Continuous Unlearning and Re-invention

"From Intuition to Institution", a book on the history of INSEAD (campuses in Singapore and France), labels its journey over four decades as a tale of continual re-invention.

Starting from 1957 as an entrepreneurial venture with modest academic credentials it now ranks itself with the best business schools and has achieved this without university or government support. This journey has required a constant balancing act between contradictory challenges that is pervasive in modern organizations: between continuity and change, between strategic planning and opportunism, between ambitions and financial constraints, between short term gain and long term investment, and so on.

“Continual Re-invention” is a powerful theme, which successful organizations “continually” adopt, yet it is easier said than done. Re-invention requires a re-look at the context, re-definition of mission and vision and an altogether different perspective to run and compete. One of measures of success in today’s world is NOT on “how much do you know” but “how quickly can you learn”. So, “Continuous Learning” becomes a necessary part and with paradigms frequently turning up-side down, it is smarter to be ready for “Continuous Unlearning”.

For example, one of the paradigm shifts in software product development is the Agile methodology: classic software development identifies “accurate requirement specifications” as one of the critical measures of success, and now the Agile methodology says “do not wait for requirements to be complete, start coding because a working software is the primary measure of progress”. Although Agile is used by many world-class software vendors, it is still not universally accepted and Agile remains a hotly debated topic. So, "Upside-down" paradigm shifts are difficult to "sell" and thus, “Collaborative Unlearning”, which is absolutely necessary to foster innovation in organizations, is a challenge which is difficult to address.

In a Roffey Park's research report (also included in “Successful Innovation: How to Encourage and Shape Profitable Ideas” by Michel Syrett and Jean Lammiman), the challenge of innovation was seen to be that not enough of the ideas on the ground were picked up and properly exploited. Rather these ideas are like 'diamonds in the dust' - hidden beneath the surface unless managers at all levels search them out, recognize their value and - to take the analogy further - arrange to have them expertly cut and polished. The research recommends five key roles as necessary to successful idea development:

1. Spark (someone who ‘sparks’ the idea, original thinker);
2. Sponsor (someone who promotes the idea and keeps it “live”);
3. Shaper (someone who makes the idea “real” by finding on practical ways to implement the idea);
4. Sounding board (Outside expert, whose objectivity and broader knowledge helps validate the idea).
5. Specialist (someone, whose specialist skills help shape the ideas towards a specific implementation.)

Now, that looks like a grounded process on which Continuous Innovations can be fostered!