Dr. Domenico Lepore, an international expert on systems thinking for management and Founder of Intelligent Management Inc. completes this mini-series on innovation.
Focus and continuous innovation
An organization requires great focus in order to keep up with the continuous innovation process. The focus needed can only be developed as a result of an improved “collective systemic intelligence”. By that we mean the ability the organization must develop to integrate cohesively the different activities that lead to sustainable innovation. Is there a way to develop this intelligence? The answer is yes.
How can that happen? By designing the organization in the shape that nurtures systemic intelligence and the natural propensity towards innovation as a way of operating. This entails designing processes and interdependencies that shape the organization appropriately.
What is required?
1) Promote the concept that innovation is a process;
2) Emphasize the role that top management must have in providing an organizational framework to nurture innovation.
Shaping up the organization for sustainable innovation
Suitable organizational structures play a role in accelerating a fruitful innovation process. Invariably, obsolete functional/hierarchical models are a major hindrance to the innovation process. Why is this so?
The traditional hierarchical model of organizations harks back to an industrial model suitable for the 19th century and totally inadequate for meaningful work today. A hierarchical matrix debases what we do by creating artificial barriers and ceilings and limits the ability of the organization to achieve its goal by rewarding local optima at the expense of the global goal.
Science, civilization and individuals have evolved beyond the strictures of hierarchy/functions. Today we have the science, technology and know-how to shape organizations into what they intrinsically are – a system. We know that every living system is a network and we can work within them to maximize quality, involvement and flow and to place innovation at the centre of all activity. (See the Network of Projects).
The method for nurturing systemic intelligence for innovation
When organizations are shaped to sustain innovation and are populated by “thought poised” individuals, they require a rigorous method to support their thinking. This can be found in the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) model we discussed in the post Imagination and Innovation.
As innovation can only be sustained if a strong learning cycle is in place, it helps to adopt a scientific approach to the generation of innovation, not dissimilar from the one adopted by scientists to develop research.
We have to re-think our approach to innovation in a truly strategic way. By increasing its ability to compete through innovation, any company will increase its revenues, create more jobs and pay more taxes. Its growth will positively affect the economic cycle.
SUMMARY: 4 steps for fostering Innovation
1) Promote the concept that innovation is a process
2) Emphasize the role that top management must have in providing an organizational framework to nurture innovation.
3) Indicate the role that suitable organizational structures play in accelerating a fruitful innovation process.
4) Adopt a scientific approach to the generation of innovation (PDSA cycle).
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About the Author
Angela Montgomery Ph.D. is Partner and Co-founder of Intelligent Management, founded by Dr. Domenico Lepore. She is co-author with Dr. Domenico Lepore and Dr. Giovanni Siepe of ‘Quality, Involvement, Flow: The Systemic Organization’ from CRC Press, New York. Angela’s new business novel+ website The Human Constraint looks at how the Deming approach and the Theory of Constraints can create the organization of the future, based on collaboration, network and social innovation.
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