It’s Time to Change the Way we Look at Innovation in Shipping

For many, innovation represents large-scale change and transformation; ground-breaking technological inventions or radical shifts to the status quo.

But are these perceptions creating resistance?

Few are comfortable with big changes, especially in more established industries like shipping, where the importance of reliability, predictability and dependability are paramount. Innovation can be seen as a threat to the status quo. Instead of an opportunity, it can seem like a risk.

But there’s more to innovation than massive change. Fundamentally it’s about continuous improvement. And in a rapidly changing world, yesterday’s solutions aren’t always suitable for today’s problems. Change may be a risk, but risk aversion can be a bigger risk.

Shipping is inherently complex, but challenging the perception of innovation might help us find ways to improve it. And it all starts with the mindset.

STAYING OPEN TO NEW IDEAS

At the core, innovation is about an openness to new ideas. Rather than just accepting things the way they are, it’s constantly considering if there is a better way.

But this is easier said than done.

The status quo is comfortable. It is known, it is certain, and the more established it is, the more resistant we are to changing it. Innovation, especially in shipping, depends on actively cultivating an openness to new ideas and overcoming our natural human tendency to resist change.

With a mindset of continuous improvement and an openness to change we recognise that good ideas can come from anywhere. Not every idea is a good idea, but if we’re not open to all ideas we may miss the good ones.

This openness to ideas is critical for staff engagement.

When we’re open to new ideas, we get more of them. People are more engaged and actively think about solutions to problems. But when ideas are dismissed or ignored, they quickly get discouraged. Why should they keep coming up with new ideas if they aren’t listened to, after all?

With a mindset of openness, trust and curiosity we can better embed innovation in the day-to-day, rather than something limited to think-tanks and innovation labs.

BRIDGING THE DISCONNECT: TOP-DOWN, BOTTOM UP, INSIDE OUT

The larger the organisation, the more challenging innovation becomes.

While those closest to a problem may have the best ideas to solve it, they can lack the broader strategic context. On the other hand, top-down innovations may fulfil the larger strategic direction, but lack details of the operational reality.

This top-down/bottom-up innovation subject is actually something Hariesh Manaadiar and I discussed in the most recent episode of MSC’s Digital Talks series .

Bridging the gap between bottom-up and top-down is essential for success. Middle management can play a key role here to help bridge those gaps between top-line strategy and frontline realities.

When we think about innovation, it’s important to consider it as integrated in the whole, not isolated to any one department or team.

EXPERIMENTATION, MOMENTUM & IMPLEMENTATION

Ideas are great, but implementation is what makes the difference. However, it’s also where things get more complex and projects stall. When we look at the complexity of turning an idea into reality it can seem overwhelming.

The answer to this is shifting perspective from full-scale roll outs to rapid experimentation. We work out how to validate an idea as fast as possible. We develop a minimum viable product then refine it. This reduces the perceived barrier of implementation, builds momentum, and ultimately leads to faster progress.

Taking this approach helps overcome the resistance to new ideas. Rather than dismiss it because it seems too hard, we look for ways to try it as simply and quickly as possible. That way, we don’t end up spending ten years developing something that doesn’t work.

Of course, the shipping industry doesn’t have the agility of a tech startup and innovation isn’t embedded in our DNA. Which is why it’s even more important for us to put effort into it to make it work. The complexity might make innovation harder but perhaps by shifting our mindsets we can find ways to make it simpler.

I’m curious about your perspective! How do you think we perceive innovation in the shipping industry? Does it need to change?

Let me know in the comments below.

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.