Critical Factor of Innovative Organisations No. 9
To see an idea transforms into an innovation, the innovator has to embark on a long and difficult personal journey. The trip will take him to many sceptics and naysayers who wish that he fails. It is also physically and psychologically demanding as he has to put in long hours and make sacrifices to brave the numerous risks and setbacks along the way, which at times causes him to wonder if it is all worth it.
Innovation is never an easy endeavour.
Organisations cannot ignore the ‘hardships’ of these innovators. The management needs to express its gratitude by appreciating them for passionately taking up this role of moving their organisations forward. Without the recognition, the efforts and contributions made by these individuals in their journey of innovation is a meaningless and unmemorable experience.
However, the celebration of an individual’s contribution to and success in innovation has often been ruined by formalities.
We tend to be stuck with the notion of limitations and fairness. Constrained by what is available for distribution in recognising efforts, we have forgotten about the true purpose of why it is there in the first place.
In the name of fairness, we have transformed innovation into a transaction. We have created hierarchies of rewards and imposed systems for fair dispensation of recognition and rewards. In the world of ‘what gets measured gets done’, people are compelled to do silly things to win prizes rather than looking passionately at implementing and delivering the value of the innovation itself. In doing the wrong things, we cultivated the best window dressers rather than recognising and rewarding innovators who have contributed and are successful in moving the organisation forward.
Innovative organisations recognise this flaw and aggressively position innovation as a relational enterprise.
In addition, celebrating an individual’s contribution in innovation cannot be mixed up with conducting a public relations or corporate communication event to signal and gesture a positional intent to the marketplace.
This is what I mean:
Inauthentic Recognition
Showcasing the innovations of the organisation, with the intent of signalling and gesturing a particular competitive position in the marketplace.
Here, the innovation is in the foreground and the innovator is in the background.
The objective is to make your competitors aware of the competitive gains you have made in the marketplace because of the innovations.
Authentic Recognition
Appreciating and celebrating the individual’s contribution and success that has moved the organisation forward.
Here, the innovator is in the foreground and the innovation is at the background.
The objective is to make one feels that he has contributed to the success of the organisation because of his efforts applied to the innovation.
We cannot mix these objectives in the name of cost efficiency, and send the wrong messages to the innovators.
Innovative organisations know that innovators are intelligent enough to detect the authenticity of their management when it is putting innovation ahead of the innovators in these celebrations. These managements know that innovators will stop contributing to the success of the organisation when the innovators know they are being made used of.
To see an idea transforms into an innovation, the innovator has to embark on a long and difficult personal journey. The trip will take him to many sceptics and naysayers who wish that he fails. It is also physically and psychologically demanding as he has to put in long hours and make sacrifices to brave the numerous risks and setbacks along the way, which at times causes him to wonder if it is all worth it.
Innovation is never an easy endeavour.
Organisations cannot ignore the ‘hardships’ of these innovators. The management needs to express its gratitude by appreciating them for passionately taking up this role of moving their organisations forward. Without the recognition, the efforts and contributions made by these individuals in their journey of innovation is a meaningless and unmemorable experience.
However, the celebration of an individual’s contribution to and success in innovation has often been ruined by formalities.
We tend to be stuck with the notion of limitations and fairness. Constrained by what is available for distribution in recognising efforts, we have forgotten about the true purpose of why it is there in the first place.
In the name of fairness, we have transformed innovation into a transaction. We have created hierarchies of rewards and imposed systems for fair dispensation of recognition and rewards. In the world of ‘what gets measured gets done’, people are compelled to do silly things to win prizes rather than looking passionately at implementing and delivering the value of the innovation itself. In doing the wrong things, we cultivated the best window dressers rather than recognising and rewarding innovators who have contributed and are successful in moving the organisation forward.
Innovative organisations recognise this flaw and aggressively position innovation as a relational enterprise.
In addition, celebrating an individual’s contribution in innovation cannot be mixed up with conducting a public relations or corporate communication event to signal and gesture a positional intent to the marketplace.
This is what I mean:
Inauthentic Recognition
Showcasing the innovations of the organisation, with the intent of signalling and gesturing a particular competitive position in the marketplace.
Here, the innovation is in the foreground and the innovator is in the background.
The objective is to make your competitors aware of the competitive gains you have made in the marketplace because of the innovations.
Authentic Recognition
Appreciating and celebrating the individual’s contribution and success that has moved the organisation forward.
Here, the innovator is in the foreground and the innovation is at the background.
The objective is to make one feels that he has contributed to the success of the organisation because of his efforts applied to the innovation.
We cannot mix these objectives in the name of cost efficiency, and send the wrong messages to the innovators.
Innovative organisations know that innovators are intelligent enough to detect the authenticity of their management when it is putting innovation ahead of the innovators in these celebrations. These managements know that innovators will stop contributing to the success of the organisation when the innovators know they are being made used of.
Here are the other critical success factors of Innovative Organisations:
This article was 1st written on 14 Aug 2010.
Copyright 2010. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved.
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