Today’s organizations need to continue to adapt and change in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Almost 90% of CEOs agree with this along with almost 50% of Human Resources (HR) professionals. Yet it has been found that 66% of organizational change efforts fail.
In order for organizations and their leaders to adapt to these constant changes needed by their organizations they are going to need to create environments where the workforce feels psychologically safe, listened to, appreciated for their efforts, and feel they can truly contribute.
There are many organizations that have as their organizational values, innovation, and creativity as a cornerstone for their success. They expect, welcome, and will support innovation and creativity in order to maintain a competitive edge. Yet what I believe is missing from this equation is the acceptance of failure.
In order to have a workplace where the workforce feels that they can truly be innovative and creative, they need to believe that if they make a mistake, it will not be held against them, or that it becomes a career-limiting move (CLM). Because expecting the workforce to be innovative and creative means they are trying something out for the first time, which means there is a 50-50 chance of failure. And if failure is not part of the equation, then neither can innovation and creativity.
The LEAP Advantage
Listen to understand vs to respond.
Empathize in order to understand
Authentic role model
Psychological safety will be fundamental.
One other key consideration is psychological safety. Amy Edmondson from Harvard has written and spoken on this topic extensively. In her book The Fearless Organization, she cites numerous cases where people did not feel safe to share what they thought or observed as in one of the shuttle disasters that led to catastrophic events.
I suggest that if leaders really want to create an innovative and creative environment in their organizations, they need to reframe their thinking. They need to set up establish different expectations and create the right environment for success. Saying you want and expect everyone to be innovative and creative and not expecting mistakes is counterintuitive. For this reason, I suggest the following consideration.
I suggest they consider creating a LEAP advantage.
Listen to understand vs to respond. Much as has been written about the poor listening and communication skills of those in a leadership role.
Empathize in order to understand their staff’s perspective, issues, concerns, and assumptions made as they try to innovate.
Authentic role model for their teams. Ensure they are behaving in such a manner that their workforce knows they are being authentic and open to their points of view.
Psychological safety will be fundamental. The workforce will need to be reassured that being innovative and creative is expected and will be supported even when they make a mistake. Just make mistakes happen quickly and admit to them so all can learn from them.
If organizations and their leaders really want to gain a competitive advantage through innovation and creativity, they need to create a human-centered and human-intelligent workplace that emphasizes the importance of the workforce. Because today’s workforce has different expectations, and they will quickly see through the false environment and promises of claiming to want one thing but not really supporting it. Are you ready for this?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Edwin Mourin᷁o – Ruiz, Ph.D.
Dr. Edwin Mouriño is an Air Force veteran, author, Human Capital, and DEI practitioner and speaker. As a human capital practitioner, Dr. Mouriño’s focus has been on helping leaders and organizations help themselves. He is an experienced professional with many years of leading and/or supporting key elements of organizational change projects. Dr. Mouriño is an Air Force veteran who began his career in Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as a graduate of the DOD-Defense Equal Opportunity & Management Institute (DEOMI) and has also been a speaker.
He brings broad industry experience that includes Fortune 100 companies. He is the founder and president of Human Intelligent (HI) Workplace, an organization focused on helping leaders help themselves through leadership, team development, and executive coaching. He has been and continues to serve as a college professor. He is also a Senior Fellow with the Conference Board on the DEI and Leadership Steering Committees.
He has extensive experience and thought leadership on Human Capital issues and supported organizational change efforts through Leadership Development, DEI, Executive Coaching, Team Development, Executive Retreats, Personality Assessments, and Organizational Change. He has spoken at numerous professional venues and written numerous articles on human capital trends impacting organizations, specifically addressing DE, and is the author and co-editor of several books.
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