• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Great Leadership by Dan
  • Blog
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Blog
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Blog
    • Popular
    • Recent
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • ×

    You are here Home » innovation

    Boost Innovation by Strengthening the Organization’s Immune Systems

    Last updated on Sep 26, 2019 by Dan McCarthy · This post may contain affiliate links

    Guest
    post by Kris Oestergaard:
    Today, every business is looking to find ways to streamline
    its innovative abilities. Those successful in establishing a culture of
    innovation have addressed their organization’s “immune systems.” Just as the
    body’s immune system keeps it healthy, stable and tolerant of change, an
    organization’s immune system must be strong in order to handle the task of
    innovating. 
    But in a rapidly changing world, many of the defense
    mechanisms organizations utilize are no longer appropriate -- and can even put
    organizations’ innovation at risk. Too often, when innovation processes fall
    short, top managers make the impulsive diagnosis that it’s because their people
    are simply unwilling to change. This assumption is pervasive: A recent study
    revealed that 76
    percent of managers
     believed their organizations didn’t have the
    capabilities needed to move into the future. 
    But this conclusion is inexact. Every organization’s immune
    system is affected by an individual immune system, an organizational immune
    system and asocietal immune system. Organizational leaders need to
    address all three in order to transform into innovation champions.
    1. Understanding individual’s resistance to
    change.
     Humans have different risk profiles. Some are
    thrill-seekers while others avoid exposure to risk at all costs. Knowing this,
    management needs to make a very compelling case if it wants to convince its
    staff to join in the organization’s innovation journey. Otherwise, the
    individual immune system kicks in and those with a low tolerance for risk,
    reluctant to change if the outcome is uncertain, won’t get on board. 
    2. Assessing your organizational immune system. Transformation
    processes demand risk taking, the development of new staff capabilities and a
    strong focus on innovation. But very often, organizations attempt to kickstart
    a large transformation process without adapting their policies for measuring
    and rewarding employee behavior to the new reality they have set out to create.
    Key performance indicators (KPIs) and rewards systems make up a large part of
    the organizational immune system. Unless these are aligned with the
    organization’s strategic long-term goals, they aren’t supporting the motivation
    and attitudes needed to drive innovation efforts.
    Grundfos, the Danish water pump manufacturer, is among the
    legacy organizations that have intentionally restructured their rewards systems
    to boost innovation. Grundfos evaluates employees on new parameters, including
    a willingness to help others and motivation to undertake a new digitization
    journey. Another example is Microsoft, which now includes sharing and building
    on the knowledge of others among its KPIs. These performance indicators help
    employees become aware of and work in a way that builds the desired innovation
    culture of the organization. 
    3. Taking the temperature of the societal
    immune system.
    Organizational innovation efforts are subject
    to changes in the societal immune system as well. These can take the form of
    legislative inaction in regulating new industries. Consider Uber’s entry into
    the ride-hailing world, pushing the regulated taxi companies to the sidelines.
    Or, look at how the cryptocurrency Bitcoin has disrupted the regulated banking
    industry. Legislation can also serve to established industries by keeping new
    players out of the market and limiting innovation. But new business models can
    also seek out places where restrictions don’t apply. 
    Longtime suppliers and customers represent another subset
    of the societal immune system. Both need ongoing education and encouragement to
    keep them well informed of and up to date on any new directions and
    developments you create. For example, helping clients stay up to speed with
    technological upgrades of products is critical to maintaining the
    organization’s market share.
    It’s essential to understand the influence that individual,
    organizational and societal immune systems have on increasing an organization’s
    innovation capacity. Business leaders need to analyze and address each of the
    three immune systems to create the best possible foundation for their
    innovation strategy. 
    Kris
    Oestergaard
    is a sought after speaker, facilitator,
    researcher and expert on innovation in legacy organizations, corporate cultures
    and exponential organizations. He is co-founder and Chief Learning and
    Innovation Officer at SingularityU Nordic, a collaborative venture with
    Singularity University in Silicon Valley. His new book is Transforming
    Legacy Organizations: Turn Your Established Business into an Innovation
    Champion to Win the Future
     (Wiley, June 10, 2019). Learn more
    at  krisoestergaard.com.

    « Ethical Leaders And Workplace Culture: The Foundation Of Ethical Decision Making
    Three Keys to Values-Aligned Experiences »
    AFTER ENTRY

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    dan-mccarthy-great-leadership-by-dan

    About Dan

    Dan is an expert in leadership and management development. For over 20 years Dan has helped thousands of leaders and aspiring leaders improve their leadership capabilities. Read More

    ebook-dan-mccarthy

    Trending:

    • Top 12 Development Goals for Leaders
    • How to Write a Great Individual Development Plan (IDP)
    • 25 Great Leadership Development Quotes
    • The Performance and Potential Matrix (9 Box Model) – an Update

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022

    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy