The Five Killers of Innovation
by Anthony Demangone
Every business wants to innovate. You want to stand out. To create a “wow” factor with your customers. Or members.
This article by Kaihan Krippendorff highlights the five personality types that kill innovation. The scary thing is this: as much as I like innovation, I can look back in my career and remember when I fit into each category.
What are those five types?
- Mr. Practical
- Mr. Obvious
- Mr. Expert
- Mr. What Works
- Mr. Cog
Please read the article, but here’s a taste.
continue reading »Mr. Expert
After seeing a new area to explore, you team must then create potential solutions. The more possibilities they create, the greater the likelihood they will find a fourth option. But inevitably someone emerges to cut off their flow. The conversation devolves into a pattern of “What if we did this,” followed by, “We’ve tried that before.” Mr. Expert has seen it all and needs to prove it. His cup is full and cannot fit new ideas. He cannot accept the idea that a group of novices could sit down and find an elegant solution to a problem that he and his expert peers have struggled to solve for years. So, consciously or unconsciously, he won’t let that happen.
