Bad Attitudes Can Lead to Good Innovation
Hire Some Rebels
At a workshop in Taiwan I asked delegates what was impeding innovation in their business. The answer was, 'We have too much respect'. Middle level managers felt too much reverence for the executives in the company to challenge their views and to question the way that things were done. They were used to accepting and implementing decisions that were handed down to them rather than pushing back with better suggestions and radical ideas of their own. Taiwan, like many Asian societies, is well-ordered with good self-discipline. The people are polite and you never see graffiti on walls the way you do in the West. It started me thinking that the bad attitudes that we see manifested in so many ways in our society might have some upsides. Do we benefit from rebellious employees who challenge assumptions and rudely assert a different point of view? Should we seek to employ more people who are unruly and disrespectful?
What we need is not a lack of respect but a lack of deference. In the modern innovative organisation leaders need to earn the respect of their employees because of the values they stand for and not because of their position in the hierarchy. A lack of deference should be encouraged so that anyone can challenge anyone else's ideas regardless of their status.
'Innovation comes from angry and driven people,' says Tom Peters. The innovator is not happy with his lot. He is impatient for change. And this can be a problem for successful companies. The natural satisfaction that people derive from success can lead to complacency, which is the enemy of innovation. This is why the innovative leader always engenders a healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo. It is all very well telling shareholders that the company is making steady and satisfactory progress but the internal message needs more of an edge. 'We are doing well but there is much more to be done. We cannot afford to rest on our laurels.'
Often the innovator has to be obsessive to the point of apparent irrationality in pursuit of their dream. They appear insubordinate in opposing convention. You have probably seen it yourself - the programmer with the worst attitude is the one who produces the most brilliant code.
How can you harness the energy of your mavericks? How can you turn negative energy into positive? The answer is to throw down a challenge. Rebels can be very critical so turn the situation around and ask them how they would do things better. Don't get into an argument with them. Take their ideas on board. Praise them for good proposals. Encourage them to find new and better ways to do things. Thank them for their criticisms but insist that they make positive suggestions too.
When you interview candidates don't fall into the trap of liking those that respectfully agree with you. Recruit someone with attitude, someone who is prepared to disagree with you and challenge your views. Give candidates hypothetical problems and see if they come up with inventive ideas or routine answers. Look for people with unusual interests and hobbies. Creative people do creative things in their spare time. Bland people watch TV.
Every revolution starts with a rebel. So if you want innovators in your team look for people with some particular bad attitudes - the ones with rebellious, contrary and divergent views. These are people who some might label as troublemakers. They are not negative or cynical - on the contrary they are passionate about their ideas. They do not defer to authority, they are dissatisfied with the status quo, they are impatient for change and they are angry about the obstacles put in their way. With a profile like that they should certainly stand out from the crowd!
Paul Sloane speaks on leadership and innovation
Published by Paul Sloane
I am a Speaker & Author of books on lateral thinking puzzles, leadership & innovation. I help organisations to improve creativity and innovation. I give keynote talks and I facilitate brainstorms and worksh... View profile
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6 Comments
Post a CommentI definitely agree about the importance of culture and education. It might be as difficult to turn a Taiwan employee into a 'rebel' as it would to bring discipline among Israelis...
You are invited to read about almost same issue from the other angle:
http://tinyurl.com/2uvch3y
It's interesting that Kouzes and Posner identified that the best leaders challenge the organisation. They look to innovate to do things better so their people can achieve their full potential. They also have other characteristics none of which are about being mavericks or objectionable. The foundational requirement, however, is an organisation which not only talks about great leadership (Kouzes and Posner call it "exemplary leadership") but walks the talk and fosters it at every opportunity.
Why is this news?
Do you think if everyone was satisfied with horses we'd ever have cars? Or satisfied with candles we'd have gotten gas lighting and then electric?
Progress has always been driven by *dissatisfaction* and malcontents. And thank God for them!
(continued)
... He is another type of irritant, and can also create pearls.
Your Fool,
Adam Lawrence
thebusinesscomedian.com
workplayexperience.com
There is another form of disrespect - or rather irreverence - which can be equally effective but leads to less friction. It's foolery. Every organisation needs its Fool.
I'm a professional comedian and a business consultant, and I often feel my role is something like a medieval Fool or Jester. The Fool was one of the few who was allowed to speak the truth without sanction, able as he was to make it palatable through humour.
The same function is equally valuabe in a modern organisation. By looking for ways to poke fun at our work, we discover the truth about it and reveal weaknesses. (Hey, comedy is always truth and pain!) If we do this good-naturedly, we can all laugh at our common failings. And once we have laughed about them, we can talk about them more easily.
A client once said to me, "I have been trying to explain that point to my people for three years. Adam, you did it in one joke."
Make sure there is at least one fool in your organisation. He is another type of
Outstanding article, and so true. Innovation is born of creative thinking. Creative thinking is often (and often BEST) audacious. How can we expect the timid or overly-compliant to think, and even more so, express audacious thoughts? Like a grain of sand that causes an oyster to create a pearl, an "irritant" is often necessary to act as a catalyst for brilliance to occur.
Keith Harmeyer
Principal
SmartStorming: Advanced Training in Innovative Thinking
http://SmartStorming-blog.com