Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Why Constraints Are Good for Innovation - Coggle Diagram
Why Constraints Are Good for Innovation
however, challenges this wisdom and suggests that managers can innovate better by embracing constraints.
Constraints can foster innovation when they represent a motivating challenge and focus efforts on a more narrowly defined way forward.
This commonwisdom suggests eradicating all constraints: by getting rid of rules and boundaries, creativity, and innovative thinking will thrive.
when there are no constraints on the creative process, complacency sets in, and people follow what psychologists call the path-of-least-resistance
they go for the most intuitive idea that comes to mind rather than investing in the development of better ideas.
Constraints, in contrast, provide focus and a creative challenge that motivates people to search for and connect information from different sources to generate novel ideas for new products, services, or business processes.
managers can embrace and use a variety of constraints in their arsenal. These constraints take three main forms.
First, they can limit inputs (e.g., time, human capital, funds, excess cash, and available materials).
Second, they can enforce specific processes. Examples include procedures on seeking early market and technological feedback
Third, they can set specific output requirements such as product or service specifications.
When a creative task is very restrictive, employee motivation is hampered. If the space within which creative ideas are generated becomes too narrow, it is more difficult to form novel connections, which are vital for creativity.
the key for fostering creativity and innovation in your organization is to strike a balance by orchestrating different types of constraints.
As a general rule, the more an innovation requires innovative thinking, the more it benefits from relaxing entry and exit constraints, because such projects require atypical connections between disciplines, areas, and expertise
Another rule is that interdisciplinary projects often benefit from clearly defined process constraints to govern communication and coordination.
innovation projects that require both innovative thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration, managers can balance and orchestrate constraints by loosening input and output constraints while adjusting process constraints.
On the contrary, when the focus is on producing a more modest innovation that is directly based on the current state of affairs
It is important to realize that the same restriction can be interpreted in different ways: as a motivating challenge or as a frustrating obstacle.
Managers can mobilize their leadership skills and influence how employees interpret constraints through communication and feedback.
Rather than providing ample resources and freedom to your innovation teams, try doing the opposite: cutting your budget, imposing a tighter deadline, or setting more challenging performance criteria.
By framing constraints as creative challenges, managers can develop an understanding of constraints as positives, and thus invite more creativity.
Managers must also create a strong innovation climate, one characterized by support for innovation, shared vision and goals, a shared commitment to excel, and a sense of security.
Some innovators are naturally drawn toward tackling complex problems and are inherently more accepting of and energized by tensions than others.
It is important to realize that the same restriction can be interpreted in different ways: as a motivating challenge or as a frustrating obstacle.