A642.3.3.RB - Lessons
Learned
Given the innovative
individuals you have read about in this week's readings
Detail three lessons
learned and how they impact your view of innovation and leadership.
One of the things Steve Ells, the CEO of Chipotle said about
culture was a very interesting lesson. When asked if the more traditional
fast-food chains started changing their practices to compete with Chipotle’s success,
would he see that as a good thing overall…[o]r would he view it as a threat?
“It’s a joke,” he replies. “You know those guys, right? They can’t change. The
culture is just too ingrained. Which bodes very well for Chipotle.” (Safian,
2014). He said…the culture is too ingrained…they can’t change. Think about certain
companies who have created not only a brand but a cultural icon: McDonalds,
Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and even Hostess when they took Twinkies off the shelf. New
Coke was a serious misstep, McDonalds is known for fast food – not gourmet
burgers and salads. I honestly thought some of my friends were going to start a
“Bring Back the Twinkie” revolution! As a culture, we get so used to certain
things, we like knowing that there are some things we can always count on. But
when a brand gets so ingrained into a cultural norm that it can’t change –
innovation is a hard thing to find motivation for. I think there is a fine line
between a strong brand and a cultural icon. Being able to innovate means that
company can grow. Without growth, the company runs the risk of stagnating.
Another lesson is from Jennifer Aaker at Stanford University,
she challenges the very notion that a pursuit of happiness is what drives us
most…that people’s satisfaction with life is higher, and of greater duration,
when meaning–rather than happiness–is their primary motivation. (Safian, 2014).
I think this is somewhat idealistic – not everyone can afford to wait until
they are in love with what they do. However, my interpretation of this idea is that
you have to find something that you are passionate about in order to motivate yourself.
If your passion is collating documents and taking notes in a meeting then lucky
you – corporate America is waiting for you! But if your passion is following
Phish around the world, you have to find a way to fund that passion – and that
is how you motivate yourself to get up every morning to work a job that you
aren’t in love with. You find what you are passionate about, what makes you
happy, and you work to feed that passion and that job becomes something you do
to make you happy. I have a friend of mine who never finished college but is
this prodigy programmer who at 30 years old, sold his company to Disney and
came on to work there as some senior manager with a title he called “ridiculous.”
He’s recently left Disney and has joined a league of programmers that far
surpasses my limits of understanding. He is happy and fulfilled, he writes
fantasy/fiction on his off time. He has a great family and they live in a nice
house overlooking the San Diego valley. He loves what he does, he knows so much
about his industry but is constantly scouring this industry for new things, new
ideas, and new trends. He was fortunate to find his passions early. Not
everyone is, but knowing that the search for what makes us happy – satisfied with
our lives – is what will help motivate us helps.
Eileen Fisher is committed to continually fine-tuning the
culture of her business. “We have purpose programs for our leaders. We’re
looking at getting participation from all of our employees. We’re setting up a
learning lab. I really believe that business is going to have to think this
way.” (Safian, 2014). This commitment to fine-tuning the culture of her
business – despite being financially successful – shows that it takes more than
financial success to actually feel like success for some leaders. We all
measure success differently and for Fisher, it’s about being constantly
changing and looking for new ways to ground her staff and bring them not only
cash bonuses but peace of mind. Speaking from a point of innovation, motivated
employees who have that autonomy and room to think about their contribution from
many angles, starts with a leadership culture that is supportive.
Discuss your
innovative skills and detail three ways you can make a "useful"
contribution to your organization
My innovative skills are that I listen, and I can see the
big picture as well as the smaller steps needed to get there. In my
organization, making a useful contribution means being productive and keeping
parts coming in to support production. The ways my innovative skills can help
me with this are when suppliers need help getting parts to us on time, I listen
to their concerns and try to help them problem solve to a mutually beneficial
outcome. I also listen to my customers and take their concerns to the suppliers
so we can try to mitigate any revisions or new schedules before it becomes a
problem. My ability to try and see the big picture as well as how each part of
the build is impacted by issues can help production prioritize and problem
solve in a meaningful way.
References:
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