Free and motivated humans are naturally innovative
For an organization running a business nowadays when the targets are so mobile, so many and frequent are the constraints to consider and the opportunities to exploit, the decisions to take, the actions to perform. It’s complicated! So much that is often overflowing in complexity, according to Ralph Stacey: that is beyond the predictable result of a specialist executor and a good negotiator.
But when it comes to business model innovation, at the end of the day an improved product or service is not enough, even if all the complicated technology and unclear user requirements are captured and governed. Exploration, design and development of successful and sustainable businesses are rockets throwing us in the deep space of the complexity.
At that dizzy and breathless level, before any other method and practice, the fully dedication of people involved is required. Who is charged of generating and developing innovation initiatives and programs within corporations, or bootstrapping startup from scratch, has to deal with the humanistic side of business as well as the economical and technical ones, and maybe more (Douglas McGregor, The Human Side of Enterprise). “People first!” is about the why as well as the how, and an articultaed discipline is under development to deal with it.
I could say, specially referring to some recent experiences, (business) innovation has to be recognized as a natural attitude of human beings, that they use for themselves, and that is often limited or definitively blocked by wrong methods and pratices. That said, valuable methods and techniques are recommended not because “right” according one religion or another (“lean” or “agile” f.e.), but because useful in leveraging and exercizing that natural power. Something that robots and AI cannot take over untill humans will remain the targets of the innovation itself.
The main goal of innovation management and coaching is then fostering self awarness, and so self organization, according to a shared “purpose” and with the support of stimulating and holding playrules (like the flour tortilla wrapping the burrito). Thanks to Pia Maria Thoren for the training on “Agile HR”, and to Oana Juncu for the effective speech on “Purposeful Agile”, at the “Agile Business Day” in Venice, the past week.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on September 17, 2018.
