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Why Innovations Fail.

4/30/2013

4 Comments

 
“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives”  -- William James

In my work with over 75 communities across North America, on achieving transformative results on issues ranging from educational outcomes to poverty reduction to economic development, I've come to see that at the very heart of success there are just two interrelated and mutually dependent, elements: the need to change expectations or the "inner attitudes" in James' phrasing and the need to work differently, to innovate.  The beauty is that these changes, when embraced, can reinforce each other in a virtuous cycle of improvement.  

Expectations define and shape the context or ecosystem wherein an innovation takes root or is starved for resources.  Let's take for example, a transformation in expectations that I have seen in our working differently communities in the last few years.  The new "inner attitude" by growing parts of the community is that ALL children can/should succeed in school.  The old standard or expectation was: when a child failed it was seen as their fault (or the fault of their parents, or the fault of their circumstances, i.e., poverty or race).  All of the prior "innovations" were in interventions believed required to address the child's failings, and all of the rest of the adults went on as business as usual.  

"We don't have a kid problem.  We have an adult problem."  -- Bill Millikan founder of Community in Schools on receiving a life-time achievement award at the ASU Education Innovation Summit (4-17-13)

Instead, when we change the expectation to ALL children can succeed, the innovations concentrate on what the adults are failing to accomplish, or how the system needs to support these adults in deeper richer ways, so that the system meets the expectation -- all of the children do in fact achieve outcomes.   This shift in expectations, has a profound shift in the ecosystem which in turn directly affects the success of innovations. 

Failure of Innovation, whether a new high tech application available in the itunes store or a community process, has three possible henchmen.   All of which are directly influenced by expectations and in turn reinforces or undermines that ecosystem. 

1.  Knowledge
2.  Design and Engineering
3.  Adoption and use

Failure of knowledge is striking for how prevalent it is.  We have a fanciful image of the innovator as the lone dreamer.  Sitting in contemplation until the "eureka" moment, where often proof is in the assertion of correctness.  There have been huge waves of wasted effort across all of our institutions and communities based on ideology or philosophy rather than rigorous investigation.  It is incumbent on all of us to be much more critical about the next "shiny object" before we fall head over heals in pursuit.  A good rule from scientific research: if it sounds intuitive, it's probably wrong.  

The first of the Seven Habits of Highly Successful Communities is to "reach for it."  We must change our "inner attitudes," so we can change the outer aspects of our lives.  For without this focus on context, most innovations will fail. We must be clear as to what needs to change (be accomplished) and how will we know (measure) whether the innovation is moving us in the direction of our expectations.  

These observations are "with thanks" to James Shelton, Deputy Secretary US Department of Education, adapted in part from his keynote at the recent ASU Education Innovation Summit.
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4 Comments
George R. Espada
4/30/2013 08:59:00 am

Dear Sir..The issue with Innovation is that no one comprehends all the levels of Innovation..Therefore in my view it is all a guessing game. Which means it is unadoptable and not implementable..You use a lot public sector definitions that are very confusing..If you want to convey your arguments you need clarity..Sir..no one I know seeks to understand innovation and it is discouraged by all who do not want to work for change. That is why we a have massive Federal
unmanageable Fiscal mess on our hands. If you know that you are
headed in the wrong direction, change direction, innovation permits
change...George R. Espada, Excalibur Media Productions, LLC

Reply
Jay link
4/30/2013 09:31:02 am

Hi George:

Thank you for commenting. I agree that innovation -- especially as it plays out in different sectors -- is complex. But I'm not sure its a "guessing game." Where it is "unadoptable or not implementable" is, I believe, as much about understanding context as genius.

I also agree that innovation is discouraged by all those who do not want to work for change, that was why I talked about the expectations or ecosystem wherein an innovation is applied.

I don't see the straight line you draw to fiscal mess. I think that too is much more about our expectations -- if we don't expect our policy leaders to come to grips what the desired outcomes are and how to broaden the frame then we won't change direction -- failure to achieve outcomes is far more costly than the status quo.

Again, thanks for pushing for more clarity. That is essential to any change.

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Jay link
4/30/2013 09:35:06 am

Correction on my last paragraph of the above reply: I meant to say that achieving outcomes is far less costly than the status quo. Perhaps that is where we have best chance for alignment, George.

Best,

Jay

check my essay can review your essay link
3/13/2018 05:17:00 am

sometimes they say that for some kind of discoveries or technologies their time has simply not come, I'm sure that there is a time for design too

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    Jay Connor.  In working with over 75 communities in North America, I came to a growing recognition of the need to develop evidence-based tools in order to achieve transformative outcomes in our community systems – most notably education.  This is a driving consideration in my work and in this blog. 

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