Tactics of Innovation

10 Rules forintroducing new ideas to people

who are resistant

Joel Barker & James Bright

Key Sources

James Bright, Harvard and U of Texas

Everett Rogers, U of New Mexico

Joel Barker

Invention vs. Innovation

Invention is the discovery of a new idea

Innovation is the successful introduction of a new idea to the marketplace

Assumptions to Begin

1. All enterprises start by seeking a social agreement for homeostasis: “Let’s not rock the boat.”

2. Balance is achieved by making many specific agreements, i.e. management style, dress code, values, daily practices (paradigms)

Assumptions

3. Any innovation alters those adjustments and creates dis-equilibrium (Who’s the bad guy?)

4. The amount of disturbance caused is proportional to the perceived change the innovation creates, not necessarily the real change it creates

Assumptions

5. In times of crisis, innovations will be sought out instead of resisted

6. Acceptance of an innovation can be dramatically influenced by the social climate of the moment

Assumptions

7. The innovation must be looked at always from the user’s point of view. The inventor’s point of view is irrelevant.

(This last assumption causes extreme turmoil with inventors who think they know better than the user. No one knows better than the user.)

Tactics of Innovation 10 Rules:

Perceived Advantage

1. from the users point of view, is there a significant advantage in changing to the new idea?

Compatibility

2. How well does the new idea fit in with the present environment? The easier it fits, the better it will be accepted.

Perceived Simplicity

3. From the user’s point of view, does the new idea look simple?

Divisibility

4. Can the idea be introduced in small increments?

Coummunicability

5. When you have a choice of creating new words to describe your new idea, or using old words in a new way to describe your idea, always use the old words.

Reversability

6. Once the user has tried the new idea, can they get out of it if they want?

Relative Costliness

7. Compared to present costs of maintenance, what is the cost of instituting the new idea?

…emotional

…social

…cultural

Credibility

8. The idea should be introduced by a person who has credibility with the audience, even if that means the inventor must stay out of the presentation

Reliability

9. Does your new idea do what you say it will do and will it do so consistently over time.

This rules spins out of the six sigma movement.

Failure Consequences

#10: What happens if your idea fails?

Do not mistake this with “what remedies do you offer if your new idea fails.”

How Many Do You Need?

#1, perceived advantage, and #10,failure consequences, are mandatory

After that get as many as you can because each tactic represent and reason not to try your idea.

The Excuses

Failure consequences: “I might go bankrupt if it fails.”

Reliability: “It breaks down how often?” Credibility: “I don’t even know who you

are.” Relative costliness: “It sure looks

cheaper to me to just keep doing what we’re doing.”

Divisibility: “All or nothing, huh?” Communicability: “I didn’t understand a word

you said.” Compatibility: “So, it doesn’t work with anything

we have right now.” Perceived simplicity: “That sure looks

complicated.” Perceived advantage: “I just don’t see where

we gain very much.”

Conclusion

Those are all good reasons not to change

Remember, the only point of view that counts is the user’s

So Fulfill the tactics as completely as you can before you present your idea to the user.