So you wanna be an innovator?

The idea of being an innovator may sound very nice or appealing, but what does it really take to be an innovator and how do we know if we are on the right track?

One way of testing whether or not your ideas are truly penetrating is to, obviously share them with others. Some people will probably find them 'interesting', some will become converts almost immediately, but the real test is whether or not your ideas seem to cause offence among the 'business as usual' thinkers that carry on their lives as if the answer to everything is obvious and plain common sense! You'll know if you are onto something interesting when these types not only oppose your ideas, but seem to take them as personal affronts. In time, you'll come to recognise the peculiar quality of this type of resistance because it has a particularly nasty undertone. When you first start to innovate freely and experience this phenomenon, you may find it disturbing and want to retreat or even feel as if you should apologise. You may even decide that innovation is simply too much grief and go back to doing things 'their' way or continue your work in secret. On the other hand, if you persist, you'll come to understand that such reactions are a sure sign that you've hit on something meaningful and that they are just part of the package. I'm not talking here about trying to offend people by making gratuitously extreme statements.I mean that when you start asking certain questions about how things are done, and why they are done this way, you will see how threatened some people apparently feel by the implications of your sincere desire to push forward into new territory. The solution? Just understand, and appreciate what you're getting yourself into.

The 'You're New Here' Syndrome

By Michael Brooman

Have you ever changed your job and started at a new company? Personally I have done this many many times. If you have you are probably familiar with the 'you're new here' syndrome.
This is how it works:
You get a new job and show up at a new place of work. Some or perhaps most of the new colleagues are nice to your face and appear to welcome you. After a few days though you notice that other colleagues are not treating you.......well....as a human being. In effect what they are saying is this:
Because you haven't worked here long you are not worthy of my respect. You are basically an inferior being.
Unfortunately it doesn't end there with a few negative individuals being a bit (or very) unpleasant. It may extend into your professional status and career where you find that your skills, ideas and contribution are not valued as much as the more established staff members that have had plenty of time to cosy-up to the management. You might be the most skilled person in the world in your field, but this won't make any difference if the organisation is running a 'You're New Here' kind of racket.
You may find that your opinion is undervalued and your work is not recognised too, which is a very undermining and uncomfortable feeling if you are a serious player.

In any case you should NEVER, NEVER accept this kind of attitude or behaviour from colleagues. If people are treating you in this way they are deluded and scared and should be recognised as such. They are exploiting the distorted power relationships of the microcosm in which they are working to defend themselves from the truth that they are corrupted and frightened individuals, living fearfully in a very limited reality. Do NOT under any circumstances accept their behaviour or attitude towards your work! Nor do they deserve your sympathy or understanding. They are not helping anyone, including themselves with their behaviour.

What should you do under these circumstances? Almost impossible to confront people and 'out' them. it's unlikely they'll accept the truth of the situation and if one of them is your boss, you definitely risk losing your job. Probably the only option you have is to make your work even better so at least you can be sure that you are not going insane. One day, sooner or later you will benefit from giving more value and being an even better professional. Ultimately you will either move on or no longer be the 'New Around Here' employee and who knows, you may even win the respect of the ones that treated you badly, for what it's worth!

Corruption of which this is just one example, is an insidious and damaging virus because it so often lurks unacknowledged, kept hidden by a conspiracy of silence. It is the type of human behaviour that caused the 2008 global economic meltdown and worse throughout history. It will cause many companies to go out of business, and many worthy people to be unhappy in one way or another.

The first thing you can do is to recognise corruption and cronyism when you see it. Look around for allies. Probably you are not the only one that has noticed the glaringly obvious. If you break the silence you are a courageous person but understand that you'll be the first in the firing line when you do.