According to McKinsey & Co. in a recent article “Beyond Coronavirus – the path to the next normal” that “The coronavirus is not only a health crisis of immense proportion—it’s also an imminent restructuring of the global economic order”.
This means that we are at an inflection point globally, where the COVID-19 crisis has created an event that can potentially result in significant changes in the progress of companies, industries, sectors, economies, or geopolitical situations. This can be also considered a turning point after which dramatic changes, with either positive or adverse negative results, are expected to result.
If we couple this with the exponential changes being driven by technology and a VUCA environment, depending on your mindset and approach, innovation coaching creates a safe space for opportunities and possibilities in riding the wave of disruptive change and for effecting positive, adaptive, and impactful innovative changes.
Maximising the power of cognitive dissonance through innovation coaching
As a result of the current operating environment, we are experiencing a state of cognitive dissonance; in the gap between the old (current state) and the new (future state) paradigms that are emerging. This is because our operating environments are full of tension and uncertainty, volatility, and a range of unexpected challenges that feel frustrating, stressful, and extremely uncomfortable. Where it is common for most people to avoid these feelings altogether or try to smooth things back into harmony, by sustaining life and business as usual habits as quickly as possible.
This tension is also a powerful force and within it lies the potential for growth and evolution, if applied compassionately, creatively and courageously can help make ideas better, improve interpersonal relationships on teams, and applied towards overhauling organisations.
Innovation coaching mobilises creative tension
In fact, “creative tension” is generated when you ask the question; what result do you want to create in your life, team or organisation? You can then identify the reality of your current situation, which creates a state of tension between your current and desired future states. This tension seeks resolution, which is why, at ImagineNation™ in our innovation coaching learning programs, we use cognitive dissonance, provocation, disagreement, conflict, and contrariness as the key elements for creating people’s critical discomfort resilience, when deliberately creating structural tension.
This also results in a sense of urgency – in ways that engage us cognitively, emotionally, and intuitively, because like disruption, it creates cracks, openings, and thresholds for making intentional change choices.
Harnessing and mobilising creative tension, through innovation coaching, plays an important role in any transition, change led innovation as well as in organisational growth, resilience, and sustainability.
Innovation coaching evokes adaptation and growth
Where innovation coaching involves inspiring, supporting, and coaching individuals and teams to adapt and grow through chaos and disruption, to nurture elastic thinking and emotional agility, speed up decision making and embed innovation-led changes, in leaders, teams and businesses, and organisations. By applying innovation strategically and systemically, to help the world, and all of us, adapt, and revive and reinvent our lives, communities, businesses, industries, and societies as a whole, in transitioning successfully toward a post Covid-19 future?
Download our Innovation Coaching e-book here.
Read our Innovation Coaching e-book online here.
Find out about The Coach for Innovators Certified Program, a collaborative, intimate, and deep personalised innovation coaching and learning program, supported by a global group of peers over 8-weeks, starting October 20 2020. It is a blended learning program that will give you a deep understanding of the language, principles, and applications of a human-centred approach to innovation, within your unique context. Find out more.
Contact us now at mailto:janet@imaginenation.com.au to find out how we can partner with you to learn, adapt, and grow your business in the digital
