Innovation is freedom to rock the boat and shake up status quo. It is a “feeling” of safety (acceptance) to shake things up and even threaten the current status quo. That “feeling” of safety is what humans use to make the decision to loosen up and push the socially acceptable norms of behavior to the edge in order to get to the place of productive creativity. That “feeling” is responsible for more human decisions than any quantity of information and facts. For many of us feelings are far more powerful than facts and we will usually believe feelings over facts especially if we cannot validate the facts. In relationships and social settings in work and personal it is almost impossible to determine facts so we rely on feelings. If you are a bottom line thinker or manager you are probably thinking what a fickle way to run a business. “If it can’t be measured it can’t be managed” is the motto of many a manager, so why do it? However, there are many organizations who acknowledge that human factors do affect performance and those that have sought to tackle this nebulous challenge have shown measurable results in terms of employee loyalty, collaboration and innovation which definitely contribute to the bottom line. Fun, silly, quirky, expressive behaviors are just what the doctor ordered for creativity and engagement and all of these behaviors are only exhibited when there is a feeling of good will, trust and safety. A walk through the eclectic sprawl of Google Plex in Palo Alto California with all its individual expressions and quirky corporate architecture will reveal evidence of that company’s belief in the value of investing in “feelings” and human factors. The whole architecture of Google sends a constant subliminal message that people matter and that the environment we work in will have a huge impact on your profits and products. And, who can argue with Googles bottom line and financial performance?
Some might say that Google has such a great business model and so much money that they can afford to throw money at people stuff. That may be true or it may be that the money thrown at people stuff is well invested for sustainability! There is no question that Google has not rested on their original product for success but they have continued to create new “Rock the Boat” innovations and those innovations are not just a result of lots of excess cash. So, if you want to sharpen your competitive edge and are looking for ways to invest in that direction then think about investing in creating an environment that makes people “feel” safe and free. Take the antidote for serious, rigid, status quo and see what happens.
Some might say that Google has such a great business model and so much money that they can afford to throw money at people stuff. That may be true or it may be that the money thrown at people stuff is well invested for sustainability! There is no question that Google has not rested on their original product for success but they have continued to create new “Rock the Boat” innovations and those innovations are not just a result of lots of excess cash. So, if you want to sharpen your competitive edge and are looking for ways to invest in that direction then think about investing in creating an environment that makes people “feel” safe and free. Take the antidote for serious, rigid, status quo and see what happens.
RSS Feed