The Untouchables that Bar Innovation

“Myths are ideas that own and govern us by means that are not logical but psychological, and therefore rooted in the depths of our soul. These are ideas that we have mythologized because they give no problems, they facilitate judgment; in a word, they reassure us.”  Roberto Verganti quotes Italian philosopher Umberto Galimberti in a recent Harvard Business Review article concerning barriers to innovation.

Often organizations get stuck when it comes to innovation. Organizational leaders often pride themselves on their product and process. But as consumer tastes change or as clients are offered a new product by your competitor, your organizational processes must change to keep pace. So how do you become the one to introduce a completely new idea to the market? How do you start saying yes to ideas before killing them off because they sounded too crazy?

Give ideas time to breathe. How do you judge ideas? Verganti proposes that you challenge it. In other words, propose the opposite and brainstorm with it. What would this idea look like in your organization? Perhaps instill a 10 minute rule, where everyone is free to propose crazy ideas for 10 minutes. Start a bulletin board or an online internal message board that is always open for idea submissions from employees.

Ask someone else.  Do your research about the problem and possible solution you’re grappling with. Would people buy it? Does it solve a real need? Get opinions from a few experts who may not be as familiar with your own organizational processes but are able to focus on the proposed idea. Though you may not have time during the idea generation phase to conduct in-depth market research, experts in the field may still have a lot to say about your ideas and give you valuable feedback. Before a big meeting, organize a field trip to visit some suppliers who are nearby, or host a Skype session just to understand any new problems your suppliers face. Finally, ask employees to submit questions beforehand, so that everyone gets a chance to participate.

Leverage the idea with your process.  Your organization’s culture and process is important. Be sure your organizational values are incorporated into whatever ideas you’re juggling. Don’t forget who you are and what your organization’s strengths are. Ideas are meant to lead to more concrete plans. Even if something is too crazy at the moment, draw out the innovative portions and integrate what you can now.

Have you ever proposed a crazy idea? Was it welcomed or shut down? Leave me a comment below.