The corporate innovation paradox

Have you ever experienced tensions between the innovation function and other parts of the organisation?

When one rejects the ideas and suggestions of the other?

It is a classic corporate innovation paradox:

Be different.

But not too different, because we reject you for being too alien.

Be similar.

But not too similar, because we reject you for being too alike.

I've seen this happen again, and again, even in most cooperative and collaborative environments.

That's why every innovation system must be unique, born and bred withing the organisation, iterated through real trials and tribulations. Then ownerhsip is real, and that fine middle path is not just cognitively understood but actually grounded in shared lived experience.

And there are no shortcuts for that.

In the Managing the Emotional Challenges of Structural Ambidexterity paper, Timo Vuori & Michael Tushman surface four specific hostilities that emerge between the organisational functions as well as five moves one can do to relax and release them:

Our theoretical model shows how ambidextrous structures create four tensions:

1. Senior team’s inconsistent strategic agendas and frustration
2. Board of Directors’ wariness toward the unknown
3. Inter-unit inconsistency and hostile emotions
4. Exploration vs. top management team asymmetric emotional commitment to uncertain initiatives

And five solutions that start from structural and move toward psychological--you need all of them:

1. Bring the future closer
2. Expand firm identity
3. Increase discipline in exploration
4. Self-awareness
5. Empathy

The article is well worth a read if you are into corporate innovation.