What can social and political activists teach the corporate world?

Hello,

We’re all trying to make our lives more efficient, productive, and, oftentimes, interesting. I was reminded of this recently when I wrote about the seven inventions that have made my life better — and watched the LinkedIn post get thousands of views.

Now, embracing innovation into our own lives is one thing, but creating change and motivating innovation within our teams and companies is quite another.

This is my focus every day with established and growing leaders, and I’m happy to share my learnings here and on LinkedIn with you.

Please read on for actionable advice, innovation inspiration, and more.

3 Reasons that Some Innovators Thrive Despite Inadequate Resources

Is your hoped-for innovation underfunded? You are not alone. Most of the founders and corporate innovators I’ve met feel they have inadequate resources.

Yet, what separates those who thrive despite those challenges? The ability to:

1. See constraints as a source of creativity, and surround themselves with others who can do the same.
2. Be resourceful – see opportunity in the least obvious, illogical, and counter-intuitive places.
3. Reframe how to approach problems and refuse to accept the way things have always been done as the way they have to proceed.

Today, I’m proud to work with leaders at established companies and startups alike on finding opportunities within constricted budgets. It’s possible — and it’s happening. 

Mobilize Support for Change: Lessons from Social & Political Activists

What can corporate change makers learn from social and political advocates?

Kromatic’s Corporate Innovation Blog recently republished my Fast Company article on this topic, emphasizing just how important it is for corporate executives to learn from other settings — especially in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) environment.

As we can see all around us, activists can be effective at getting eyes and ears on them — and gaining support. The first step: create a strategic advocacy plan in these nine steps:

1. Understand the environment in which you are operating, especially your stakeholders and their needs
2. Align with the organization’s goals.
3. Be a storyteller — and drop the jargon.
4. Pursue win-win approaches.
5. Be adaptable and expect the unexpected.  
6. Learn advocacy skills with experiential learning, mentorship, or advisors.
7. Mitigate the risk of burnout and maintain a network of people you can turn to for counsel.
8. Be ethical, prioritizing building trust and credibility — hard-won and easily lost. 
9. Set success metrics, considering milestones and outcomes to gauge your effectiveness.

Read the full article here.

Remember this: Rome wasn’t built in a day. And in my words — change is hard when people aren’t ready for it.  So, be sure to “compliment, then complement” to bridge between past successes and future vision.

Is there a change you’re trying to create in your organization? I’d love to hear about it and see how my hard-won expertise can ease the way for you and your team. 

Warm regards,