Why Disruption is Not Just About Innovation?

May 16, 2012


Source: Dilbert.com

In ProVoke, we talk about disruption as the necessary element in order to innovate. I think we all agree that major innovation has happened because we have not accepted status quo, but have punctured it, taken risk and created what was deemed to be impossible. Look around you, everything that you see at some point had someone say “that is just impossible!”, “it will never happen”! And yet we have innovated beyond belief and continue to do so.

However, the discussion is not limited to technology alone. Disruption is the key to change and evolve all processes and situations. In any aspect of our life, we get set in doing things a certain way. We become good at it. We become comfortable. Eventually, we get so set in our ways or a way of doing business, that we resist change because we believe that things cannot change.

This applies to business processes, how companies are run, policies and politics. Nothing can evolve unless we recognize everything can and must change at some point.

I recently had a business discussion with a group who told me this is how business is done in our country! It was a deadend statement not inviting any input. Of course, their business model can not change IF they are dead set in believing that it cannot change. Turns out, the business model has to change or else it will fail. It is only a matter of time.

Flexibility in attitude and determination is key to recognize that everything around us is going to be disrupted and will change at some point. Resistance may prolong the process a bit but change will come. The wise approach I have learned is to be flexible and not so dead set in our ways to make the change so painful. Look at everything as if it were fluid and not made of cement. Barriers in communication are formed when one party believes their way is the right way, no matter what that is.

In global business there are cultural differences. These are simply differences not barriers. When I do business in China, India or South America, if we are focused on the end goal in mind, we can succeed. Barriers that are set by us can also be removed by us, independent of cultural differences. In ProVoke, I talk about global disruption and innovation. I firmly believe that global is local in today’s world. To succeed we all have to be flexible.

Would love to hear your thoughts. I am learning each day that to evolve I have to allow things around me to be disrupted and that mindful disruption is the key to progress. You?

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