When you might be the biggest blocker to your innovation efforts
One of my most-prized gift from a previous Christmas was a mattock. I had actually put my order in to Santa early in the year. When I was a kid I asked Santa for a cucumber. And I got one. I have a history of asking for (and getting) the quirky for Christmas.
The mattock, though, was not meant to be quirky. I had in mind a specific and immediate purpose, and I recognised it could also have more enduring utility. The immediate objective was to dig up the tree roots that had gone rogue in the front yard.
A morning's work and the roots were gone. Mission accomplished. Amazingly, I actually started hoping the roots would come back, perhaps even bigger and more challenging. I thirsted for more opportunity to swing the mattock in (joyful) anger.
I reflected on this. Why was I seeking the creation of more obstacles, more back-breaking by-the-sweat-of-my-brow work? Sometimes, the physical/mental effort and exertion can feel empowering and validate our sense of value. See a challenge -> overcome the challenge. I considered how this can also manifest in the workplace. Staff that feared/undermined/opposed an enterprise solution because they preferred the "tried-and-tested" Microsoft Excel solution they had poured their heart and soul into. The new way was more efficient, robust, repeatable, flexible, trustworthy, innovative etc...but what about the Excel solution that felt like it had almost become their offspring??
At times, we can be our greatest impediment to innovation. We stymy innovation, improvement and creative thinking because we glory in our inefficient, back-breaking ways. It seems that our own identity is partly invested in what we have created and we can't bear to let it go.