The Innovation Race

7 MOTIVATE How to motivate individuals and teams to come up with unified solutions

Destination: Asia

Paradox: Individualism vs Group Engagement

Synthesis: Collaborative engagement

In this chapter we will have the opportunity explore the path between individualism and group engagement, facing at one extreme the potential danger zone of apathy and disengagement, and at the other, the potential danger of obsession. We will learn how to plan and navigate a route through collaborative engagement that will create a culture to best fuel innovation.

Key challenge: How to capitalise on both individual passions and group synergy through ‘collaborative engagement’.

Hurtling down a steep, muddy jungle track on the back of a suspect truck overflowing with pigs and chickens was positively terrifying. Yet by the time we found ourselves in this particular circumstance there was no turning back. We were on our way to a ‘secret surfing spot’ near an isolated village in the central Philippines. It had quickly become obvious why this location had remained ‘secret’ and rarely visited, but we needed a break, so we gritted our teeth and hung on for dear life.

This was supposed to be our chance to recuperate after some intensive lecturing work, but the journey wasn't quite what we had bargained for. Yet the trip would end up being an incredible learning experience on the contrast between communal engagement and individualism that tends to characterise our world today.

When we finally reached our destination ...