Category Archives: Leadership

Making Innovation the Way We Do Business (easy as ABC)

GUEST POST from Robyn Bolton

“We need to be more innovative.”

How many times have you said or heard that? It’s how most innovation efforts start. It’s a statement that reflects leaders’ genuine desire to return to the “good ol’ days” when the company routinely created and launched new products and enjoyed the publicity and growth that followed.

But what does it mean to be more innovative?

Innovation’s ABCs

A is for Architecture

Architecture includes most of the elements people think of when they start the work to become more innovative – strategy, structure, processes, metrics, governance, and incentives.

Each of these elements answers fundamental questions:

Strategy: Why is innovation important? How does it contribute to our overall strategy?
Structure: Who does the work of innovation?
Process: How is the work done?
Metrics: How will we know when we’re successful? How will we measure progress?
Governance: Who makes decisions? How and when are decisions made?
Incentives: Why should people invest their time, money, and political capital? How will they be rewarded?

When it comes to your business, you can answer all these questions. The same is true if you’re serious about innovation. If you can’t answer the questions, you have work to do. If you don’t want to do the work, then you don’t want to be innovative. You want to look innovative*.

B is for Behavior

Innovation isn’t an idea problem. It’s a leadership problem.

Leaders that talk about innovation, delegate it to subordinates and routinely pull resources from innovation to “shore up” current operations don’t want to be innovative. They want to look innovative.

Leaders who roll up their sleeves and work alongside innovation teams, ask questions and listen with open minds, and invest and protect innovation resources want to be innovative.

To be fair, it’s incredibly challenging to be a great leader of both innovation and operations. It’s the equivalent of writing equally well with your right and left hands. But it is possible. More importantly, it’s essential.

C is for Culture

Culture is invisible, pervasive, and personal. It is also the make-or-break factor for innovation because it surrounds innovation architecture, teams, and leaders.

Culture can expand to encourage and support exploration, creativity, and risk-taking. Or it can constrict, unleashing antibodies that swarm, suffocate, and kill anything that threatens the status quo.

Trying to control or change culture is like trying to hold water in your fist. But if you let go just a bit, create the right conditions, and wait patiently, change is possible.

Easy as 123

The most common mistake executives make in the pursuit of being “more innovative” is that they focus on only A or only B or only C. But, as I always tell my clients, the answer is “and, not or.”

Start with Architecture because it’s logical, rational, and produces tangible outputs like org charts, process flows, and instruction manuals filled with templates and tools. Architecture is comforting because it helps us know what to do and how.
Use Architecture to encourage Behavior because the best way to learn something is to do it. With Architecture in place (but well before it’s finished), bring leaders into the work – talking to customers, sharing their ideas, and creating prototypes. When leaders do the work of innovation, they quickly realize what’s possible (and what’s not) and are open to learning how to engage (behave) in a way that supports innovation.
Leverage Architecture and Behavior to engage Culture by creating the artifacts, rituals, and evidence that innovation can happen in your company, is happening and will continue to happen. As people see “innovation” evolve from a buzzword to a small investment to “the way we do business,” their skepticism will fade, and their support will grow.

Just like the Jackson 5 said

ABC, It’s easy a 123

Architecture, behavior, culture – they’re all essential to enabling an innovation capability that repeatedly creates new revenue.

And while starting with architecture, building new leadership behaviors, and investing until the culture changes isn’t easy, it’s the 123 steps required to “be more innovative.”

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

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From Burnout to Breakthroughs

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Prioritizing Well-being for Peak Performance

From Burnout to Breakthroughs

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

In the relentless pursuit of growth and innovation, many organizations have fallen into a dangerous trap: equating long hours and constant stress with dedication and productivity. The result is a global epidemic of burnout, a state of physical and emotional exhaustion that stifles creativity, diminishes engagement, and ultimately erodes performance. As a human-centered change and innovation thought leader, I am here to challenge this outdated paradigm. I believe the path to true peak performance is not paved with exhaustion, but with well-being. It’s a shift from a culture of busyness to a culture of breakthroughs, where prioritizing the mental and physical health of our people is seen not as a luxury, but as a strategic imperative.

For too long, the narrative around work has been a zero-sum game: either you prioritize well-being and sacrifice performance, or you prioritize performance and sacrifice well-being. This is a false choice. The human brain, the ultimate engine of innovation, is not a machine that can run indefinitely at maximum speed. It requires rest, recovery, and a sense of purpose to function at its best. Burnout, on the other hand, is the antithesis of innovation. It leads to cognitive decline, a decrease in problem-solving ability, and a fear of taking risks—all of which are fatal to a company’s ability to adapt and grow.

Prioritizing well-being is not a soft, feel-good initiative. It is a hard-nosed, data-driven strategy for unlocking sustainable, high-level performance. When employees feel supported, trusted, and empowered to take care of themselves, they are more engaged, more creative, and more resilient. This creates a virtuous cycle of positive reinforcement that benefits everyone involved. The strategic shift from managing for burnout to designing for breakthroughs requires us to:

Redefine Productivity: Move away from measuring hours worked and focus on tangible outcomes and impact.
Promote Psychological Safety: Create an environment where people feel safe to be vulnerable, take risks, and share their ideas without fear of retribution.
Encourage Boundaries: Actively model and promote a culture where disconnecting from work is not only accepted but encouraged.
Invest in Holistic Well-being: Provide resources that address mental, physical, and emotional health, from mental health days to wellness stipends.
Empower Autonomy: Give employees a sense of control over their work and their schedules, as autonomy is a key driver of motivation and well-being.

Case Study 1: Microsoft Japan and the Four-Day Work Week

The Challenge: Boosting Productivity and Employee Engagement

In 2019, Microsoft Japan embarked on a bold experiment to address employee engagement and productivity. The company recognized that long hours and a rigid work schedule were not necessarily leading to better results. In a society known for its strong work ethic and long work hours, Microsoft sought to challenge the status quo and prove that a different approach could yield better outcomes.

The Well-being Innovation:

Microsoft Japan implemented a “Work-Life Choice Challenge” pilot, which gave all 2,300 employees paid Fridays off for an entire month, effectively creating a four-day work week. The goal was to see if a compressed work schedule could boost productivity and employee well-being. The company also encouraged shorter meetings (with a 30-minute cap) and promoted the use of online communication tools to streamline workflows and reduce time-wasting activities. The focus was shifted from “time spent” to “results produced.”

The Results:

The results of the trial were remarkable. Productivity, measured by sales per employee, jumped by a staggering 40% compared to the previous year. Employees took 25% fewer days off during the trial, and electricity consumption in the office dropped by 23%. Most importantly, 92% of employees surveyed said they preferred the four-day work week. The experiment showed that giving employees the gift of time and trust, and actively helping them work smarter, led to a more energized, engaged, and productive workforce. This was a clear example of prioritizing well-being as a direct driver of business success.

Key Insight: A shorter work week, when combined with a focus on efficiency and outcomes, can significantly boost productivity and employee morale by prioritizing rest and rejuvenation.

Case Study 2: The New Zealand-Based Financial Services Company

The Challenge: Overcoming Burnout and Low Employee Engagement

A New Zealand-based financial services company, like many organizations, was struggling with low employee engagement and high rates of burnout. The traditional 9-to-5, five-day work week was leading to a feeling of being constantly overworked and under-appreciated. The company’s leadership understood that for their employees to innovate and provide exceptional service, they needed to be happy, healthy, and engaged.

The Well-being Innovation:

In a groundbreaking move, the company’s leadership implemented a “100-80-100” model: employees were paid 100% of their salary for working 80% of the time, while being tasked with maintaining 100% of their productivity. The core of this innovation was not just the extra day off, but the empowerment of teams to redesign their own workflows. They were asked to identify and eliminate time-wasting activities, shorten meetings, and use technology more effectively to ensure that the work could be completed in fewer hours. This shift was a direct investment in employee autonomy and well-being, trusting them to manage their own time and output.

The Results:

The results were stunning. Employee engagement, as measured by surveys, increased by a remarkable 24%. Stress levels among employees decreased significantly, and their sense of work-life balance improved dramatically. Crucially, the company’s performance metrics either remained the same or saw a slight increase, as the teams had become more focused and efficient in their shortened work week. The company’s innovative approach not only improved the lives of its employees but also became a global case study for how prioritizing well-being and trust can lead to superior business outcomes and a more resilient, innovative culture.

Key Insight: Trusting employees to manage their own time and empowering them to find efficiencies is a powerful way to reduce burnout and drive bottom-up innovation.

The Path Forward: From Busyness to Breakthroughs

These case studies serve as powerful evidence that a change in mindset is required. The old model is broken. The most successful organizations of the future will not be those that push their employees to the brink of exhaustion, but those that design systems and cultures that prioritize human well-being. By fostering a culture of trust, empowering autonomy, and redefining productivity to focus on outcomes over hours, we can unlock the full potential of our teams. The journey from burnout to breakthroughs begins with a single, profound realization: our greatest asset is not our technology, our capital, or our brand—it’s the health, happiness, and creative energy of our people. It’s time to build a new foundation for success, one that is truly human-centered.

Extra Extra: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pexels

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Igniting Innovation Through Shared Values

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From Mission Statement to Movement

Igniting Innovation Through Shared Values

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

As my colleague Braden Kelley works with organizations striving for meaningful change, he often sees beautifully crafted mission statements gathering dust on corporate websites. These well-intentioned pronouncements articulate purpose but fail to ignite the very innovation they hope to inspire. The critical missing ingredient? Shared values that resonate deeply within the organization, transforming a static statement into a dynamic movement that fuels creativity and drives impactful change.

A mission statement defines what an organization does and why it exists. While essential for clarity, it often operates at a strategic level, lacking the emotional connection needed to truly motivate individuals. Shared values, on the other hand, articulate how an organization operates, the principles that guide its decisions, and the behaviors it champions. When these values are genuinely embraced and lived by the people within the organization, they create a powerful cultural foundation for innovation to flourish. They provide a moral compass, guiding experimentation, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that innovation efforts are aligned with a larger, unifying purpose.

Think of shared values as the DNA of your organizational culture. They influence everything from hiring decisions and internal communication to product development and customer interactions. When values are clear, consistent, and deeply ingrained, they create a sense of psychological safety, where individuals feel empowered to take risks, challenge the status quo, and contribute their most creative ideas. Conversely, a disconnect between stated values and actual behavior breeds cynicism and stifles innovation, as individuals become hesitant to step outside the perceived norms.

Transforming a mission statement into a movement driven by shared values requires a conscious and sustained effort. It involves:

Co-creation and Internalization: Values should not be dictated from the top; they should be co-created with employees at all levels, ensuring genuine buy-in and a sense of ownership.
Living the Values: Leaders must model the desired values consistently in their own behavior. Actions speak louder than words, and any perceived hypocrisy will undermine the entire effort.
Integrating Values into Processes: Embed values into hiring, performance management, decision-making, and reward systems to reinforce their importance and ensure they are not just abstract concepts.
Storytelling and Celebration: Regularly share stories that exemplify the organization’s values in action, celebrating individuals and teams who embody these principles in their work.
Continuous Reflection and Adaptation: Regularly revisit and discuss the organization’s values to ensure they remain relevant and continue to guide behavior in a changing landscape.

Case Study 1: Patagonia – Innovation Rooted in Environmental Values

The Challenge: Maintaining Authenticity and Driving Sustainable Innovation

Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear company, has long been lauded for its commitment to environmental sustainability. Their mission statement reflects this, but it is their deeply ingrained shared values that truly drive their innovative practices. These values, centered around environmental responsibility, integrity, and not being bound by convention, permeate every aspect of their business.

The Values-Driven Innovation:

Patagonia’s commitment to environmental values fuels numerous innovative initiatives. Their “Worn Wear” program encourages customers to repair and reuse their gear, reducing waste and promoting a circular economy. They invest heavily in using recycled and organic materials, even when it’s more expensive or challenging. Their “1% for the Planet” initiative donates a percentage of their sales to environmental organizations. These aren’t just marketing tactics; they are deeply held principles that guide their product design, supply chain decisions, and customer engagement strategies. Employees are empowered to innovate solutions that align with these values, knowing they have the full support of the organization.

The Results:

Patagonia’s unwavering commitment to its values has not only built a fiercely loyal customer base but has also driven significant innovation in sustainable materials and business models. Their transparency and authenticity resonate with consumers who care about more than just the product itself. By living their values, Patagonia has transformed their mission into a powerful movement, inspiring other companies and individuals to prioritize environmental responsibility. Their innovation is not just about creating better products; it’s about creating a better world, and their shared values are the engine of this movement.

Key Insight: Deeply embedded and consistently lived values can be a powerful engine for driving innovation that aligns with a greater purpose, building brand loyalty and societal impact.

Case Study 2: Zappos – Cultivating Customer-Obsessed Innovation Through Core Values

The Challenge: Building a Differentiated Brand in a Competitive E-commerce Market

Zappos, the online shoe and clothing retailer, recognized early on that to stand out in a crowded market, they needed to offer more than just products; they needed to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Their mission statement hinted at this, but it was their ten core values, such as “Deliver WOW Through Service,” “Embrace and Drive Change,” and “Create Fun and A Little Weirdness,” that truly shaped their innovative approach to customer service and company culture.

The Values-Driven Innovation:

Zappos famously empowered its customer service representatives to go above and beyond to delight customers, guided by their core value of “Deliver WOW Through Service.” This led to innovative practices like no time limits on customer calls, surprising customers with free upgrades or gifts, and even helping customers find products from competitors if Zappos didn’t have what they needed. Their value of “Embrace and Drive Change” fostered a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement. Employees were encouraged to suggest new ideas and challenge existing processes. This values-driven culture fueled innovation not just in customer service but also in their supply chain, employee engagement, and overall business model.

The Results:

Zappos’ unwavering commitment to its core values created a legendary customer service reputation and a highly engaged workforce. This, in turn, drove significant customer loyalty and organic growth, ultimately leading to their acquisition by Amazon for over $1 billion. Their story demonstrates how a clear set of shared values, actively lived and integrated into every aspect of the business, can be a powerful differentiator and a catalyst for customer-obsessed innovation, transforming a transactional business into a beloved brand and a thriving movement centered around exceptional service.

Key Insight: Clearly defined and consistently reinforced core values can empower employees to drive customer-centric innovation, leading to exceptional experiences and strong business outcomes.

Igniting Your Own Innovation Movement

As we navigate an era of rapid change and increasing complexity here from our vantage point in Sammamish, the need for organizations to be agile and innovative has never been greater. The journey from mission statement to movement begins with a conscious effort to define, embody, and champion a set of shared values that truly resonate with your people and your purpose. By creating a cultural foundation built on these principles, you can unlock the collective creativity of your organization, foster a sense of shared ownership, and ignite a powerful movement that drives meaningful innovation and lasting impact. It’s time to let your values be the spark that ignites your innovation engine.

Extra Extra: Because innovation is all about change, Braden Kelley’s human-centered change methodology and tools are the best way to plan and execute the changes necessary to support your innovation and transformation efforts — all while literally getting everyone all on the same page for change. Find out more about the methodology and tools, including the book Charting Change by following the link. Be sure and download the TEN FREE TOOLS while you’re here.

Image credit: Unsplash

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The Power of Praise

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The Power of Praise

GUEST POST from Mike Shipulski

Praise happens when you tell someone they did something wonderful. Praise is virtually free and almost the most powerful force in the universe.

When you tell someone what they did was amazing, they stand three inches taller. Right in front of you, they get taller. They grow. They expand. Don’t believe me? Try it. And bring a ruler.

To deliver praise, you must pay attention. You must invest in what’s going on, you must hear what is said, and watch what is done. Congratulations. Though you have yet to deliver praise, you’ve already differentiated yourself. Next, you must compare the behavior against the norms and recognize a difference. Sure, it’s a simple difference calculation, but it’s a calculation that takes attention and caring, which in today’s rat race are in short supply. Now, you must find words the right words to describe the specialness of the behavior-why it’s different and why it matters. Then, you’ve got to deliver it in a way that is worthy of the specialness.

Deliver praise in public and be specific. This person (use their name) did (say what they did) and it’s important because (and say why it is important). And tell people what you think and feel. They (use their name) did (say what they did) and I feel (e.g., happy, excited, proud) because (tell them why you feel as you do). Feel free to steal that script, but if you do, stick to it because it’s a good one.

A rule: If you don’t praise people, you don’t know what you’re doing.

But here’s the thing about praise. If you fake it, you bring about its opposite. When you fake it, people get smaller and they get angry. They get smaller because they know they are being patronized. And they get angry for the same reason. So, a word of caution. If you deliver paise that’s fake, you will lose all credibility with the recipient and anyone in earshot. And it’s such a violation of their dignity, I don’t know a way to resurrect their trust. In short, if you fake it, it’s over for you.

Another rule: If you have the urge to deliver fake praise, don’t.

Praise is powerful, but in today’s environment is almost extinct. It’s not that praise-worthy behavior is uncommon, rather, the time and attention required to recognize and formally acknowledge praise-worthy behavior is uncommon.

If you want to elevate the performance of a team, praise their behavior. And do it in public. Pay attention and praise. Schedule a meeting, buy the pizza, and praise. Be specific, be genuine, and praise.

Yes, you will spend a lot of money on pizza, and, yes, that is the best return on investment in the universe.

“Alex and his lion friend” by Tambako the Jaguar is marked with CC BY-ND 2.0.

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Cultivating a Growth Mindset

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Your Personal Toolkit for Continuous Evolution

Cultivating a Growth Mindset

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In a world defined by constant change, the most valuable skill is not a specific technology or a particular degree—it’s the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn. This capacity for continuous evolution is the very essence of a growth mindset, and it is the single most powerful tool for navigating an unpredictable future. But a growth mindset is not a personality trait you are born with; it is a muscle you must actively cultivate. This article is your personal toolkit for building that muscle and unlocking your full potential.

The concept, popularized by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, contrasts a fixed mindset with a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is the belief that our abilities and intelligence are static and unchangeable. It leads us to avoid challenges, fear failure, and see effort as a sign of weakness. Conversely, a growth mindset is the belief that our abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. It sees challenges as opportunities, failure as a crucial learning moment, and effort as the path to mastery. In today’s dynamic landscape, a fixed mindset is a liability, while a growth mindset is the ultimate catalyst for personal and professional growth.

Cultivating a growth mindset is a deeply personal, human-centered journey. It requires a fundamental shift in how we talk to ourselves, how we view challenges, and how we interact with the world around us. Here’s a practical framework for building your personal toolkit:

Practice Self-Awareness: The first step is to recognize the voice of your fixed mindset. When you face a challenge, do you hear a voice that says, “I can’t do this”? Acknowledge that voice, but don’t let it dictate your actions.
Embrace the “Power of Yet”: Instead of saying “I can’t do this,” reframe it to “I can’t do this… yet.” This simple word transforms a statement of finality into a statement of possibility, reframing a weakness as a temporary skill gap.
Reframe Failure as a Learning Opportunity: View setbacks not as a reflection of your worth, but as invaluable data. Ask yourself: “What did I learn from this? How can I do it better next time?”
Seek Out and Embrace Challenges: Step out of your comfort zone intentionally. Take on a new project, learn a new skill, or tackle a problem that seems beyond your current capabilities. This is where real growth happens.
Learn from Others’ Success: Instead of feeling threatened by the success of others, see it as inspiration. Study their journey, understand their process, and learn from their efforts.

Case Study 1: The Reinvention of an IT Professional

The Challenge: Obsolescence in a Rapidly Changing Field

John, a 20-year veteran in the IT department of a large corporation, had built his career on a specific set of legacy technologies. When the company announced a major shift to cloud computing and DevOps, his initial reaction was fear and resistance. He believed that his skills were becoming obsolete and that he was too old to learn a new, complex field. This fixed mindset led him to avoid training sessions and dismiss the new technology as a “fad,” putting his career in jeopardy.

The Growth Mindset Transformation:

After a frank conversation with his manager, John realized he had to change his perspective. He started by reframing his belief. Instead of “I can’t learn this,” he began to say, “I’m going to start learning this today.” He embraced the “power of yet.” He took online courses, sought out a mentor from a younger team, and even volunteered for a small, non-critical cloud project. He viewed every mistake not as a failure, but as a step in his learning journey. His colleagues noticed his renewed enthusiasm and his willingness to ask questions. He transformed his daily mindset from one of survival to one of learning and curiosity.

The Results:

Within two years, John became a certified cloud architect and a respected resource for his team. His willingness to embrace the new technology not only saved his career but also positioned him as a leader in the department’s transformation. His journey became a powerful case study for the entire organization, proving that a growth mindset is more than a buzzword; it’s a practical, actionable strategy for adapting to change and finding new purpose in a career.

Key Insight: A growth mindset is not limited by age or professional history; it is a choice to engage with a new future rather than retreat from it.

Case Study 2: The Startup Founder and The Failure Pivot

The Challenge: The Pain of a Failed Product Launch

Maria, a talented entrepreneur, poured two years of her life into developing a groundbreaking new SaaS product. After a public and highly anticipated launch, the product failed to gain traction. The market feedback was clear: it solved a problem that customers didn’t feel they had. Maria was devastated. Her initial reaction was to take the failure personally, believing it was a reflection of her inability as a founder. This fixed mindset told her that her idea was flawed and her efforts were wasted.

The Growth Mindset Transformation:

After taking time to process the disappointment, Maria shifted her mindset. Instead of viewing the failure as a dead end, she began to see it as a goldmine of data. She reframed the experience as a “failure pivot.” She brought her team together not to mourn the loss, but to conduct an honest, blameless post-mortem. They meticulously analyzed the customer feedback, interviewing users who didn’t adopt the product to understand their true needs and pain points. They discovered a key insight that was hidden in plain sight, which had been overshadowed by their original vision. They learned that the market needed a solution for a different, yet related, problem.

The Results:

Using the data and insights from their “failed” launch, Maria and her team made a strategic pivot. They built a new product that addressed the newly discovered, deeply felt market need. The lessons learned from the first failure allowed them to build a better, more focused product on their second attempt. This time, the product was a resounding success, and the company quickly grew to profitability. Maria’s story became an integral part of her company’s culture, celebrated as a testament to the power of embracing failure as a critical step on the path to success.

Key Insight: The growth mindset turns the emotional pain of failure into the strategic fuel for future innovation and success.

Your Toolkit in Action: The Path to Mastery

A growth mindset is the foundation of human-centered change. It empowers individuals to adapt, to learn, and to thrive in the face of uncertainty. The toolkit I’ve outlined is not a one-time fix but a daily practice. It requires consistent effort and a willingness to be vulnerable. But the rewards are immeasurable. You’ll find yourself approaching challenges with a sense of excitement rather than dread, you’ll see criticism as a gift rather than a judgment, and you’ll find a deep, lasting satisfaction in the process of continuous learning and improvement. The world is changing faster than ever before. Your greatest asset is your ability to change with it. Start building your toolkit today. The journey of continuous evolution is waiting for you.

Image credit: Pexels

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Four Things You Need to Succeed in The Good Place

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Four Things You Need to Succeed in The Good Place

GUEST POST from Robyn Bolton

You have, no doubt, seen the design squiggle. The ubiquitous scribble is all loopy and knotty in the beginning until it finally sorts itself into a straight line by the end.

It illustrates the design process – “the journey of researching, uncovering insights, generating creative concepts, iteration of prototypes and eventually concluding in one single designed solution” – and its elegant simplicity has led it to be adopted by all sorts of other disciplines, including innovation.

But when I showed it to a client, her immediate response was, “It’s Jeremy Bearimy!”*

Wha????

And that is how I discovered The Good Place, a sitcom about four humans who die, go to The Good Place, and struggle to learn what it means to be good.

The show, created by Michael Schur of The Office and Parks and Recreation fame, is a brilliant treatise on ethics and moral philosophy. It also contains valuable wisdom about what innovators need to succeed.

Questions

With all due respect, “It’s the way it’s always been done” is an excuse that’s been used for hundreds of years to justify racism, misogyny…

Tahani Al-Jamil

This quote was a gut punch from the show’s fourth and final season. As innovators, we often hear people ask why change is needed. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” they proclaim.

But sometimes it is broke, and we don’t know it. At the very least, it can always be better.

So, while “it’s the way it’s always been done” at your company probably (hopefully) doesn’t include racism, misogyny, sexism, and other genuinely horrible things, framing the status quo as an enabler of those horrors is a harsh wake-up call to the dangers of an unquestioning commitment to continuing to do things the way they’ve always been done.

Decisions (not just Ideas)

If you’re always frozen in fear and taking too long to figure out what to do, you’ll miss your opportunity, and maybe get sucked into the propeller of a swamp boat.

Jason Mendoza

Even though Jason Mendoza is the resident idiot of The Good Place, he occasionally (and very accidentally) has moments of profound insight. This one to a situation that innovators are all too familiar with – analysis paralysis.

How often do requests for more data, more (or more relevant) benchmarks, or input from more people slow down decisions and progress? These requests are rarely rooted in doubt about the data, benchmarks, or information you presented. They are rooted in fear – the fear of making the wrong decision, being blamed or shamed, and losing a reputation or even a job.

But worse than being wrong, blamed, shamed, or unemployed is missing an opportunity to radically improve your business, team, or even the world. It’s the business equivalent of getting sucked into the propeller of a swamp boat.

Actions (not just decisions)

In football, trying to run out the clock and hoping for the best never works. It’s called “prevent defense.” You don’t take any chances and just try and hold on to your lead. But prevent defense just PREVENTS you from winning! It’s always better to try something.

Jason Mendoza

Jason does it again, this time invoking a lesson learned from his beloved Jacksonville Jaguars.

Few companies publicly admit to adopting a prevent defense, even though most companies engage in it. They play prevent defense when they don’t invest in innovation, focus exclusively on maintaining or incrementally improving what they currently do, or confine their innovation efforts to events like hackathons and shark tanks.

Incremental improvements and innovation theater keep you competitive. But they won’t get you ahead of the competition or make you a leader in your industry. In fact, they prevent it by making you feel good and safe when you’re really just running out the clock.

Perseverance

Come on, you know how this works. You fail and then you try something else. And you fail again and again, and you fail a thousand times, and you keep trying because maybe the 1,001st idea might work. Now, I’m gonna and try to find our 1,001st idea.

Michael

It’s hard to explain this quote without sharing massive spoilers, so let’s just say that The Good Place is an experiment that fails. A lot.

But it’s also an experiment that generates profound learning and universe-altering changes, things that would not have been possible without the failures.

Yes, smart innovators know when to kill a project. They also know when to try one more time. Wise innovators know the difference.

One final bit of wisdom

Innovation is hard. You will run into more resistance than expected, and things will rarely work out as planned. As long as you keep trying and learning, you won’t fail.

To paraphrase Jason Mendoza (again), you’re not a failed innovator, you’re pre-successful.

*For those of you who are, like I was, unfamiliar with Jeremy Bearimy, here’s a clip explaining it (WARNING: SPOILERS)

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Rethinking Work for Human Flourishing

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The Four-Day Week and Beyond

Rethinking Work for Human Flourishing

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

The pandemic has forced a global reckoning with how, where, and why we work. As we emerge into a new era, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to not just return to “normal,” but to innovate the very fabric of our professional lives. The four-day week is not a radical luxury—it is a logical evolution toward a more productive, sustainable, and human-centric future.

For over a century, the five-day, forty-hour work week has been the unquestioned standard. Born out of the industrial revolution, it was designed for an economy based on manual labor and factory schedules. But our world has changed. The economy is increasingly driven by knowledge work, creativity, and problem-solving, all of which are fueled by focus, well-being, and sustained energy—not by simply clocking more hours.

The traditional model is no longer serving us. We see this in the rising rates of burnout, the struggle to maintain work-life balance, and the persistent feeling that we are always “on.” This isn’t just a humanitarian issue; it’s an innovation problem. Burnout is the enemy of creativity, and exhaustion is the antithesis of a proactive, innovative culture. As a result, businesses are leaving a tremendous amount of potential on the table.

The four-day week, often implemented as a compressed work week (working the same hours in fewer days) or a true reduction in hours with no loss of pay, is emerging as a powerful antidote. It is a human-centered change that is fundamentally redefining the relationship between time, productivity, and personal well-being. And it’s proving to be a catalyst for a deeper organizational innovation in how we manage our time, our teams, and our goals. The core idea is simple yet transformative: focus on outputs, not hours. By granting employees an extra day for rest, rejuvenation, and personal pursuits, we are not just giving them a benefit; we are making an investment in their capacity for future innovation.

Case Study 1: The Icelandic Experiment

The Challenge: Public Sector Burnout and Stagnant Productivity

In the public sector in Iceland, the long-standing five-day work week was taking a toll on employee well-being. Burnout was common, and a rigid, traditional structure was stifling innovation and engagement.

The Innovation: A Large-Scale National Pilot

From 2015 to 2019, the Icelandic government, in collaboration with city councils, conducted one of the world’s most extensive trials of a four-day week. Over 2,500 public sector workers—from offices to schools to hospitals—voluntarily shifted from a 40-hour to a 35-36 hour work week with no reduction in pay. The goal was to test whether reduced hours could lead to improved well-being without sacrificing service quality or productivity.

The Results:

The results were unequivocally positive. Researchers found a dramatic increase in employee well-being, with employees reporting lower stress and burnout, and a greater sense of work-life balance. Crucially, the pilot found that productivity and service provision either remained the same or improved across most workplaces. The success of the trial led to Icelandic unions negotiating new work patterns, and as a result, over 86% of the country’s working population now has either a shorter work week or the right to negotiate for one. This large-scale, national-level change demonstrates the viability and broad appeal of the four-day week.

Key Insight: The four-day week is a viable model for improving employee well-being and productivity, even in complex, service-oriented sectors.

Case Study 2: Perpetual Guardian, a Private Sector Pioneer

The Challenge: Low Employee Engagement and Stagnant Performance

Perpetual Guardian, a New Zealand-based financial services company, was grappling with low employee engagement and a feeling that its workforce was consistently overworked and underappreciated within the traditional five-day structure.

The Innovation: The “100-80-100” Model

In 2018, Perpetual Guardian conducted a six-week trial of a four-day week for its entire staff. The model they used was innovative: the “100-80-100” approach, which meant employees were paid 100% of their salary for working 80% of their time, while maintaining 100% of their productivity. The key to the trial’s success was empowering teams to find their own solutions for becoming more efficient. This led to a range of creative innovations, such as shorter meetings, more focused communication, and a collective commitment to eliminate time-wasting activities.

The Results:

The results were groundbreaking. The study found a remarkable 24% increase in employee engagement. Employees reported a better work-life balance, a reduction in stress, and an improved sense of purpose. Crucially, productivity levels either remained the same or saw a slight increase, as the teams had become more efficient in their shortened work week. Following the successful trial, the company made the policy permanent, becoming a global benchmark for the private sector’s adoption of the four-day week.

Key Insight: By empowering employees to find their own path to efficiency, the four-day week can become a catalyst for bottom-up innovation in how work gets done.

Rethinking Work for a Thriving Future

The success of these case studies and many others is forcing us to confront a fundamental question: Is the five-day work week a truly effective model, or simply an outdated tradition? The evidence is mounting that it is the latter. A three-day weekend provides more than just a day off; it offers time for rest, family, hobbies, learning, and civic engagement. These activities are not a distraction from work; they are essential for cultivating the creativity, resilience, and perspective that fuel true innovation.

Beyond the four-day week, this movement represents a larger shift toward human-centered work design. It’s about questioning long-held assumptions and innovating new systems that prioritize well-being and performance equally. It’s about moving from a culture of busyness to a culture of strategic focus. It’s about trusting our people to manage their time and empowering them with the flexibility they need to do their best work.

The companies that will win in the future are not those that demand more hours, but those that foster an environment where employees can be more productive, more creative, and more fulfilled. The four-day week is not the end of the conversation, but a powerful beginning. It’s a bold first step toward a future where our work is not just a source of income, but a source of genuine human flourishing.

Image credit: Pexels

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People Cannot Work Forever

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People Cannot Work Forever

GUEST POST from Mike Shipulski

When cars run out of gas, they can no longer get the job done until their tanks are filled up. And it’s the same with people, except people are asked to keep on truckin’ even though their tanks are empty.

When machines are used for a certain number of hours, they are supposed to be given rest and routine maintenance. If the maintenance isn’t completed as defined in the operator’s manual, the warranty is voided.

Maybe we could create a maintenance schedule for people. And if it’s not done, we could be okay with reduced performance, like with a machine. And when the scheduled maintenance isn’t performed on time, maybe we could blame the person who prevented it from happening.

If your lawnmower could tell you when you were using it in a way that would cause it damage, would you listen and change your behavior? How about if a person said a similar thing to you? To which one would you show more compassion?

When your car’s check engine light comes on, would you pretend you don’t see it or would you think that the car is being less than truthful? What if a person tells you their body is throwing a warning light because of how you’re driving them? Would you believe them or stomp on the accelerator?

We expect our machines to wear out and need refurbishment. We expect our cars to run out of gas if we don’t add fuel. We expect our lawnmowers to stall if we try to mow grass that’s two feet tall. We expect that their capacities and capabilities are finite. Maybe we can keep all this in mind when we set expectations for our people.

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The Narrative Advantage

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How Storytelling Fuels Innovation Adoption

The Narrative Advantage

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

My work centers on understanding how human beings embrace and drive change. In this pursuit, I’ve consistently found that logic and data, while essential, often fall short of igniting true transformation. What truly captures hearts and minds, what bridges the gap between a novel idea and widespread adoption, is the power of story. Today, I want to explore The Narrative Advantage: How Storytelling Fuels Innovation Adoption.

We are wired for stories. From ancient cave paintings to modern-day blockbusters, narratives have been the primary vehicle for transmitting knowledge, building connections, and inspiring action. Innovation, at its core, represents a change from the familiar. To overcome the inherent resistance to the new, we must frame our innovations not just as solutions, but as compelling stories that resonate with human needs, desires, and aspirations.

Beyond Features and Benefits: The Emotional Connection

Too often, we launch innovations by focusing on technical specifications, features, and benefits. While this information is important, it primarily appeals to the rational mind. Adoption, however, is often an emotional decision. People need to see themselves within the innovation’s narrative, to understand how it will impact their lives, solve their problems, or fulfill their ambitions on a personal level.

Storytelling allows us to create this emotional connection. A well-crafted narrative can:

Build Empathy: By sharing stories of real people whose lives have been improved by the innovation, we foster empathy and make the abstract tangible.
Create Understanding: Complex technologies become more accessible and understandable when woven into a relatable narrative.
Inspire Action: Compelling stories can ignite passion and motivate individuals to embrace the new.
Foster Trust: Authentic and transparent storytelling builds trust in the innovation and the organization behind it.
Drive Advocacy: People who connect with an innovation’s story are more likely to become advocates, spreading the word and encouraging adoption.

Case Study 1: The Little Blue Elephant That Could – Democratizing Data with a Human Touch

Consider the challenge of introducing sophisticated data analytics tools to teams that have traditionally relied on intuition or basic spreadsheets. The technology might offer immense potential for improved decision-making and efficiency, but the learning curve and perceived complexity can be significant barriers to adoption.

One company I worked with faced this exact scenario. Their new data platform, while technically brilliant, was met with lukewarm reception. Teams felt overwhelmed by the dashboards and the sheer volume of information. That’s when we shifted our approach to emphasize storytelling.

Instead of bombarding teams with technical manuals, we developed a series of “day-in-the-life” stories featuring individuals from different departments. We created a fictional persona, “Eleanor the Analyst” (represented internally by a small blue elephant plush toy – a memorable visual anchor). Each story showcased Eleanor using the new platform to overcome a specific challenge her team faced – optimizing marketing campaigns, streamlining supply chain issues, or improving customer service.

These weren’t dry use cases; they were narratives with relatable characters, clear challenges, and triumphant resolutions, all made possible by the new data platform. We focused on the “how it felt” for Eleanor and her team – the sense of empowerment, the clarity gained, the time saved.

The Narrative Advantage in Action: By personifying the technology and illustrating its impact through engaging stories, we made the abstract concrete and the complex accessible. The little blue elephant became a symbol of data-driven success. Adoption rates soared as teams began to see themselves as the protagonist in similar success stories. The narrative shifted from “a complicated new tool we have to learn” to “a powerful ally that can help us achieve our goals.”

Case Study 2: The Silent Guardian – Building Trust in Autonomous Vehicles Through Transparent Storytelling

The advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs) presents a paradigm shift in transportation. The technology promises increased safety, efficiency, and accessibility. However, it also evokes anxieties related to trust, control, and the unknown. Overcoming this resistance is crucial for widespread adoption.

One leading AV developer understood that simply showcasing the technology’s capabilities wouldn’t be enough. They recognized the need to build a narrative of safety and reliability. Their approach centered on transparent storytelling that addressed public concerns head-on.

They created a series of short videos and blog posts that went behind the scenes of their rigorous testing processes. They featured the engineers and safety experts who were meticulously designing and validating the AV software and hardware. They shared stories of the countless simulations and real-world trials their vehicles underwent, highlighting the redundancies and fail-safe mechanisms built into the system.

Crucially, they also addressed potential failure scenarios openly and honestly, explaining how the AV system was designed to respond safely in unexpected situations. They didn’t shy away from the complexities but rather sought to demystify them through clear and accessible language.

The Narrative Advantage in Action: By telling the story of their meticulous development process, their commitment to safety, and their proactive approach to addressing potential risks, this AV developer built a narrative of trust and reliability. This transparency helped to alleviate public anxieties and fostered a greater sense of confidence in the technology. The narrative shifted from “a potentially dangerous robot car” to “a carefully engineered and rigorously tested silent guardian.”

Crafting Your Innovation Narrative

Developing a compelling innovation narrative requires more than just telling a story; it demands strategic thinking and a deep understanding of your audience. Consider these elements:

Identify Your Protagonist: Who is the hero of your story? Often, it’s the user whose problem is being solved or whose life is being improved.
Define the Challenge: What problem or pain point does your innovation address? Make it relatable and emotionally resonant.
Present Your Innovation as the Guide: How does your innovation help the protagonist overcome their challenge and achieve their goal?
Illustrate the Transformation: What does the “happily ever after” look like? How will the protagonist’s life or work be better because of your innovation?
Maintain Authenticity: Your story must be genuine and believable. Avoid hyperbole and focus on the real impact of your innovation.

In conclusion, in a world saturated with information, stories cut through the noise and forge meaningful connections. By harnessing the power of narrative, we can transform innovative ideas from abstract concepts into compelling realities that people understand, trust, and ultimately adopt. The narrative advantage isn’t a marketing afterthought; it’s the very foundation upon which successful innovation adoption is built. So, let us ask ourselves not just what our innovation does, but what story it tells. For it is in that story that we will find the key to unlocking widespread embrace and realizing the full potential of our creations.

Image credit: Pexels

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6 Ways to Create Trust with Your Employees

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6 Ways to Create Trust with Your Employees

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

Last week I wrote an article, 4 Ways to Create Trust with Your Customers. I don’t think anyone would argue (and the stats prove it) that a customer who trusts you is more likely to do more business with you. After all, why would they want to risk doing business elsewhere?

Well, it’s the same for employees. With so many employment issues today, it’s more important than ever to get and keep good employees. One of the crucial areas that can drive employee retention is trust. Just like customers, if employees don’t trust you, they may eventually leave for a competitor. And in the world of employee retention, a competitor is any other company that offers employment opportunities.

With that in mind, here are six ways to build trust with your employees.

1. Listen to your employees. Ask them for feedback. Frontline employees often have a better opportunity to know what customers think and say about you than anyone else in the company. Listen to them. And many employees have suggestions about processes and systems that can be improved. Creating an easy way for employees to share feedback and make suggestions can be a powerful way to improve the experience—for both customers and the employees themselves.

2. Act on the feedback and insights employees share with you. If you ask your employees for their feedback and insights and do nothing with it, employees eventually resent that they took the time to offer up their ideas and suggestions. And at some point, they will see it as a futile effort and waste of time, even if what they share with you is important. Employees often provide even more valuable feedback than customers. So, even if you choose not to use their suggestions, at least acknowledge their effort, express appreciation and let them know why.

3. Make sure leadership and management are accessible. If there is a metaphorical wall between employees and leadership, employees will always feel like they are on the outside. And if they feel like outsiders, any organization that may make them feel more included and appreciated could be the next place your employee—who you thought was happy—ends up working. There are different ways to go about this. An open-door policy is not always realistic. As an alternative, consider having “office hours”—a special time each week when employees can make an appointment. The point is that it needs to be easy for employees to connect with their managers, supervisors, and leadership.

4. Get out of the office and mingle with “the people.” If the only time employees see management or leadership is when there are problems, then the sight of them will create a level of fear and tension. Years ago, I read Tom Peter’s strategy he referred to as MBWA, Management by Wandering Around. The idea is that employees would not fear the sight of management, because they become used to seeing their bosses and leaders walking around. If a manager shows up just to point out problems or criticize, employees will always have concern whenever they see a manager or leader walking anywhere near them. The goal is to achieve trust, not fear.

5. Trust employees to do the jobs you hired them to do. If you hire good people and train them well, let them do their jobs. If employees feel like they are always being watched, scrutinized for their work and not being allowed to make the decisions you hired them to make, they will feel unfulfilled and frustrated. This is “Empowerment 101.”

6. Treat employees the way you want the customer to be treated. I refer to this as The Employee Golden Rule. You can’t expect employees to behave toward customers and each other in a way that’s different—as in better—than the way they are treated by their managers and leaders. Your actions and attitude toward your employees must be congruent with how you want them to treat your customers. You can’t invite them to your office, yell at them and then them, “Now go out there and be nice to our customers.”

What’s happening on the inside of the organization is felt on the outside by customers. To create the best customer experience, you must create a similar employee experience, if not even better. While there are many components that go into creating a great culture for an organization, trust is one of the essentials. Without it, you can’t expect to get and keep your best employees.

This article originally appeared on Forbes

Image Credit: Shep Hyken

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