How successful innovation leaders admire and inspire people

In my last article, I was pointing out why the people side is essential for the success of corporate innovation. Now, this time I'd like to highlight how leadership is more likely to succeed in their innovation efforts by appreciating and motivating different personalities within their organisation.

There are several studies (e.g. McKinsey HBR) providing evidence that around 70 percent of change programs fail to achieve their goals, largely due to employee resistance and lack of management support. At the same time they show a 30 percent higher chance to succeed if people are truly invested in change. But how do we spark inspiration and motivation among them?

I'd like to share 3 key learnings I've made throughout my experience of training people in process communication (PCM®), building joint corporate ventures and setting up intrepreneurship programs:

Share a vision with passion and a purpose to follow

A story that people can identify with and believe in creates a connection between the storyteller and the ones listening. This connection can have various forms, e.g. empathy, common values, appreciation for hard work or aspiration for big dreams; with one common denominator: alignment of objectives.

Frame and manage expectations

On a way we've never been before we are likely to encounter bumps in the road. By knowing what to expect, we are less likely to overreact. Overcoming asymmetric information by providing transparent standards can therefore help to establish trust and increase chances of reaching a common understanding.

When a good mediator sits on a table with disputing parties, she might say “You think you hate each other today? I can assure you, about three days into this process, you’re going to hate each other even more. And when that happens, I want you to remember something: That’s normal.” (HBR) By addressing and normalizing the process, she effectively manages expectations on the table.

We’ll have a much harder time trying to influence their perceptions or win back their trust after something goes wrong that they did not expect.

Personalise relationship experiences

We love to personalise our digital user experience, treatments, gadgets and clothings we purchase. We personalise the experience of our customers, our shareholders. But what if it comes to our employees?

A good friend - owning a family-run business - once said: "How can I expect to be respected and loved by my employees, if I don't fulfil the same standards? When I enter the building, I remember all faces, their names and aspirations because I want them to trust me as I do trust them with my family heritage."

Research shows that different personalities have different psychological needs that demand to be treated differently; (1) acknowledgement of hard work, time structure, (2) appreciation of commitment, beliefs (3) appreciation as a person (4) incident & excitement (5) fun, freedom (6) solitude. Our unique personality influences the perception of success in life, how we behave under stressful circumstances, as well as the preferred social environment and management style. Taking these aspects into account can help to increase satisfaction and retention rates among valuable employees, and even help to establish more effective processes, incentive systems, and communication structures on the long-run.

______ Takeaway ______

People are an essential factor of success in corporate innovation efforts. Leaders that understand the value are more likely to succeed in change. To grasp this potential, an authentic story, expectation management and space to showcast personalities' strengths and to charge their batteries is necessary. It all starts as Dale Carnegie put it: "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."