Why great ideas die on managers' desks and how to save them
At some point in your life, did you feel that a good idea of yours was not taken into account?
Do you feel that fears or bureaucracy prevent an innovation from being implemented?
How could you turn a situation of frustration into a leadership or learning opportunity?
Delve into this key topic for leadership and innovation in the professional world. Discover how to transform discarded ideas into projects with real impact
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Why great ideas die on managers' desks and how to save them
Demands in the professional world are increasingly stringent. There is a call not only for quality work, but also for work carried out with creativity, encouraging thinking beyond the ordinary and small disruptions that, on many occasions, manage to consolidate as positive changes. However, these processes are not always fulfilled because the leadership is fearful and acts in line with traditional management. How can this reality be changed? How can we be active agents of innovation?
The change begins once a professional dares to break those paradigms, to observe the environment in search of break points, to see alternatives, but most importantly, to create links or alliances that allow him/her to develop everything he/she has in mind. It is also important to have leaders who are willing to listen and teams or organizations that are willing to have a culture that values what is different. Only in this way can ideas go beyond desks and be able to transform reality.
The beginning of an inspiring and brilliant idea
Every idea is born from an inspiration, from a sudden spark that illuminates the mind, filling it with multiple possibilities. The concern of how to do things better can also be born from observation, and even from frustration, but when going through a management process where hierarchy, positions, and budgets influence, this spark is usually extinguished or gradually loses strength along the way.Â
An article in the MIT Sloan Management Review indicates that managers tend to prefer efficiency over novelty, despite the beneficial effect that the new can represent; they like to go for the “safe”, what is already known and has been successful.
As a perfect example, we can mention companies such as Kodak or Blockbuster, which, despite their initial success, suffered stagnation. At the time, their own teams proposed ideas that could have been adapted to new trends (digital cameras, streaming platforms), but were discarded by leaders who did not see beyond their successful business models.
What blocks innovation?
Innovation is a way to introduce in an organization or business ideas of products, services and methods that impact the development of processes to adapt to changes in technology, society and the economy, as well as to open new markets to provide innovative experiences to customers, because innovation means improving what already exists and not necessarily create everything completely new.
Blockages are experienced by organizations more often than we can imagine. Because of this problem, there are many statistics that support this situation:Â
According to Harvard Business Review, 70% of the projects that have been made to innovate have failed.
According to PwC ‘s Innovation Benchmark Report, 80% of the leaders that integrate the companies have the belief that the business model to be implemented by them is easy to break, because they think that their model is a breakthrough innovation.Â
According to McKinsey & Company, 60% of executives cite resistance to change as the biggest barrier to innovation.
Main causes of innovation blockage
- Traditional organizational structure that presents a fear of risk and punishes mistakes.
- Rigid hierarchies, characterized by limitations in making quick, dynamic, and real-time decisions.
- Leadership with a lack of commitment to innovationÂ
- Poor budget allocation or otherwise, with limitations
- New ideas do not have the time and resources needed to explore them
- Bureaucracy in internal processesÂ
- Disengagement with customer experiences
The main causes of why ideas die
1. Fear of failure: Most managers fear losing credibility or resources if an idea doesn’t work. This leads them to opt for safe decisions.
As an example, Kodak was afraid of cannibalizing its core business. In 1975, a Kodak engineer invented the first digital camera, and the company’s decision was not to develop this project because it was afraid of going bankrupt selling rolls of film.
Then, Canon, Sony, and Apple flooded the digital markets. As a result of the fear of change, and not wanting to lose the profits they traditionally had, this resulted in a blockage of innovation.
2. Lack of systemic vision: When analyzing a proposal, many leaders judge it with the current parameters, without considering the transformation potential it could bring.
3. Rigid organizational culture: In an environment that rewards experimentation, different ideas will be seen as problems, not opportunities.
“NO" as a culture
In the business world, it is very common to observe an attitude of denial in the face of innovative ideas, because it is believed that this avoids risks and maintains control. Consequently, this type of environment slows down active participation and discourages the initiative of those involved, and in turn gives rise to a lack of participation, because when people receive continuous refusals, they become discouraged and stop doing it for good, losing creative capital and opportunities for improvement.
To foster a culture that escapes the “no” implies the formation of leaders who are not prejudiced and who are willing to experiment in order to take safe steps, but always with the option of being able to try. Likewise, rewards are important to multiply proposals.
Success stories that have lasted over time
As mentioned throughout this article, innovation has been viewed with some suspicion and distrust, including companies with a broader vision. However, there are brands that, thanks to their leaders, have managed to consolidate themselves in the market, being referents of change, those that dared to bet on distinction and entered little by little despite the obstacles they encountered on their way.
G. Mabanglo/EPA/REX/Shutterstock
Apple and its launch of the iPhone
An example of this is represented in Apple, with the launch of the iPhone in 2007 by its leader Steve Jobs, a smartphone, without a physical keyboard, touch screen that promised to transform the user experience. At the beginning, even their own executives had doubts because they had a high competition with Blackberry, Nokia, and Motorola, but thanks to their trust in their intuition managed to excel and stand out.
The spark in this case was from frustration, Jobs noted that there was widespread dissatisfaction with cell phones that were used at the time. “We all had cell phones. We just hated them, they were terrible to use. The software was lousy. The hardware wasn’t very good. We talked to our friends, and they all hated their phones too. Everybody seemed to hate their phones. And we saw that these things could really become much more powerful and interesting.” Jobs mentioned in an interview with Fortune in 2008.
Netflix, an example of persistence
Another case that is still in the spotlight of streaming services is Netflix, a company founded in 1997 initially to offer a movie rental service through DVDs that were sent by mail. They wanted to innovate by taking this business model to a digital consumption, efficient, and with the power of immediacy.
Its leaders sought to innovate, bringing this business model to a digital, efficient, and immediate consumer experience. Even as they worked on their vision for the future, the decision wasn’t easy. They had to navigate a storm of doubts, with analysts and investors disagreeing, in addition to various technical challenges that made their continued existence difficult. So they decided to persist, investing in technology, renewing agreements with production companies, and even compiling user behavior to make more personalized movie recommendations, all guided by algorithms. This is how Netflix was born in 2007, consolidating itself over the years as one of the leading entertainment platforms today.
How to go from an idea to impactful change.
Innovation and a growth mindset are important for ideas to become projects and develop. Whatever role you play in the organization, whether you are a collaborator, entrepreneur, or student, the crucial and fundamental point is to defend the ideas, to move towards a change that positively impacts any area you are in.Â
One of the key elements to achieve this change is to integrate into environments or work environments that value critical thinking, openness to risk, and collaboration among all. It is important to keep in mind that an idea alone can do nothing, so it is vital to always collect data, conduct experiments, and have allies to help you defend this idea until the end.
Build your legacy!
To innovate, you don’t need to be in a position within a company or institution; you need to be prepared to respond to life’s challenges. People who value, evolve, and protect their ideas are those who set the standards in communities, companies, industries, and future generations.
To develop essential competencies and become leaders of change, choose to study in the areas of organizational leadership, management, and strategic innovation. AIU offers customized and flexible programs with the purpose of accompanying people who wish to embark on a path that will surely lead to success.Â
Although there are many ideas that are never developed, it is possible to become an agent of change within any type of organization or business. To take this step, you must have an innovative mind, create strategic links, and have a good business environment.Â
Do not let your ideas remain on paper or die behind a desk.Â
Educate yourself, lead, and expand. Dare to explore new academic programs designed to empower your vision and become a protagonist of change.
Recommended readingÂ
For students interested in delving deeper into this topic, we recommend the following articles:
Promotional language and the adoption of innovative ideas in science.
The Art of Influence : Your Competitive Edge
The Business Idea : The Early Stages of Entrepreneurship
How to Run Collaborative Projects That Don’t Fall Prey to Bureaucracy
Steve Jobs introduces iPhone in 2007 Â
30 Great Business Ideas for Motivated Entrepreneurs
Why we gloss over great ideas – and invest in bad ones
Bureaucracies as Innovative Organizations – Publications
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