Dear Engaging Guru,

I work in a water treatment plant in NY. I need some practical ideas for increasing innovation that I can start to use right away. I don’t have time to take training or read books.

                                                                                          MM

A: Dear MM.

It takes 3 things to increase innovation.

1. A context of uncertainty
2. An attitude of curiosity and possibility
3. Congruent leadership behavior

1. Uncertainty

If task uncertainty is high, innovation happens. Some situations naturally have high uncertainty, so innovation happens easily. Creating a startup company in a new space is a good example of task uncertainty.

In your waterworks, most processes and tasks are stable. The procedures and tasks are well know and routine. To stimulate uncertainty, you need to either add a new constraint or propose a higher performance level. For example,

    * A new constraint might be, “How can we recycle at the same performance level, with ½ the costs?”
    * A higher performance level is, “How can we double the speed of recycling without doubling our costs?”

Related ideas for sure, but coming from slightly different views.

2. Attitude

Most change starts with fear. We need to raise $100,000 next month, or we are out of business. Mild fear gets people focused and taking action, but it’s the wrong emotion for innovation. Change leaders need to shift fear to possibility and curiosity.

Innovation requires a positive state of mind. Again, questions are an excellent tool to shift people to curiosity. Here are some examples:

• “Who here ever has had a big challenge in their life, and you came up with something brilliant? “
• “I wonder,…?”
• “Do you think it’s possible….?”
• “What if…..”

3. Leader Behavior

If the leader is THE expert and considered a GENIUS, a Steve Jobs of water recycling, then the leader should lead, be creative, do his or her thing, and then tell everyone else what to do.

Since few of us have that ability and power, the more likely scenario is that the expertise is spread among many people. In this case, the leader needs to act with low status. To act less important than the team, so the team members feel important and empowered to create.

How to do that? The easiest and most subtle way is with body language. Basically, act a little weak: don’t sit at the head of the table; slump a little; look down more, Don’t worry, it won’t kill you, and oddly, you will be perceived as more effective than if you acted strong.

Verbally act unsure, talk little, and raise the status of team members. Examples:

•  “Jennifer, you were a water consultant and you have seen many plants all over the world, what are your thoughts on this challenge?”
• “Jeffry, you are our most experienced engineer and I know you keep very current on pump designs and innovations, what innovations are entering the marketplace that apply to this problem?”

That’s it. Anyone can learn to do these things and start tomorrow.

1. A context of uncertainty
2. An attitude of curiosity and possibility
3. Congruent leadership behavior

You don’t need no stinkin books.

Regards,
The Engaging Guru

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Michael Cushman, The Engaging Guru, wants you to master enrolling others in your truth, get the goodies of life, and change the world.  www.engagingchange.com