soaphox: Max Mckeown Cut innovation some slack - leave space in the plan for stuff no one thought of when you wrote it hange is inevitable but progress isnot Brogress is about exe- ainga better furare. A berter furure depends fan. innovation, New ways of solving old problems, New ideas make the impos- sible possible. Leaders love to talk about innova tion because it promises something for nothing. Cable, Cameron and Obama preach the gospel of innovation as che soutee of economic salvation, I have rarely worked with a CEO who does no include innovation asa value Yetinnovation not something that can be ordered from a eaalogue. Mar kets do not innovate, people do. Leaders cannot successfully command employees to be innovative, Innova sion is not something for nothing. Tt requires specific cultural conditions. "We were suprised to find," a GE innovation champion told me, ‘havi cultural thing. You can’ have aproc- css for everything. Ie has to be felt, feperienced and embraced, so that people do things differently rather than just void mistakes.” Innovation culture isnot the sime as a mission statement. cannot tans- formed with half-hearted attempts or superficial declarations. Ie dificult because itdoesn'depend on policesor processes in isolation. But here what Peefoundtabe true ‘Accepting complexity helps. Te reveals the imitsof management ability to control the fotre.Iebrings humility and a helpful pragmatism. Attention ‘an sur to producing conditions most ‘Svourable to innovation and growth. ‘Curiously connecting with the world helps your organisation understand how the world works. Managers should ‘encourage instant messaging, partes, social networking and anything else that keeps people exchanging ideas and solving problems together. Losing diversity produces high per- forming cocktail of individuality and ‘community Differences are celebrated asanatrctve ital fearure. Colabor- tion henefits fram inereased rust and fiom people who feel comfortable in sheironr skins stylesanl stars Embracing uncersainy will encourage the risk taking necessary for progress. The rajority need confidence that frst misakes will notbe pun- ished and lessons learned wil bbeworth the pain of failure. Sharing power is the bes cue for indifference. Thisisnogjustaboutthe number of managerial layers. Ic is shout geting beyonda master-servant for experr-novice dynamic, Strategy shouldnt belimited tothe boardroom, Secrets are unhelpful. Behaviour that shuts ane gronp out and erates cliques disrupsthe flow ofimprovement, Ditching dogma frees companies from the iron grip of the one best way: ‘There is no offthe-shelf solution for all circumstances, There are princi ples, there are theories, bu everything should be open to question. Doing what’ better for customers allows organisations wo deliberately, ‘even joyously improve. Their cultures deliver competitive advantage. Shorter innovation cycles through experimen- tation allow such aeuleure to naturally create better services. Many managers asked to make innovation happen are part of a tradi- tion that encourages conformity. They ‘use dispassionate, highly numerically focused methods to ty and encourage creativity nd collaboration! Changing experiences. encourages people changetheirbehaviour. Over time this behaviour will become sus- tainable. You need an orthodoxy ofthe unorthodox or you'll be relegated to the Blockbuster cas of slow followers. ‘When Disney’s CEO was asked 10 choose between 12 new business ideas, hae responded: ‘Let’ just do them all!” His words sent dhe message that ideas were welcome, wanted and valued. “The ideas transformed Disney into a global entertainment mege-giant. Invest in innovation growth. IF you curbackon everything you wil ‘ext backon the things tha ean help you to gros, Toyora started is hybrid far programme during a recession. Apple launched the iPod and iPad dur- ing thelast recession ‘And, finally, cut innovation some slack ~ leave space in role deserip- tons, the produerplan and road map or stulf that no one thought of when you wrote them, Most innovations ~ including the web — came from tunschediled time. hac’ why 3M, “Genentech and Google all give ‘unscheduled time to employees. While your competitors are fill oF fear, uncertainty and doubt, you can introduce innovations that increase growth during and after the recession Optimise is a vital ingredient that ‘with mass experimentation Jeads to Leaders matter to innovation. The way you think. The way you talk. The ‘way you talk about how you thi and what you do wo creates culture hungry for ideas. Leaders ~ in busi- ness and polities ~ get the innovation they deserve. Max Mekeown Is the author of The Truth About Innovation (Prentice Hall) 18 mt THE RBS SERIES: INNOVATION ss couktinsght