Stimulating Breakfasts and the Alchemy of Innovation
I attended a Shadow Cabinet breakfast this morning with Nick Herbert MP. Suitably inspired and enriched with sausage, fried egg and lapsang souchong I address my ‘electronic abacus’ (aka laptop) to crystallise some thoughts on public sector, enterprise and economic innovation…
The Conservative mantra for the next election (vis-à-vis public sector spending) will be ‘more for less’. Read into this ‘targeted investment’, ‘efficiency savings’, spending reviews and strenuous testing of business cases. Innovation will be greatly aided in this sector by utilisation of domain experts, particularly those with pan-governmental experience.
Deep understanding of legislative (UK and European) constraints as well as legacy public sector IT estates, business imperatives and pressures are (in my view) key prerequisites to driving major savings. Innovation will be required if ‘more for less’ is not to become ‘less for less’ and I think this will reinforce the need for exemplary working partnerships between public sector entities and private sector suppliers. Industry forums will facilitate debate and a ‘new’ receptive dispensation to ‘can I show you my wares’ would help in certain areas. Innovation is cyclical and communication outside of formal ‘buy cycles’ will help all.
Taking a stance within the enterprise, innovation will be driven (partly) by increased process automation and business intelligence. Process improvement, smarter working, smarter sourcing are not mere platitudes. Repurpose, repackage, challenge the business and IT status quo. Innovation has the potential to be disruptive, but this should not be shied away from.
What stifles innovation?
1. Inflexibility – “but we always do it that way”
2. Cynicism – “things will never change”
3. Lack of engagement – “not my responsibility”
4. Lack of empowerment – “I don’t have the ‘clout’ to make an appreciable difference”
5. Lack of incentive – “what’s in it for me”
6. Fiefdoms – “I might lose control”
7. Poor communications – “I didn’t realise that was so complex, expensive, etc.”
8. Poor understanding of existing business model and processes (“innovation from ignorance” is really an exercise in luck)
9. Too much rear view mirror analysis – “always looking back and being reactive”
10. FEAR of change – all of the above! – and lack of BELIEF.
What stimulates innovation?
1. Innovation forums / workshops – ‘the manual of continuous improvement husbandry’ (Nimmons, 2009, Fictional) states such an ‘animal’ requires care and attention from all stakeholders. A BPO position of ‘manage my mess for less’ is a quintessential example of ‘head in the sand behaviour’
2. Improved communications and sharing of issues (across companies and their suppliers)
3. Domain specific knowledge and cross-fertilisation from other vertical industries (acknowledge the commonality in patterns)
4. Banishment of blame culture
5. Empowerment, and incentives – reward innovative thinking (but keep a sensible handle on long term strategy and risk management)
6. Hearty breakfasts – (stage direction: ‘editor coughs’)
Temporarily donning an economist’s hat I think innovation (as much lauded in the media) is really a call for ‘renewed entrepreneurial spirit’. Britain has a long and distinguished history of invention, wealth creation and leadership in many scientific, engineering and technological fields. I think this is part of the very ‘fabric of our being’ and I would like to see an ‘innovation stimulus’ supported not only by private venture capital, but also by central, regional and local government.
In short, innovation is challenge. Innovation blooms under the ‘radiation’ of freedom, sponsorship, openness and experience. The successful entrepreneur brims over with self-belief, motivation and commercial agility. These are some of the ‘base elements’ I feel are central to ‘the alchemy of innovation’.
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