We often hear that Operational Excellence is the key to success. It is a philosophy of ongoing improvement, but in practice, it often becomes a trap of “doing things cheaper”. While cost-cutting keeps you profitable today, it won’t save you tomorrow. Remember: the light bulb wasn’t invented by continuously improving the candle.
In any healthy organisation, Operational Excellence and Innovation Excellence must coexist like brother and sister. But to find new destinations, you cannot use old roads. You must start by getting rid of old ideas.
As Dee Hock wisely said: “The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out.”
4 Ways to Replace Outdated Ideas with Strategic Insights
To break old patterns, you must leave your desk and challenge your insights through four specific lenses:
- Explore Trends: Study new business models and concepts. The world is changing rapidly; trends are your roadmap.
- Explore Technology: Connect with tech startups and research centers. You will quickly realize that your current “way of doing things” is becoming obsolete.
- Explore Opportunities: Meet inspiring people outside your usual circles. This journey will naturally take your mind off familiar pathways.
- Explore Customer Frictions: Talk to your customers. Discover their unsatisfied needs and daily struggles. Always ask “Why?”.
Provoking the Mindset: 5 Questions for Your Next Board Meeting
Adaptability is the only way to survive disruption. If your organization struggles with a “short-term mindset” or “fear of failure,” use these five provocative questions to stimulate new thinking:
- What would we do if we were a brand-new startup?
- What would we do if we had unlimited money and resources?
- What would Google do if they took us over today?
- What would we do if our current “way of working” became illegal tomorrow?
- What would your favorite childhood hero do in this situation?
Innovation requires the courage to be “absurd” at first. Stop focusing only on making the old processes cheaper and start building the frameworks for tomorrow’s profits.
Author of “Commanding Innovation” | Board Advisor | ISO 56000 Expert
Innovation is no longer a creative luxury; it is a mandate of strategic governance. I am here to help you take the helm and turn knowledge into market power.
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