Innovation Uses Diverse Strengths to Thrive
posted by Kara Neureuther
During our CPP Company Conference this year, we had the pleasure of attending the Type and Innovation workshop with author Damian Killen. Innovation is top of mind for many organizations these days, so I thought I would share some insight I learned.
“We are all different, but we differ in similar ways. In other words, no two people are completely identical, yet they may, for example, come to a decision in similar ways.” – Damian Killen, Gareth Williams.
What are some of history’s greatest innovations? According to BusinessWeek, they vary from property ownership to vaccines.
But how did these famous innovations come to be? It took definition, discovery, decisions, and delivery, and required different strengths at different times in order to be successful.
How Innovation and Type Connect:
Innovation is a process that requires different strengths during different phases. Thus personality type theory enables us to identify where an individual’s or a team’s strengths may lie and to make the best use of those strengths. The concept of innovation is often perceived as creativity, but is in fact the implementation of ideas. “If the organization can harness creativity and use diverse strengths, it can innovate and gain competitive advantage.” Killen and Williams go on to say, “Sensing-Intuition has to do with the ideas, and Judging-Perceiving has to do with implementation. In using personality type theory as part of a plan to spur innovation, a useful starting point is to consider where ideas come from and how they can be grouped.”
There are four Innovation Attitudes expressed by Killen and Williams based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) instrument preferences: SJ, SP, NJ, NP.
SJ Innovation Attitude: Efficiency
Precise information and time are critical for SJs. SJs are likely to seek innovative ideas that will improve effectiveness and lead to greater efficiencies. They tend to:
- Compare and contrast experiences with previous examples
- Notice discrepancies and see to avoid mistakes made in the past
- Focus on past successes and failures
- Build incrementally on what already exists
SP Innovation Attitude: Refining
Experience the world through their senses is important for SPs. For them, Sensing is extraverted, operating in the external world to satisfy their need to engage with a variety of experiences to collect as much information as possible and respond accordingly. They tend to:
- Look into the present situation for relevant information
- Give energy to more and new stimulations
- Prefer action and engaging in dialogue
- Stop doing things that do not need to be done
NJ Innovation Attitude: Adopting
Organizing and planning ways to execute their insights is essential for NJs. Typically NJs borrow ideas from the outside, adopt what can be applied and innovate accordingly. They tend to:
- Combine various learnings to offer insight into complex issues
- Notice patterns and form hypotheses
- Synthesize information and align outcomes
- Collect and connect ideas from various settings to imagine the future
NP Innovation Attitude: Different
Connecting with people and ideas to generate possibilities is what sustains NPs. NPs seek out ideas that are original – that are different from what is already out there. They tend to:
- Connect what is with what might be
- Generate possibilities for exploration
- Seek to interpret current situations to find meaning and new ideas
- Develop innovative and exciting ideas
Check out the Introduction to Type® and Innovation booklet for more information. For more information about Damian, visit www.thrive.ie.
