In my last director position in Silicon Valley I was struck by how helpless and un-empowered I often felt at that level. Years before, I had held director positions and felt that to some degree I had the leverage and “position power” to make a difference – to go to bat for my team members, to achieve aggressive goals and to implement new ideas.
I wondered what had happened in the intervening years.
It seems there are many factors that changed the experience of being a director. Just a few are: widespread automation made discretionary decisions difficult, complex organization matrices gave the leverage to sometimes political, but always robust, groups of people at all levels, and finally globalization had added yet another layer of consensus building --- many of those I might team with were located in disparate time zones. All in all, it seemed as though I was living in a much more tightly controlled and complex environment in which quick decisions, innovations and achievement of BHAG results felt like slogging through mud much of the time.
I am one of those who reveled in the opportunity, as a director, to create and bring forward new ideas. Many of the leaders I now coach also see the possibilities for breakthrough programs, processes or products. And – they too often feel like their ideas are not listened to or the process of bringing new ideas forward is so cumbersome that they conclude: “why begin?”
If you are one of those who often sees what could be --- and in fact might be frustrated at times with what is – try some of these proven steps to innovation.
1. Keep a notebook/iPad with you and capture your ideas as they come – get your ideas out of your head and into the written word.
2. Choose one or maybe two ideas you feel passionate about --- these ideas tend to keep coming back into your mind and teasing you with the possibilities – and declare them a “research project”. Like Indiana Jones, become an archeologist, acutely observing and probing to further understand what is happening in and around this idea. Look at the environment in which this idea (problem or opportunity) lives – what is it connected to? What are the component parts?
3. Create a prototype of your idea. Successful innovators are quick prototypers.
4. Identify people not in your domain that you can discuss this idea with – people who will see it through a very different lens. Listen and then add to or refine your idea.
5. Write the story of this idea --- prepare to influence others to buy in to your innovation by creating a compelling story. Put your PowerPoint slides aside, and start telling an engaging story.
Carrying a great idea forward can not only contribute to your organization and of course your career, but it can also make it a lot more fun to get up on Monday morning!
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