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This week's announcement of more than a billion dollars of investment in a new innovation economy was extremely exciting. Quite rightly it has been applauded widely. Yet at the same time, it is important that we recognize the immense challenge at the core of this pivot to an “Ideas Boom.”
As I was quoted in the Sydney morning Herald earlier this week: ""The national shift away from 'fear of failure' to a 'spirit of innovation' will require significant changes in behaviour and mindset. This requires time, perseverance, and ongoing investment by all parts of the industry." 1
In the Prime Minister's own words, the Government has only set the scene with "nudges and changes and levers and incentives"2 ; it is up to us to change our behaviour and habits to adapt to this new direction.
Turns out I am not the only one sounding a note of caution. Media Commentator, Madonna King appeared on ABC's "The Drum" recently stated that the "jury is still out" on whether this will be a success or not:
"It's a bit like buying a running machine - you see it on TV and you think you're going to lose weight and look great...but you get it home and..."
It’s a familiar story for all of us I think: a strong personal desire to get fitter is followed by investment in gear, gym membership etc. Then we get distracted, lose interest or get injured and the fitness goal loses priority or disappears entirely. Without the discipline to change habits and routines or a willingness to persevere and be patient, sadly the new endeavor comes to nothing. The new exercise bike is eventually folded up and stashed in the garage, or worse still, sold on eBay!
At Salesforce we talk to clients about improving their "innovation fitness." We encourage them to focus on three factors, which might also be applicable to this national pivot:
Mindset Shift: this is perhaps the most important, yet most difficult of the three. It requires a fresh attitude - a cultural shift. A willingness to experiment, to take risks, to shift perspective. To get out of our comfort zone. It could be as simple as changing routines or environment – perhaps (as I now do) work out of one of the many co-working spaces a couple of days per week?
· Methodology: Innovation comes in many forms, but it is not a random walk in the darkness. To commercialise ideas & research requires a systematic process, a methodology. The Lean and Agile models are good ones, and we have adapted them to apply to different sizes of organisation for different kinds of product or service. But broadly speaking, we need to educate more about how to evolve an idea from inception to marketable offering.
· Technology platform: one of the reasons the number of billion dollar valuation startups has skyrocketed in recent years is the easy access to robust and affordable technology. Cloud technology is core to this; not only because of the speed at which it can be 'spun up', but also the low risk it carries on the books. A flexible sandbox to experiment. If the idea doesn't work, you haven't invested huge amounts. More importantly, if the idea is compelling you can easily scale. The Salesforce AppCloud is a good example of this.
Just as with embarking on a new fitness regime, patience is a virtue. Innovation magic doesn't happen overnight. Progress sometimes comes in imperceptible increments. We must stay the course while remaining agile. As the Prime Minister himself recognises, even these policies are not necessarily perfect but if they need changing - they can be changed.
As we enter the season for New Year's resolutions, we should all put increasing our “innovation fitness" at the top of the list. Without that collective resolve to change our culture, this week's announcements will end up in the garage next to the dusty exercise bike!
If you're interested in finding out more on how Salesforce works with the Public Sector click HERE
