Without a doubt, the existing, successful business is the number one barrier to innovation.  This is why many new market-shaping innovations come from organizations which are start-ups or outside an industry.

Yet managers shouldn’t be faulted.  Innovation (beyond incremental efficiencies) requires investment.  Financial returns, if any, won’t show until sometime in the future.  Managers are tasked and incentivized to maximize short-term financial returns which are better when focusing on the existing business.

If organizations desire market innovation, leaders must balance this conflict.  Some organizations find success by separating resources from the existing business and establishing different measurements for innovation leaders.

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Now is a perfect time to reflect on what you and your team have accomplished throughout the year. Leaders naturally look ahead to the future – it’s their job. However, a common refrain is “we don’t take enough time to acknowledge and appreciate what has been accomplished or learned.”

Summarizing the annual highlights won’t take much time and pausing typically leads to a sense of both satisfaction and gratitude. Note the significant accomplishments. Be real about unplanned events which factored into the outcome. Consider top lessons learned. Who was involved in the achievement? How do I thank them?

Enjoy the pause!

“Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” Charles Dickens

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Double dip: a second recurrence of some bad event or trial outside our control in short succession to the first – e.g., economic recession, market downturn, disease, or viral pandemic. These situations are hard on people physically and psychologically so people can become discouraged. They recently experienced the excitement of getting through the difficulty, then WHAM, the double dip – they are right back in hard times.

Leaders should acknowledge the difficulty of reverting to tighter restrictions and more limited resources. More importantly, leaders should keep people encouraged – acknowledge their efforts, share in the extra work, and provide hope for the future.

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;” William Shakespeare in King Henry V
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Plants perform better with pruning. Proper pruning:

• Improves health and vigor.
• Maintains good shape and structure.
• Focuses the plant’s resources on its best aspects.

Similarly, proper “pruning” in organizations strengthens the whole. Don’t continue adding new and more without figuring out what should be eliminated and reduced. This is how organizations become over-grown.

Consider what activities and costs are no longer producing the desired value. Use segmentation analysis to determine which products, services or customers are no longer a value-fit. Thin down your list of opportunities and potential investments to those which require the organization’s best, limited resources to flourish.

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” Peter F. Drucker

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Isn’t it refreshing talking with leaders who are excited to share stories and measures of impact rather than telling you how big an organization they lead? It’s refreshing because the default measures of success are generally revenue volume, market valuation, and number of employees. Does significance come only from having a larger organization?

Imagine you and your team thinking through how to measure and communicate impact along with units of size. Maybe identify measures around:

• Your purpose (cause)
• Impact made in your customer’s and employee’s lives
• Your community investment

The focus shifts our thinking to how we can multiply impact.

“You can have an impact anywhere you are.” Tony Dungy

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