How conventional wisdom hampers innovation
The capacity for a team to look at a complex problem and figure out a novel solution requires effective collaboration coupled with creativity.
For many large organisations sticking to conventions, category /product norms and classic marketing playbooks are barriers to creative problem solving.
What made an organisation successful in the past gets written in stone: ways of working, how the business model works, the marketing and category playbook, customer service guidelines, etc.
While these models and rules of thumb are great for managing day-to-day business and optimising productivity, they hold back creative problem-solving and the ability to respond to rapidly changing circumstances.
If we think of emerging startups from fintech to food, they have no history, so they are not held back by conventions. Consequently, they naturally break the norms of a sector without a second thought.
A recent news story on the BBC highlighted how the Michelin-star restaurant Pied a Terre have pivoted to home delivery. This service model is not in the fine-dining playbook — it was the very opposite of fine-dining 'rules' — but the pandemic forced them to challenge conventional wisdom and respond to the newly created demand. While Pied a Terre realise that most people will return to restaurants when they reopen, they see a continued role for a home delivery service, something previously not on their radar.
Ask three simple questions to break conventions
So what does it take to challenge the norms and conventions in your business?
Deliberately plan time — as part of your cycle of business meetings — for people with different views and perspectives to come together to challenge the norms and status quo.
Pose three questions.
What do we need to start doing?
What do we need to stop doing?
What do we continue doing?
It is likely that something has changed in the external environment post-pandemic that has shifted consumer attitudes and behaviours, or a trend or new technology is gaining momentum, which requires action. It may mean that things you did that were important in the past may no longer be relevant or valued by the customer today. However, it is also essential to recognise those aspects of your brand or service that remain strong and are valued.
How we pivoted during Covid
At the start of Covid, we switched from in-person consumer co-creation to an online environment to help clients maintain their innovation momentum. We previously hadn't done this, given our proven methods for running collaborative design workshops with consumers. While there are some things we can't do in the online world, the approach opened up other possibilities, such as quickly running panels in multiple European countries and different types of creative consumer engagement.
The result: by challenging conventions we helped our clients maintain their innovation momentum, and added some new tools to our innovation toolbox.
To sum up:
If you make time to ask these questions, you will encourage and make it safe for people to challenge the status quo.
The benefit? Your business will become more responsive to changing customer needs and external circumstances.