Immediately after Henry of Bourbon was born, his grandfather took him away from his mother and fed him with wine from a golden cup. True to the adage that whatever does not kill you, makes you stronger, this shock therapy may have imbued the prince, who later became Henry IV of France, with male vigor and a resilient spirit. But such radical pedagogy is not suitable for organizational babies.
Leaders first have to fulfill the necessary conditions for a blissful innovation honeymoon, the insightful and creative period of a new employee. To start with, they must adequately prime their organizations by elucidating its pivotal role for achieving breakthroughs.
They then need to institutionalize an effective procedure for cordially welcoming the recruit, staging an "organizational wedding ceremony". But all of this is not sufficient for success.
The chieftain also must implement the following additional organizational design features, empowering the precious newcomer and protecting him in what I call an intangible and tangible "innovation cocoon".
Innovation face-off meeting and oath-taking
Oftentimes, novices are casually presented to the collective in meetings that are held for reasons other than introduction and induction. In many companies, recruits are only asked to stand up, state their names - and sit down again. For this rather uninspiring performance they earn polite applause.
Such a short, army-style self-introduction is not enough for launching a magic innovation honeymoon though.
Top management should present the recruit to the organization in the course of a dedicated "innovation face-off meeting" with all the staff, if possible. A large-scale convention is feasible, for example, if many recruits start at the same time. Otherwise, an innovation face-off meeting should be held with all the people, with whom the novice will interact. During the gathering, leaders should stress the unique value he can create, highlighting that he may provide new perspectives, generate novel insights, and prompt high-impact action.
They must reiterate the special duty of both the newcomer and the incumbents to create a wonderful innovation honeymoon, which actualizes his creative potential. To signal his importance to the organization, increase commitment and create a sense of drama, the recruit then may take an oath, obliging himself to strive for innovation from the very beginning.
To kindle the newcomer's creativity, leaders can pose specific or general challenges to him, resulting in converging or diverging searches respectively. For example, they could entrust him with solving a clearly circumscribed thorny problem, which nobody had been able to solve, or simply instruct him to identify process bottlenecks and propose improvements.
The kick-off meeting entrusts the initiate with a special mission. His resulting aura and halo will forestall many attacks. But apart from this invisible shield, he also requires formal powers and protection. A balanced approach is de rigueur.
Honeymooner identity with special license to provoke
After the face-off meeting, new employees should neither be thrown into the cold water, nor be pampered as rookies. Leaders must make it possible for them to be productive from day one. But their work must differ from the routines of clerks who function as clogs in the bureaucratic wheel.
Newcomers also should not be subjected to a piece rate regime that provides them with an incentive to produce a maximum number of standardized items. Instead of working as robots, they must at least initially be asked to contribute most on the innovation front. Routine tasks should be kept to a minimum, and expectations for their completion should be moderate.
One effective measure is to confer a special status on recruits, such as the formal rank of "rooky innovator". It provides them with a social identity and authorizes them to fully enjoy their innovation honeymoon. It is imperative that the newcomers are formally granted the privilege of the fool to ride roughshod over the organization and make seemingly crazy suggestions.
For their entire honeymoon period, there must be an amnesty for all trespasses that recruits commit against corporate etiquette and for breaking internal taboos. With such imprimatur and liberties, the world will be their oyster, and they will not have to walk on eggshells. Having no need to watch their reputation or protect themselves from snipers, they can boldly start from a clean slate.
Innovation space and networks
Newcomers constantly must strike an optimal balance between remaining distinctive and getting closer to their company and unit. Novices, regardless of their ranks and backgrounds, should not be required to compete for standing-room.
They should have a common physical gathering point, such as a "rookie innovator lounge". They may also meet in a virtual environment, where they can share ideas and develop strong bonds among each other. But they should neither be isolated, nor be forced to walk in the desert.
Instead of throwing newcomers to the wolves, leaders can pair them with "innovation partners". Those include both a seasoned mentor, with higher rank, and a peer as a buddy. The CEO can be paired with a mentor from the Board of Directors.
Those organizations that hosted a full "organizational wedding ceremony" to mark the joining of the new member will already have chosen an "honor attendant", who serves as mentor.
The incumbents, who must be asked to pursue mutual learning opportunities, should do their level best to ease the novice's way into the organization, but should not treat him like porcelain.
In particular, they should inspire, confront, support and protect him. They should give him access to their networks and show others their respect for him. This endows him with the credibility and clout that emanates from being closely associated with the powerful.
Importantly, the rookie should not blindly take after his innovation partners. Otherwise, dysfunctional norms and practices will be perpetuated.
He should imbue his mentor and buddy with his innovative spirit, infecting them with his enthusiasm, transmitting his energy, and opening new horizons for them. Fortunately, the incumbents are likely to gain new insights simply by explaining the status quo!
To sum up, helmsmen should neither constrain nor spoon-feed a newcomer. Instead of micromanaging him, they must pave the way for him, ensuring that he can innovate from his first day in the organization and lead his new employer to the light as soon as possible.
(Part 3 of the "Innovation Honeymoon" series. To be continued)
Column Number 20 by Kai-Alexander Schlevogt (D.Phil. Oxford), a professor of strategy and leadership at the National University of Singapore Business School and author of The Art of Chinese Management (Oxford University Press). Email: schlevogt@schlevogt.com; website: www.schlevogt.com
