My son has a set of toy cars that present a perfect analogy for this innovation plan.  The cars proceed forward, speeding on their way, after the child shakes them to activate the kinetic energy within.  To achieve having the cars reach the desired target, the child needs to choose a destination, shake the car, clear the way, and let the car go.  I have a similar 4-step process to move my Innovation Plan to action: cast a vision (destination), motivate the team (shake the car), discuss and overcome objections (clear the way), and execute the plan (let the car go).  Let's outline each of these one-by-one.

 

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Vision / Why-How-What

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"Where there is no vision, the people perish…"

 

Proverbs 29:18

 

At the inception of an innovation, there is an idea.  The creator of the idea - be they an innovator, inventor, visionary, or the like - then digs into research of the idea.  Through countless hours of research, the creator clarifies, tweaks, refines, and finalizes the idea.  After this exercise, the idea is now well-defined and in a much more mature version than it initially was.  The creator now fully understands the idea and the environment for implementing the idea.  But will presenting the research alone really foster commitment from the general public or generate excitement about the idea/change to come?  No, the smart innovator knows he/she needs to not only explain the specifics of the idea and plan (what), but also the methods by which the team will accomplish the idea (how) and the heart of the idea itself (why).  After all, Simon (Sinek) says "people don't buy what you do but why you do it."

 

My innovation plan's vision is here: 

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Influencer

 

"Even those who fancy themselves the most progressive will fight against other kinds of progress, for each of us is convinced that our way is the best"

 

(L'Amour, L. 1984)

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Is the hardest part of implementing a change moving an idea from its infancy to being well-defined (noted above) or moving it through to implementation?  Any agent of change who has implemented ideas in the past would likely agree that the implementation itself is where ideas fall flat and leaders lose heart amidst resistance.  That is why this Innovation Plan's implementation strategy is heavy on the implementation phase. 

 

Aside from a select few visionaries who are able to see the long-term benefits of a change and accept it easily, most people will resist change. Change is uncomfortable because, by and large, the general population enjoys its routines and patterns.  The concept of a "comfort zone" is closer than kin to much of twenty-first century America. If one is to change some aspect of work, play, or daily life, that will certainly involve stepping out of one's comfort zone and walking into the unknown. Even if a change is as clear as crystal, a person who embraces the change still cannot be certain of what happens.

 

The key to winning the war against change resistance lies in the battles beforehand, through motivating people to accept the change.  Since the process of changing is a challenge, would the general public embrace it for little-to-no reason?  No; the best change agents invest a significant amount of time planning out a strategy to motivate those impacted by a change toward believing that the change is both able to be accomplished and worth doing.  As a change agent committed to my innovation and idea, I created a multi-faceted motivation strategy based on the book "Influencer."  You can find that strategy here: 

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Crucial Conversations

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"Talking and eloquence are not the same: to speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks."

 

(Heine, H., n.d.)

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Moving the plan from idea through implementation to habit will require countless conversations.  The conversations will not be simple or strictly informational as knowledge does not equal motivation.  Instead, I will encounter opponents by the dozens.  Opposition will be thick and, as our prior discussion about change indicated, individuals in our organization will not be accepting change with open arms.  To counteract the resistance to change I will encounter, I am preparing for negative conversation.  New York Times best-selling authors, McChesney, Covey, and Huling (2012) refer to these negative or unpleasant conversations as "crucial conversations."

 

In order to keep situations from escalating, I will need to train myself to hold difficult yet purposeful conversations with my peers and associates.  I say "train myself" intentionally, as positive conversations in the midst of opposition start with controlling myself.  If opposition is high, I will need to hold my tongue and keep our discussions professional.  The true solution to holding productive conversations is more than just holding feelings in when someone challenges the other party.  There is a strategy - nay, an art - to communicating mutual respect, avoiding the urge to jump to conclusions, and setting aside insults because they are not in line with the true purpose of the conversation.  Planning this strategy before having those difficult conversations is essential to keeping those conversations positive and constructive.

 

You can find my conversation plans here:  

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4DX (The 4 Disciplines of Execution)

 

"In the military, as in any organization, giving the order might be the easiest part.  Execution is the real game9."

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(Honore, R., n.d.)

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In my opinion, the hardest part of change is executing the change.  What has led me to this perspective?  I, like dozens of others within my organization and Corporate America, have seen countless great ideas fade away into nothingness within weeks.  Peers and superiors of mine have spent hours identifying the root of a problem and coming up with a detailed plan to counteract it.  However, they failed in implementing that plan, because the roots of the problem were strong and the plan lacked a longevity provided by simple execution. 

 

To speak in a generality, if an idea withers and dies it usually happens due to poor execution.  Why is it that a change agent may hold an idea so tightly yet he or she cannot keep the fire burning for long enough to see the change take place fully?  This is because when a person encounters a choice to pursue a change (even a valuable one) or stay afloat in one's daily job duties, the daily life wins every time.  I could not put a number on the days where I started out wanting to focus on new plans and initiatives yet ended the day accomplishing none of them.  Instead, the only things that I completed were everyday tasks.  Whether on a personal or professional level, daily life usually chokes out innovation and progress; I have little doubt that I am as guilty as any here. 

 

Good intentions in the midst of a daily life moving at a hundred miles an hour will fall short.  Yet I know my idea is an innovation worth pursuing, as it would both improve the quality of life for our associates and save our organization hundreds of thousands of dollars.  For that reason alone, I commit to follow an execution strategy so everyday job duties will not choke out the plan.  My execution strategy is here:

 

 

 

References:

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Heine, H. (n.d.). Heinrich Heine quotes. Retrieved from: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/talk.html

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Honore, R. (n.d.). Execution quotes. Retrieved from: https://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html?q=Execution

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L'Amour, L. (1984). The lonely men: The Sacketts. New York: Bantam.

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McChesney, C., Covey, S., Huling, J. (2012). The 4 disciplines of execution. New York: Free Press.