Why Meaningful Change is Difficult
Big Idea
Storytelling and design play a significant roll in how organizations innovate and as a result these skills must be institutionalized to change the collective behavior of the organization.
Everybody is an Innovator
Beth Comstock (CMO at GE) really nails it in the video link below. She focusses on the expectations she sets for marketers and how that role is evolving rapidly.
A few highlights:
- You must “be able to connect the dots” and create clarity on the market’s direction.
- Innovation “instigators have the shortest lifespan of anybody in our company.”
- “Fail fast, fail small is a popular rally cry that’s very difficult to achieve.” In fact, “I can’t say we do it well here.”
- “It doesn’t have to be perfect” to give it a try.
- We are at the “early stages of design in business” that will help to solve problems and create meaningful experiences for customers.
Click here to view the video: http://the99percent.com/videos/7079/Beth-Comstock-Make-Heroes-Out-of-the-Failures
Tell the Story
Simply said, even world class companies and cultures resist change. In fact, world class companies often resist change the most because past success provides so many data points that validate existing behaviors and systems… for better or worse.
Leaders that inspire, align, and innovate… start with story. Beth is clear that you must “tell the story before you sell the story.” She continues, “a good story, a little experience, and a tone of passion…always wins at the end of the day.”
