Innovation Theatre Destroys Value – So What’s the Remedy? part 1

 

Ever attended a Sprint or Stratex deep dive that looks good on the surface, but everybody knows, ‘This has no value.’?  ‘Innovation Theatre’ is closely related to what Czech novelist, Milan Kundera, called ‘kitsch’. Phony, tasteless, or overly sentimental, kitsch embraces cliché & superficial emotions, while lacking depth and authenticity.  In dysfunctional organizations, kitsch manifests as the feeling “Isn’t it great that we’re so [fill in the blanks]”.  As in Kundera’s 1960’s Czechoslovakia, everybody knows it’s phony, but nobody dares say anything.

Authenticity

Whether you’re trying to protect the core with OpEx/Lean, or ignite new growth with digital methods, Innovation Theatre is a clear & present danger, which not only fails to create value – it destroys value. So, what’s the remedy?

Recognizing Kitsch

How does Senior Leader Team & Board recognize Innovation Theatre & corporate kitsch in general? Recognizing it in OpEx-related activities is fairly straightforward. Ask yourself: ‘Would the CFO recognize any value here?’

Recognizing kitsch when you’re trying to create something entirely new is harder because of the Innovator’s Dilemma.  Entirely new offerings fail the CFO test because all the standard measures of value (Revenue, ROI, market share and so on) are zero.  This means we need a different way of measuring (Innovation Accounting), which I’ll take up in later articles.

Remedies to Innovation Theatre - Authenticity

Authenticity is the simplest & most daunting remedy.  Personal authenticity means I who know who I am, what I believe in, where I come from, and where I’m going.  Corporate authenticity means the senior leader team can answer these questions on behalf of the company in clear & compelling way.

In such organizations, OpEx & Innovation sprints & playbacks (not to mention senior leader & Board meetings) are focused, factual, serious and often light-hearted (because you don’t have to fake it). The mantra of such organizations is some variation of ‘Target, actual, please explain’, a powerful phrase which embodies the following mental models:

·       We take targets & commitments seriously.

·       We don’t lie about what’s actually happening; we accept reality full on

·       We deal with problems directly & openly.

·       This is a ‘No blah blah blah’ zone.

Authenticity is rooted in a deep commitment to the common good, to the ‘triple bottom line’, if you will. In the words of a respected mentor, ‘Something for the community, something for the team member, and something for the company’.

Authenticity also entails answering the following question is a frank & honest way: ‘What’s in it for you?’ Failing to do so is a form of kitsch. People hear the rhetoric about continuous improvement & breakthrough innovation and wonder, “Are we going to innovate our way out of a job?”.

Role of Leaders

Leaders, therefore, must embody authenticity rooted in simple decency and respect for people. For this reason, in the age of AI, authenticity is the gamechanger, catalyst & killer app. And as the public tires of AI slop, authenticity will grow in importance & value

Best wishes,

Pascal Dennis         E: pascal.dennis@leansystems.org

#Innovationleadership #Authenticity #AuthenticLeadership #InnovationTheatre &phonyimprovement #corporatekitsch