Encouraging Innovation During Change Processes

The workplace change process isn’t just about redesigning space; it’s about using the process to redesign how people connect. The discovery process for workplace change is an opportunity to: 🔥 Build Empathy – Employees share experiences about what they need to do their best work, wherever they are working. 🔥 Drive Innovation – Employees engage in conversations about improving systems and processes, which can lead to reduced friction and improved productivity. 🔥 Strengthen Culture – A workplace designed with employees leads to stronger engagement and ownership of the resulting space. When organizations treat workplace change as a dialogue rather than a directive, they create spaces that don’t just house people—they support them. The process itself becomes a tool for building empathy, driving innovation, strengthening culture, and shaping a workplace that reflects how people actually work today. I recently read a great piece by Eoin Higgins on the rise of hospitality-like workplace amenities. He made key points I want to expand on—because employees, not designers, architects, facilities teams, or HR, should define what best serves them. To engage employees, try this structured discussion in small groups (3-4 people). Each question gets 8 minutes (total of 24 minutes). Have participants write their answers silently for one minute, then take turns sharing (1 minute each). The group selects a top idea from each person’s list to report out. Active Contribution vs. Passive Consumption – What ways of working encourage shared ownership of work, policies, processes, technology, and space? Friction as Meaningful Work – Oliver Burkeman suggests challenges create meaning. If friction were seen as valuable rather than something to eliminate, what would you want more (or less) of in your work? Engagement Beyond Perks – True engagement comes from purpose and shared endeavor. How do you connect with our organization’s purpose and others? What would improve engagement for you? These discussions will inform design decisions and foster ownership of outcomes. Research shows early employee participation increases adoption and support of workplace changes - and also builds connections, strengthening culture. Caveat: Don’t ask if you won’t listen—nothing frustrates employees more. Images by Josef Chalat of people sitting in a circle having a conversation (illustration of a facilitation method called "fishbowl").

5 Design Thinking Questions That Transform Change Management Change management often focuses on processes and timelines, but design thinking brings human experience to the forefront. Here's how five essential questions can revolutionize your approach: 1. What's the lived experience of this change? Beyond the organizational chart lies daily reality. Consider: -How does this change affect daily routines and workflows? -What invisible pain points might emerge? -Which comfort zones are we disrupting? 📋 Quick Assessment: Shadow team members to document workflows and identify disruption points. 2. Where are the emotional touchpoints? Change triggers emotional responses that can make or break implementation: -Which moments might trigger anxiety or resistance? -What current sources of pride need preservation? -How can we create positive emotional anchors? 📋 Quick Assessment: Create an emotion map tracking key transition moments. 3. What solutions would users design? The best insights come from those closest to the work: -How would employees modify the change if they were in charge? -What workarounds have people already created? -Which aspects do people most want to preserve? 📋 Quick Assessment: Host solution-storming sessions where teams sketch their ideal future. 4. How can we prototype this change? Small-scale experiments reduce risk and build confidence: -Which aspects can we test in a limited environment? -How might we create safe spaces to practice new behaviors? -What quick wins could demonstrate early value? 📋 Quick Assessment: Identify three elements to pilot within 30 days. 5. What feedback loops will drive iteration? Continuous improvement requires structured listening: -How will we gather real-time feedback? -What metrics will tell us if the change is working? -How can we make adjustments transparent? 📋 Quick Assessment: Design a feedback system combining metrics and insights. 🔑 Key Takeaway: Effective change management isn't about perfect plans—it's about creating human-centered processes that evolve through continuous learning. #ChangeManagement #DesignThinking #Leadership #Innovation

Leverage Change Champions to Drive Transformation!!!! Having partnered with dozens of companies in their transformation journey, there is one tool I leverage every time: the Law of Diffusion of Innovation — a concept popularized by Simon Sinek, but rooted in the 1960s work of social scientist Everett Rogers. According to Rogers’ theory, people fall into five categories when it comes to adopting new ideas: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards. Understanding this adoption curve is crucial when implementing change in any organization. Here are some ideas on how you can leverage this concept to help propel your transformation efforts: 🔹 Find Your Innovators and Early Adopters Innovators and Early Adopters are your biggest allies in any transformation. They’re the people who love experimenting, are open to risk, and see the potential in new ways of working. By involving them early on, you create a network of advocates who will help build credibility and generate excitement about the changes you’re introducing. 🔹 Empower Your Change Champions Once you’ve identified these champions, empower them with the tools, information, and resources they need to influence others. Invite them into strategy sessions, involve them in decision-making, and give them visibility so others see their commitment. When they feel ownership, they’re more likely to share their passion with their peers, making change feel less “top-down.” 🔹 Create Momentum with the Early Majority The Early Majority wants to see evidence that it works before they commit to a change. Use your change champions to demonstrate tangible benefits and share real-life success stories. This group will often follow once they see the new way working for others, so equip your champions to provide proof and support at every step. 🔹 Respect the Late Majority and Laggards Not everyone will be enthusiastic about change, and that’s okay. By building a strong foundation with the Innovators and Early Adopters, you create a natural pull that eventually brings the Late Majority and Laggards on board at their own pace. Change is often a slow process, but by understanding where people stand on the adoption curve and meeting them there, you can create sustainable momentum — one person at a time. #OperationalExcellence #BusinessTransformation #ContinuousImprovement #lean #leansixsigma #CEO #transformation #leadershp #scientificthinking #CultureShift #BusinessSystem #Flywheel #leantransformation #organizationalreadiness #leantransformation #acilconsulting #respectforpeople #kaizen #tps #agile #leaders #change Lisa Williams, Dr. Keith A. Clinkscales, eMBA, LSS BB, Adam B. Schreiber Ashley Gatewood, Joseph Paris, Anthony Brunshtein, William Parker, Ruben Del Toro, MBA, PMP, MBB, LaShonda Carson SPC6, RTE, LPM, CSP, CAL I, ICP-ACC, Prosci, Priya Anand, Ramya Venkataraman, Mike Rother, Jeffrey Liker, Patrick Adams

5 ways to foster innovation and creativity like a leader, not a manager. Managers guard the past. Leaders build the future. Here’s how to unlock creativity on your team — and keep it flowing: 1. Stop Rewarding Only the Right Answers ↳ When bold ideas get shut down, so does innovation. ↳ “Not quite” kills more creativity than failure ever will. ✅ Reward the risk, not just the result → “That didn’t work, but I love the risk you took.” → “What can we learn from it?” Failure isn’t the enemy — it’s fuel. 2. Create Space for Creative Thinking ↳ No one innovates between back-to-back meetings. ✅ Schedule white space → Try “No Agenda Time” or “If Budget Didn’t Matter” sessions → Ask bold, hypothetical questions that open minds -> Gmail came from Google’s 20% time -> Post-its were born from 3M’s 15% rule Innovation needs room to breathe. 3. Build a “Yes, And” Culture ↳ “No, but…” ends the conversation ↳ “Yes, and…” expands the possibility ✅ Respond to ideas by building on them → “That’s interesting. What else can we add?” → “Who else can we bring into this?” Managers filter. Leaders fuel. 4. Celebrate the Process, Not Just the Win ↳ Too many teams only celebrate results. ↳ But the magic is in the journey. ✅ Highlight experiments, not just outcomes → “What did we learn?” → “What’s worth repeating?” Progress deserves praise — even when it’s messy. 5. Invite Cross-Team Collaboration ↳ Innovation doesn’t follow the org chart. ↳ Silos kill creativity. ✅ Bring in voices from outside the usual crew → “Let’s loop in someone from marketing/product/ops.” → “What would a customer say?” New perspectives = new possibilities. One guards the old way. The other creates the next way. Because leadership isn’t a title — it’s a fire. We have the opportunity to ignite, in ourselves and others. Lead. Inspire. Achieve. Ignite it. 💯🔥 ♻️ Repost to help other managers build creative cultures 🔔 Follow Dwight Braswell, MBA for leadership strategies that spark action 👉 Grab the Complete Leader Package: 200+ team questions, exercises, & culture tools https://lnkd.in/gmYczQHh

Far too often, I see leaders and companies move on from innovation, believing it's only necessary during the startup phase. In reality, it's what keeps companies alive and thriving. As companies grow, it's easy to fall into routine and let creativity fade. But innovation must continue-even as you scale. An older HBR article I came across this morning highlights how breakthroughs in management can create lasting advantages that are hard to replicate. Companies focused only on new products or efficiency often get quickly copied. To stay ahead, businesses must become "serial management innovators," always seeking new ways to transform how they operate. This idea remains as relevant now as it was back then. The benefits of sustained innovation are undeniable: •Competitive Edge •Increased Revenue •Customer Satisfaction •Attracting Talent •Organizational Growth and Employee Retention Embrace the innovation lifecycle-adapting creativity as your organization matures. Sustaining creativity means creating an environment where people feel safe to push boundaries. Encourage your teams to think big, take risks, and use the experience of your organization. Here are three strategies that I’ve seen work firsthand: Make Experimentation a Priority: Mistakes are part of the process—they help us learn, grow, and innovate. As leaders, share your own experiences with risk-taking, talk about what you've learned, and celebrate those who take bold steps, even when things don’t go as planned. It sends a powerful message: it's okay to take risks. Promote Intrapreneurship: Many of the best ideas come from those closest to the work. Encourage your people to think like entrepreneurs. Give them ownership, the tools they need, and the freedom to explore. Whether it’s through ‘innovation sprints’ or dedicated time for passion projects, showing your team that their creativity matters sustains momentum. Address big challenges, ask tough questions, and let your people feel empowered to tackle them head-on. Break Down Silos: True innovation happens when people connect across departments. Create opportunities for cross-functional interactions-through gatherings, open forums, or spontaneous connections. Diverse perspectives lead to game-changing solutions, and breaking down silos opens the door to that kind of synergy. Innovation doesn’t happen by accident. It requires dedication, a commitment to growth, and a willingness to challenge what’s always been done. To all the leaders out there: How are you ensuring your teams remain creative and engaged? What strategies have you found that create space for bold ideas within structured environments? —-- Harvard Business Review, "The Why, What, and How of Management Innovation" #Innovation #Leadership #ContinuousImprovement #Creativity #BusinessGrowth #Intrapreneurship #CrossFunctionalCollaboration #ImpactLab

Execs: "Our teams are experimenting, why aren't we finding new growth?" Me: "Well, you started out strong by organizing teams around ideas, giving them access to customers, providing them with tools and had them start running experiments. The teams are only relying on interviews and surveys and don't know how to find stronger evidence on their own." Execs: "So let's teach them more experiments." Me: "That will certainly help and the teams could use a customized playbook based on your industry. This isn't only a skill issue though, it is a system issue. Even your best trained teams will fail if they don't have the time and support to apply what they've learned. They need coaching help for their experimentation if you are to find new growth. Instead of squeezing this into a few hours a week, they more dedicated time. Think of this like a portfolio, not a series of one off teams or projects experimenting with a few customers." Execs: "OK, we'll make sure all of these systems are in place." Me: "That's a good step, and we'll need to go beyond giving this lip service, because you aren't simply setting up a process, you are building a culture of experimentation. This requires communicating the vision of why you are undertaking this challenge. You'll need sponsors who can make decisions on these ideas based on evidence and alignment to your narrative. You'll need metered funding to invest in the ideas that show promise and retire the ones that don't. You'll need to scout for opportunities to drive new growth. And with all of that, this initiative will stall without an incentive system that rewards teams for working this way." Execs: "This sounds like an overwhelming amount of work." Me: "This is a shift. We don't need to build all of this at once. We just have to start, based on where you are today, and build the support system that will allow innovation to stick."

We often observe highly diverse teams exhibiting patterns of dutiful compliance and stifling groupthink. While these diverse perspectives are dormant, the teams in question will never innovate. At least not consistently. How do you persuade a team to unlock its novel, nonlinear, and clashing perspectives to create an incubator of innovation — and do it in a way that doesn’t result in hard feelings, anger, or disrespect? It's not a diversity problem, but it is a culture problem. Think about the anatomy of culture this way: behaviors → habits → norms → culture If a pattern of shared behavior is a norm, a collection of norms is a culture. Norms are the primary building blocks of culture. In working with teams around the world for the last 30 years, I’ve identified the norm of constructive dissent as the single most important predictor of a team’s ability to innovate. ❓ What is constructive dissent? ✅ A team’s ability to engage respectfully in the exchange of conflicting viewpoints. While constructive dissent is a learnable behavior, it’s an extremely difficult norm to develop. It taxes the poise, composure, and emotional regulation of team members and often results in intense negative emotion and defensiveness. Teams don’t slouch into a pattern of constructive dissent, but with deliberate practice, they can build and sustain this crucial norm. But the change must start at the behavioral level. It must intervene in the day-to-day interactions of those doing the work. It must overcome the default norms and encourage healthy, constructive dissent as a professional obligation. It must be an invitation so clear, and so compelling, that it draws out the silent and the fearful. "If you disagree, I not only want to know, but I need to know. We can't innovate without your input."

Some of the most powerful breakthroughs start with a surprise. An unexpected event happens. Someone recognizes its potential. And then, someone chooses to act on it. A recent article from Harvard Business Review highlights the story of LASIK eye surgery. It wasn’t developed through a carefully planned roadmap, but instead emerged when doctors discovered that a femtosecond laser caused far less damage than a scalpel. Or take the example of the rolling suitcase, created not through a boardroom brainstorm, but because someone got tired of carrying heavy equipment on a wheeled skid. When we become open to the unexpected, we open the door to innovation. But this doesn’t happen by accident; it happens when we create the conditions for curiosity to thrive. When employees are engaged and feel safe and encouraged to explore, question, and even challenge the status quo, their intrinsic motivation and commitment soar. They become more invested not just in their tasks, but in the organization's success. Leaders play a pivotal role. By inviting your teams to share their surprising observations, encouraging experimentation, and making it okay to try things that might not work, you're not just fostering innovation; you're actively cultivating an engaged workforce. When employees see their ideas welcomed, even the "failures" as learning opportunities, they feel valued and empowered. This sense of psychological safety is a cornerstone of deep engagement. And don’t underestimate the power of bringing different minds together. Cross-disciplinary collaboration is where fresh thinking happens and where people connect the dots others don’t see. When we foster a culture of engagement, serendipity isn’t just possible — it’s inevitable. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eX5QZk5T #EmployeeEngagement #Innovation #WorkplaceCulture #PeopleFirst #FutureOfWork

I was fortunate to be a founding member of the innovation lab at PayPal and we learnt a lot along the way! most importantly that cultivating innovation is essential to navigating the digital landscape. It requires a foundational shift in our corporate culture. Here are some ways to build and nurture a workplace that drives digital transformation: - Encourage Curiosity: Promote an environment where questioning and exploring are valued. Innovation begins with curiosity. - Invest in Resources: Equip your teams with the necessary tools and continuous learning opportunities to turn innovative ideas into reality. - Normalize Risk-Taking: Support a culture where calculated risks are encouraged, and learning from failures is as celebrated as achieving success. - Enhance Collaboration: Encourage diverse teams to work together, leveraging different perspectives to ignite creative solutions. - Demonstrate Commitment: As leaders, our actions must reflect our innovative values—showing commitment through active participation and support. - Acknowledge Creativity: Regularly recognize and reward creative efforts to motivate sustained innovation across the organization. - Build Networks: Stay engaged with industry leaders and outside thinkers to bring fresh insights and practices into our fold. Fostering a culture of innovation is a commitment to continuous growth and adaptability. #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #BusinessCulture #Leadership #Growth

The most underrated skill in driving change? 🤔 💡Curiosity. Everyone talks about leadership, stakeholder alignment, communication and engagement when it comes to transformation. But curiosity is the quiet force behind them all – and we don’t talk about it nearly enough. In every change initiative I’ve worked on, curiosity has been the difference between pushing change and inspiring it. Questions unlock curiosity and break down resistance. They help create a culture where inquiry fuels creativity, innovation and critical thinking – the foundation of successful change. It’s what makes us pause and ask: •What’s really going on beneath the resistance? •Whose perspective haven’t we heard yet? •What would happen if we tried a different approach? Curiosity invites exploration before execution. It challenges assumptions. It helps us design more inclusive, more human-centered solutions, especially in complex, ambiguous environments. The best change leaders I’ve worked with weren’t the ones who had all the answers. They were the ones who asked the right questions – and kept asking them. What are some of your favorite questions to ask when you’re diving into a new project? #ChangeManagement #AIDrivenChange #AITransformation #Transformation #Curiosity #CuriosityDrivenChange #DataDrivenChange Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP Global)