Innovation is one of those buzz words that some organizations think they invented, some work hard to achieve and some believe doesn’t even apply to them. In my experience, though, innovation is necessary for all organizations. It will look different for everyone, but if innovation is not embraced at some level, an organization is dead in the water.
I worked with John Hoey, CEO of the Y in Central Maryland (YCM), along with his team and board, on a strategic planning engagement that very much illustrates how an organization can successfully embrace those innovation-fostering activities that I’ve found to be most crucial for achieving the next level. These include:
During our initial discussions, John shared that the YCM had completed their previous year’s plan and, by all accounts, had accomplished what the plan laid out. As we spoke about what had been achieved and where the organization had grown over the past few years, he described the experience as being much like starting at the base of a mountain, seeing that the mountaintop is covered in clouds and then, step by step, watching that mountaintop slowly reveal itself as the plan is executed.
According to John, the previous plan had done a great job of helping the YCM define their work, sphere of influence and the scope of what was possible, but with the launch of the organization’s new plan (aptly named Impact 2020), the starting point looked quite different. This time the mountaintop was no longer shrouded in clouds and the team could see every hill and valley quite clearly. It was a big daunting mountain and John realized that it wasn’t going to be enough to merely climb it. This time the YCM needed to demonstrate impact along the way and embracing innovation would be essential to accomplishing that.
This was the state of the union as we kicked off the Impact 2020 strategic planning engagement. However, aligning innovation so tightly with the strategic planning process was new territory for the organization, so it was important to find ways to jump-start innovative thinking.
How the YCM Jump-Started Innovation
Here are just a few of the strategies we employed to get quality ideas flowing:
Become the Customer: The YCM had experience using focus groups and surveys to obtain customer feedback. They were fearless about asking tough questions and they were open to hearing responses that might have been, for some organizations, tough to swallow. In short, they were committed to understanding how their customers experienced their services and offerings. Whether it was collecting opinions about a school program or a Zumba class, the YCM asked and probed and worked very hard to learn how their customers viewed them. Gaining this deeper knowledge about customer perspectives prompted many new ideas about how to best deliver both wellness and community to customers.
Tap Outsiders: When John led the YCM’s prior strategic plan he was relatively new to his position as CEO and used the process as a way to become embedded in the culture and work of the organization. Despite the knowledge he had gained, he recognized that the Impact 2020 strategic planning effort would benefit from an even stronger process, as well as from additional external perspectives. This realization drove the decision to bring Quinn Strategy Group on as the outside strategic advisor responsible for designing the process, and also the decision to tap into outsiders beyond the customer base to gain insight, information and guidance that would complement and expand internal expertise and, ultimately, expand innovative thinking. These external voices included individuals from YMCA USA and a variety of experts in healthcare, youth development and wellness.
Be Great at a Few Things: While the YCM has always had serious growth goals and has continued to expand geographically, serve more people and deepen programming, the organization is also very clear about what it’s good at and it strategically invests in those areas. In other words, the YCM understands the wisdom of not trying to be all things to all people. The organization doesn’t need to address every aspect of wellness, youth development or social responsibility to have impact – only a few targeted areas. Acknowledging this served to narrow creative parameters, providing a tight focus for where to innovate.
Use the Best, Invent the Rest: As part of better understanding how the YCM’s work created and contributed to a culture of wellness and community, we also researched and incorporated elements of best thinking and practices from a variety of sources, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Y USA and the book From Good to Great, to name a few. Doing this sent the message that borrowed ideas were as valuable as original ones and freed the team from feeling like they needed to reinvent the wheel at every turn or prove themselves through their originality. Adhering to the philosophy of “use the best, invent the rest” allowed the YCM to allocate brainpower and resources toward innovation much more efficiently.
How the YCM Built a Strong Foundation for Innovation
Of course, the success of any strategy for jump-starting innovation is directly related to the strength of the foundation the organization has put in place to support innovation. This is why organizations that task teams with innovating without first adopting a culture of innovation generally see both the energy around innovation, and the ideas themselves, peter out quickly.
In the YCM’s case, we worked diligently to build a super solid foundation for innovation and, as a result, we were able to significantly increase momentum around the entire strategic planning process.
Here are a few of the philosophies and practices that shaped and strengthened the YCM’s foundation for innovation:
Set the Stage: The CEO made it clear that strategic planning was essential to the organization’s future, thus ensuring the effort would be supported at every level. We also communicated upfront that we would be incorporating diverse perspectives and listening with an ear for new thinking which prepared the entire team for innovation to be an integral part of the process. Additionally, we made sure everyone knew that although we would be respectful of individuals’ time, there were key points in the process that would require participation from multiple levels of leadership. With such a clear message about what to expect and what was required, everyone was able to fully commit to the process.
Formalize the Process: The YCM approached innovation and strategy as a unified, formal process. This required that we clearly define a process capable of bringing the two together, as well as clarify specific areas of focus, the timeline and milestones. So, rather than sitting around and hoping the right answers would emerge somehow, team members saw they could rely on the process to take them where they needed to go. This confidence resulted in thinking that was highly intentional and focused where it needed to be at the time, rather than “all over the place.”
Include Relevant Voices: We determined that the YCM’s innovation and strategic planning process would be inclusive of every stakeholder group simply because it’s difficult innovate when you don’t have the necessary voices at the table – both in terms of idea development and ultimate consensus.
Assign Responsibility & Sync Skill Sets: In addition to the CEO, the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships was put in charge of the process. This decision not only ensured smooth forward movement throughout the organization, but also leveraged this individual’s expertise when it came to aligning the organization’s mission and strategies with the external community.
Get Curious: Rather than defaulting straight to problem solving (a bad habit of many organizations), significant time was allocated for pure dreaming and brainstorming around critical issues and challenges. By allowing for real think time, the YCM demonstrated to its team that the organization valued curiosity and listening, both of which are core to innovation, over “being the one to solve the problem fastest.”
Accept the Challenge of Innovation: Innovation inherently involves risk, change and uncertainty and an organization must accept this if it intends to reap its rewards. John was transparent with the YCM’s board and leadership about the realities of innovation and we coached everyone to remain open and embrace all it entails. The board and leadership also quickly understood how the formal process would not only surface innovation but would, more importantly, help the organization navigate risk and uncertainty. In short, John prepared those at the helm to be our plan’s most vocal champions.
How the YCM Committed to Clarity Over Chaos
Even with a strong foundation for innovation in place, leaders often struggle to create an environment that balances the freedom required for innovating with the confines of meeting business goals and objectives. The CEO worked hard to balance these seemingly conflicting needs by always providing the clarity required to prevent chaos.
He did this by consistently communicating short- and long-term goals across the organization, and he never let the team lose sight of a very important fact:
That while the YCM needed to keep running and reach its goals, our process had also identified areas where innovation and new strategies were imperative for attaining the next level.
He also continually reinforced that the ability to do both concurrently was a direct result of the innovation and strategic planning process we had designed. It mandated that we never take our eye off the ball while imaging the future.
Thanks to John’s steadfastness and guidance, senior leadership created an organizational understanding that innovation was necessary to achieve the desired and expected impact of Impact 2020.
In total, the strategies we employed for jump-starting innovation, the strong foundation for innovation we built and the never-to-be-breached commitment made to maintaining the balance between generating ideas and reaching immediate goals, enabled the YCM to stay sharply focused on its trek up the mountain, while also allowing everyone to rest periodically and simply enjoy the view.
For more on aligning innovation and strategy at your organization, email Ann Quinn or call 410-458-2600.
