Disrupt Yourself or Be Disrupted
Embrace the chaos to reimagine your future.
“From chaos comes innovation” — Simon Sinek, 2021
What if I told you that the global pandemic could be one of the best things to happen to your business? Would you think I’m mad, or just obsessively optimistic? This is how Simon Sinek’s words could be interpreted, and at Slalom we agree.
Throughout history, humans have had to innovate to survive. Whether it was predators, wars, famine, or climate change, the constant fight for survival has kept the fires of creativity lit. This global pandemic is no exception. As we emerge from this period of chaos, how can we emerge stronger than before? The Struss-Howe Generational Theory describes a recurring generation cycle, a trend of 20–25-year periods that follow the pattern of Crisis > High> Awakening> Unravelling. We are emerging from a period of Crisis, and soon will enter a High generation of optimism and strengthening. It is therefore a risk to think that traditional business models will be enough to stay competitive moving forward.
Innovation is often seen as discretionary, but it’s quickly being acknowledged as essential. Right now, your priority may seem to be stability, but there has never been a better time than now to reimagine what your business could be. Whether it be process, products, or entire business models, rethinking how you will remain competitive within this upcoming period of wider growth and strengthening is going to be critical.
This call to action is simple: act now before it’s too late — disrupt yourself or be disrupted.
There are three ways Slalom is helping clients embrace the chaos of this moment to reimagine the future of their business.
1. Create the environment: Diversity fuels the best innovation
Diverse teams experience a 57% increase in team collaboration and innovation. — Cloverpop study, 2017
Preparing the right environment to innovate is critical, and that environment includes both how innovation is conducted and who is participating. Slalom’s ReImagine Experience brings together a diverse group of disruptors—individuals from different sectors, backgrounds, and perspectives that ideate on a client’s existing product, process, or business model to truly reimagine what it could be. The aim here is not to reach consensus, but rather to create an environment of challenge and productive conflict. It is within this environment that true creativity and innovation emerge.
In such environments, recombinant innovation occurs; existing concepts are fused together to create net-new ideas. Examples of recombinant innovation include the wheelie suitcase (wheels and suitcases existed previously, but to combine the two created an innovative product that changed how people travelled) and can even be seen in the music of Elvis Presley (who often combined melodic samples from other artists with his own genius to create many of his hits). The ReImagine Experience removes the existing echo-chamber and creates a micro-environment of chaos, with challenging perspectives and ideas colliding together to birth new ideas.
2. Encourage the mindset: Remove constraints to innovate better
Innovation is hindered by the shackles of reality. Regulation, existing structures, or a fixed mindset often stand in the way of true creativity. The ReImagine Experience eliminates these constraints. One of the simplest tools we use is the Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono. By encouraging participants to wear a ‘Green Hat,’ we create a mindset of endless possibilities and boundless creativity. Creating this mindset enables unconstrained brainstorming that leads to truly innovative ideas.
The time for critique and refinement comes after the ideation process. Once an idea is generated, the ReImagine Experience conducts activities of testing feasibility, desirability, and viability by layering in and testing constraints in a systematic way, but without suffocating or stalling the idea. We test two simple questions: Can this be done? and Should this be done? In answering these questions, we are testing both technical and business feasibility respectively. By separating the ideation process from the feasibility questions, we include reality while protecting creativity.
3. Embrace a culture of innovation: Transformation is more than technology
“Putting wings on a caterpillar does not make it a butterfly.”
These words from Matt Reilly, a leader of Slalom’s Transformation Accelerator Program, are a myth-buster. There is a common misconception that to innovate you need the latest and greatest technology — this is not true. Adoption of technology alone does not transform a business; it takes a shift in mindset and a change of the entire organisation to transform.
At the heart of this is culture: the common language that runs through every individual and through every decision. This may seem drastic. Do you really have to change the entire organisation to come up with some new ideas? But the companies that have the brightest futures are the ones that are transforming their mindset and culture.
The benefits of innovating in this way are clear. Organizations that nurture innovation attract and retain the best talent, experience greater growth within existing and new markets, and see a greater return on their technology investments. Increasingly, we are seeing companies elevate themselves as leaders of the triple-bottom-line (performance, planet, people), where innovation propels them into new ways of doing business and giving their customers amazing experiences.
If now is not the time to be brave and take risks, then when is? Innovation is not a nice-to-have but a must-have as we enter this generation of rebirth and growth. To capitalize on this chaos, focus your efforts on creating the right environment, encouraging the right mindset, and embrace a culture that enables innovation for your business.
Let’s get started
The best way to get started is to start. With the support of Slalom’s ReImagine Experience, you can create an environment for innovation by accessing a network of external disruptors who will help you to reimagine what your business could be. Reach out to your local Slalom contact for more information on how you can create this experience for yourself, and start reimagining your future.
Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology and business transformation. Learn more and reach out today.
