Choosing change: from tweaks to seismic shifts

Hi,

Some time ago, I read a piece dating back to 2004 (!) about ambidextrous organizations. These are organizations that are adept at reinventing themselves and pushing through fundamental changes. The key seems to be a business unit that works independently, while at the same time being solidly represented in the management team. In other words: full freedom, but with a mandate from the top. 

It’s fascinating material, but if you don’t have a role in management, maybe not all that urgent. What’s interesting for today’s newsletter are the three types of innovations seen in organizations. When I read about them, I immediately thought: This is super-relevant for our own personal development.

Incremental innovation

These are the tweaks made to existing products and operations—little things that add value for users or boost efficiency. When you get the same question a lot, for instance, it’s nice if the answer is easy to find. Little things.

Tweaks for ourselves can also be incredibly helpful. After a time when people were preoccupied with life hacks, droning on about getting more done is now almost taboo, but there’s still a place for it within this framework of personal innovation. Little tweaks—like scheduling meetings using Calendly or committing shortcut keys to memory to speed up recurring actions—can really add up over a week. 

New tweaks won’t disrupt your work, but they won’t solve deeper, underlying issues either. It’s more like trading in a dull knife for a newly-sharpened one: Cooking’s instantly easier and more pleasant. But it doesn’t get you any closer to answering the question, Should I be eating less meat?

For tweaks, I stick to the credo: Just try it. You can always go back to how you’re doing things now. That makes change less of a big deal, which helps me form new and better habits. I try new tweaks every month, and maybe 1 in 4 are keepers.

Architectural innovations

These are fundamental changes to a certain component or part of the company. In the 2004 article, the writers used the example of a call center outsourcing support staff to a business in India. Opting to do some things in house, like how Apple produces nearly all their own chips, is also an architectural innovation. 

How does that apply to us? The simplest example is signing up for a class or training session. A great instructor combined with high-quality content can really change the way you work. Or perhaps you prefer independent study, where a good book can be a welcome reset. 

And not only in our work does the underlying structure deserve attention. Our health depends on it too. I know a number of people who never used to do much in the way of exercise, who everyone now sees as fitness freaks. Changing your sleeping habits or paying attention to what you eat are other good examples.

I experimented some time back with a virtual assistant. It won’t surprise you that I like to be in control, but I know it makes sense to free up time for more important matters. Consider delegating or outsourcing certain tasks; it can fundamentally change how you work. 

These kinds of changes require an investment—sometimes in time or energy, sometimes in money. Don’t let that scare you away. Try taking a good look from time to time at the structures underpinning how you work. I promise it always pays off. I work on a structural change like this every few months, so roughly one each quarter.

Disruptive innovations

The third category encompasses big, radical changes. Take Canon cameras, when they decided to go digital. Or when the classic hotdog company Oscar Mayer first started making turkey franks and turkey bacon. Changes like these can end up being transformative for an organization, and innovation is often crucial to a company’s survival. In a changing world, you have to keep adapting—and sometimes drastic shifts are needed to stay at the top.

The same is true for us. Think of a career change or a move across the country. Both can upend your life for a while, until you regroup and reinvent yourself. Starting a new relationship, ending one, or growing your family can also put things in a new light. So can working in-house after a period of freelancing, or striking out on your own and launching a business.

Disruptive innovation can be daunting, but I’m convinced we miss out if we try to avoid these kinds of big changes. The question is not so much if you should move things in a fundamentally different direction, but when. 

Write down somewhere what it is you dream of doing. Then start voicing your dream when people ask what you do. “I work at X and I love it. But secretly I dream of doing Y—that would be amazing.” Not only does it prompt great conversation, but you’ll find people will share tips or contacts that will help you get started on bringing your dream within reach. 

Looking back, I see that big changes always shape my years in ways that keep coming back. Some, like a big move, seem at first like a temporary interruption of regular life—a logistical operation we take time out for, and then things will get back to normal. But moving always ends up having a huge effect on just about every aspect of my life. 

I think I can point to at least one thing each year that falls in the category of incredibly disruptive. Some I’ve actively pursued. Others, like quitting my job and working fulltime on GRIP a few years back, or starting my latest venture RISE, were things I’d set my sights on for the future, and then suddenly the opportunity was right there for the taking.

Choosing change

Of course, we’ve been through sweeping changes during the pandemic. Over the last two years, all sorts of things have changed about how we live and work. That might make you reluctant to go out in search of more change.

But the changes you choose to adopt can give you fresh energy and agility to deal with everything beyond your control. I encourage you to take a look at each of these levels and see what they could mean for you:

Which little tweaks would you like to try out this week? What are the structural changes that would help your work this quarter? And which disruptions are on the horizon this year or next?

Have a good week,

Rick

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