I understand that inhibiting innovation can be a complex issue. Have you ever considered the possibility that you might unintentionally contribute to it? It can be difficult to embrace radical ideas from colleagues or subordinates, but let's take a moment to consider why you might feel inclined to reject them. Here are five reasons that could be influencing your decision.
Smart.
I understand that you have put a lot of thought into your idea of creating a clockwork radio. As someone who is intelligent and experienced, you are able to identify potential issues with this concept. It's clear that you have considered all angles and have concluded that this idea may not be practical in the long run. While it may sound like a nice idea, the reality is that it may not work out as planned. I appreciate your creativity and encourage you to keep coming up with new ideas in the future.
Busy.
I understand that you and everyone in the department are very busy. I know that it can be difficult to find the time and resources to devote to new ideas. While Jane's proposal is intriguing, it may not be feasible given our current workload. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the organization.
You are focussed on this quarter’s targets.
I understand that you and many other people are working hard to achieve short-term goals. It's clear that Jane's idea has the potential for long-term benefits, but there's concern about whether we'll still be around to see them come to fruition. This is often a difficult reality in politics. I want to acknowledge Jane's great idea and the hard work that went into it, but given the amount of effort and challenges involved, it may be best to put this idea on hold for now.
You are trained to husband resources, not waste them.
Jane wants time and money to build a prototype to test the idea with customers. She wants IT to help build a prototype app and they have a backlog as long as your arm. Money is very scarce right now so the easy decision for you to make is to kill the idea. “Really clever concept Jane but we cannot afford the resources to develop or test it.”
You are decisive.
You know that managers and leaders should be decisive and you dislike putting off decisions. You see yourself as focused on the job at hand and purposeful, so you make a quick decision. “Cute idea Jane but the answer is no. There are just too many uncertainties.”
The trouble is that Jane stops coming to you with creative ideas. You were lucky to have her but, in the end, she quits the department to join a start-up.
What should you do instead? When someone comes to you with a crazy idea, bite your tongue, hold back on early criticism and say this magic sentence, “That sounds interesting, how could we make it work?” Then sit back and listen carefully. As Jane explains the idea in more detail you may see exciting possibilities. We could market the clockwork radio in poor countries where they do not have access to reliable electricity and are quite happy to wind up the device.
If you want to be a leader then you have to face this paradox. You need to be focussed and decisive but also open-minded and curious.
There are always better ways to do things and novel ways to meet the needs of customers. Be receptive to fresh notions and ponder them.
Ideas are the lifeblood of innovation. Don’t be the person that blocks the flow of ideas.
Adapted from a source from the author, trainer and innovator: Paul Sloane