of us, this time of the year inspires us to do a good thorough spring cleaning and for others, this season is the beginning of many allergies.

Just like our bodies respond to spring, these symptoms manifest itself in our businesses too. Many organisations become allergic to change and is in desperate need of a good spring cleaning. 

Out with old, in with the new

Einstein says it best. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Today, our world is tracked by the ability to move at a breakneck speed and doing it as efficiently as possible. So what may have worked for many years is no longer working and we need to start looking at new ways of doing things more effectively.

Herman Singh is to LinkedIn, like Trump is to Twitter and I could not think of a better guest to invite to my podcast, The Carmen Murray Show, He gets candid about innovation, and empower us to understand “How to Make Innovation Great Again”. 

Herman is the group executive for innovation strategy at MTN, Africa and we unpack the myths of disruptive innovation and explore what needs to be “spring cleaned” in our organisations to reap the blossoms of tomorrows profits.

Here are some of the questions I asked him, and his thought-provoking responses: 

Why do businesses struggle to learn, unlearn and relearn?
I blame this on success from existing knowledge, existing processes, existing products, and mindsets. You have a lot of very successful people who have become very wealthy through doing what they’ve always done and it worked so well, that actually, it’s created this mindset that there is no reason to change. We have this very dangerous situation where the world is changing and where businesses feel that they don’t have to.

Do you think the challenge also exist that businesses can’t change because processes and structures restrict large organisations to be more agile? 
Absolutely. What we tend to do is figure out what works. We then write manuals and build systems so that we can replicate that thing that’s working. We teach people how to do it, we build processes, create scorecards, build incentive schemes and when you deviate, you get disciplined. Basically, the entire organisation is designed to do one thing, and do one thing well. What it’s not designed to do, is change.

So how do businesses learn, unlearn and relearn and embed change in their organisations?
Act like a startup again. Especially older companies. They need to go back to look at what the business was like when they just started. Relearn the way they use to be. What businesses need to learn, is what is the key DNA and success factors in today’s world. In other words, how do you experiment? Experimentation is a big part of this. It’s about listening and engaging more with customers. Finding out where the trends are. 

https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/16/183764.html#edscolumn

Share this post