Innovation by SIT

If we try to list the barriers to innovation, cognitive fixednesses will be very close to the top of the list. One of our main challenges as facilitators is to help our clients break their fixednesses as part of the attempt to promote innovation. One interesting aspect of these fixednesses, and particularly structural fixedness, is their relationship with language.

Let’s consider the word “order” for example. WordNet defines order as “logical or comprehensible arrangement of separate elements” and “a condition of regular or proper arrangement”. These definitions, coupled with another meaning of the word – “a command given by a superior that must be obeyed” – can help us understand the power of structural fixedness. It highlights our tendency to embrace order and structure as positive attributes that are not only valuable, but also natural.

But the status of “order” is just half of the picture. Think for a minute about how language reflects what we think about the absence of order, or, heavens forbid, about changing or breaking the existing order. The term “out of order” is defined by Babylon as “not working, nonfunctional, broken”. Similarly, “disorder” is defined by Webster’s dictionary as “want of order or regular disposition; lack of arrangement; confusion; disarray”. It is easy to understand the connection between these terms and the uneasiness we witness when we encourage our clients to dis-order their products or processes.

We all know that language has a strong impact on the way we think and act (Orwell’s Doublethink, from the novel 1984, is a radical example of that impact). In the microcosms of our innovation processes we cannot change language. We can, however, point out the linguistic aspects of fixednesses (in order) to demonstrate the power of the phenomena we try to overcome.

Amit Mayer is a Senior SIT Facilitator, and a creative & didactic manager at SIT Facilitator, and a creative & didactic manager at Medidactic Ltd.

Amit and the rest of us at SIT would be happy to talk to you about innovation.

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