The Innovation Race

9 PAWNS AND PLAYERS Who really wins in the end?

‘A wise man learns from the experience of others, a smart man from himself, and a fool never learns.’

Russian saying

This chapter will explore the deeper culture-change challenges that can lead to mindsets that either foster or impede innovation. The chapter will help you:

• consider your innovation orientation
• identify inactive and proactive responses to issues and the attitudes behind them
• understand a developmental stage model that can help to ascertain potential for innovation according to mindset
• appreciate why being in a stage of conformity can limit innovation potential
• recognise the importance of enabling people to move to a questioning, challenging and synthesising stage
• appreciate that to create a culture that supports innovation, there needs to be a shift in values from compliance (acting positively to gain rewards and avoid punishment) to internalisation (acting positively because it is congruent with your values)
• ensure there is an alignment between the organisation's values and individuals' values for better acceptance of innovation principles
• rise above the position of ‘pawn’ or even ‘player’ to a higher level of empowerment in order to change the game.

Key challenge: How to develop motivation and mindsets for purpose-driven innovation.

Here's an interesting cognitive challenge: If you stand at the South Pole, which country will you be looking towards if you face north?

It's a fascinating puzzler when you stop to ...