Revisiting the Innovation Killers
in the Era of COVID-19
A Reality Check for Your New Future
Revisiting the Innovation Killers in the Era of COVID-19
A Reality Check for Your New Future!
Over 20 years ago, when I began an intense focus on researching what defined “innovation success,” I came up with my list of the ‘innovation killers.’ The excuses that people and organizations make on their way to the future and hence, failing at innovation. You can read the original innovation killers here: it’s a powerful overview of what can slow an organization down and stifle its success: https://innovationkillers.jimcarroll.com
Now with Covid-19 and the global pandemic, we have a new list of innovation killers! I’m witnessing countless organizations worldwide, stuck in a state of aggressive indecision, unwilling to act until they see some sort of clarity, waiting for some sort of certainty in what the path forward is when there is none!
The result? They’re stuck! The impact? They’ll miss out on obvious opportunities. I filmed a clip around this dreaded state of inaction in the virtual home broadcast studio a little while ago.
What’s Holding You Back from Your Future?
Check This List!
#1 Deferring Action!
Your attitude:
We’ll wait until this ends! It will soon be over! I’ll just wait till things get back to normal! We’ll set a date in stone for a return to normal – and things will become normal.
Your reality:
- It’s not going to end anytime soon
- The date you pick to ‘go back to normal’ will continue to change
- Things won’t go back to ‘where they were’ – this is a historical, transformative, shift
- You can expect volatility, upheaval and more well into 2022 or 2023 and beyond
#2 Denying the Impact
Your attitude:
We don’t think we will be impacted! It’s impacting other people but not me! We haven’t really been impacted and the stock market is strong! It hasn’t changed our industry much! Our supply chain / business model / business structure isn’t impacted. Our product or service haven’t really been impacted.
Your reality:
- LOL this is global, with profound impacts everywhere
- This is a massive disruption, with upheaval surrounding everyone
- If you think you haven’t been affected, you aren’t looking hard enough
- The market is not the economy or your industry
- The change that is underway, the industry disruption, the careers and jobs that have disappeared is significant and are worse than you think
#3 – Disbelieving the Science
Your attitude:
The science is far from clear. It’s way overblown! Things are really not that bad!
Your reality:
- Science always wins in the long run
#4 Uncertainty Drives Your Inaction
Your attitude:
We’re not quite certain what we should be doing! We’re not really prepared to commit with all the uncertainty. We’re not prepared to invest right now. We’re just going to take some small steps.
Your reality:
- Uncertainty is your new reality, volatility is your new normal and you need to align to that
- You need certainty, guidance and an understanding of how your world is changing and the trends that are impacting you if you are to have any hope of surviving and thriving in this volatile future
- Here’s a key question: if not now, then when?
#5 – Minimization of Effort Guides Your Action
Your attitude:
We’ll inspire ourselves with some type of #strong hashtag! We won’t do anything bold right now. We’ll just take some small steps.
Your reality:
- Small steps will get you small results
- Right now is the time to make big bold moves
- You need to position yourself for growth and opportunity as we come out of this economic down turn
#6 A Mistaken Assessment for Timing of Recovery
Your attitude:
We don’t think it will take a lot of work once we get back to normal! We think it will be pretty easy to manage things once we get back to normal! We’ll just keep doing what we did before.
Your reality:
- It will take way more work than you think, the scope of the change that is underway is massive
- There is no normal – and in fact, there isn’t even a ‘new normal.’ There is just post-Covid uncertainty!
- You can’t just come up with a plan so you can easily manage your way through it – you need agility, flexibility, insight!
- You won’t get the same results using the old formulas, things have changed in a fundamental way, the old way of doing things just won’t work
#7 A Belief that It Will Soon Be Over!
Your attitude:
We’ll be back to normal by 2021 (’22, ’23….).
Your reality:
- There will certainly be continued upheaval thru 2021 and well beyond
- In fact, there is no firm conclusion as to when we will be out of this “thing”
So What Do You Do About It?
Innovate, change, and adapt – rethink your future! Here’s a video playlist to get you started!
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