Fear of ignorance in 135 bullet points

Translated by Allen Montrasio, teacher @John Peter Sloan, la Scuola.

I am convinced that ignorance has allowed humans to progress. Reading the dictionary definition of the noun “ignorance”, we can see that this related to unawareness and lack of knowledge, due to never having dealt with something or never having heard of it. Two perfect starting points for anyone, like myself, who deals with innovation and new ways of doing business. That means “doing” things that were never tried before and studying matters that have never been tackled².

During my innovation management lessons, among the key points I make, I point out one of the skills of company strategists – knowledge management – defined as the ability to manage consolidated practices, and to juxtapose it with “un-knowledge”³ management, attributing this skill to innovators and defining it as the ability to manage the unknown. Innovators have to enter the realm of ignorance, to challenge it and accept the risks and costs connected to it. If you want to innovate you must “manage ignorance”, with the strategic intent of pursuing and learning the unknown.

To innovate and change the status quo, managers have to⁴ be prepared to call themselves ignorant in a strategic and constructive way. They must be prepared to do what has never been done before to change their habits, to challenge consolidated skills and knowledge and to tackle and learn new ones.

The highest cost of “un-knowledge” management is fear.

You must be afraid, because if the unknown or untried does not frighten us, it’s not really a change from the status quo. The power of innovation is directly proportional to the fear it puts into the defenders of the status quo.

In my career I have met many managers and business people who refused to pay this cost and chose not to be afraid.

All the excuses of managers who don’t want to be afraid

I have compiled a list of the sentences used to justify this decision of not wanting to be afraid of the unknown and remain in the comfort zone. These are sentences and phrased often found under the heading “IDEA & INNOVATION KILLER”. Many of these I heard directly, others I have read and some have been referred to me. I know this is not a complete and exhaustive list, so I hope you’ll take to the social media to help me integrate it.

Have fun!

1. Great idea but let’s wait, let’s keep it under the radar⁵
2. Maybe it’s too much for us
3. Since when are you an expert of this?
4. We don’t have the staff to pursue this idea
5. It’s not suitable for our customers
6. We don’t want to make mistakes
7. Our customers will never use this product/service
8. Our customers don’t want this
9. Too revolutionary, we don’t have time
10. It’s illogical
11. No! It’s impossible!
12. We haven’t got the budget
13. Our bosses disagree
14. I’m not creative
15. It’s not my responsibility
16. So? We can’t risk our image
17. The market isn’t ready
18. Customers don’t buy it
19. It may work, but not in our company
20. We don’t have the time
21. We can’t find the funds
22. My boss won’t carry this out
23. We are not in a business that’s used to⁶ innovation
24. We can’t solve the legal issues
25. I’ve got too much on my hands right now
26. If I get it wrong I have too much to lose
27. Too many projects at the same time: I might do badly
28. I’ve just joined, I have to understand where I am
29. I’m not good at public speaking
30. I’m not good at presenting my idea
31. No one in this company believes in innovation except me
32. Too much bureaucracy to even think of carrying out an innovative project
33. Our customers are not asking us for this
34. We have a risk-averse culture
35. We’ve always done it this way, why change?
36. No one does it in our field
37. We don’t have an innovation culture
38. We don’t have an innovation process
39. I’m not paid enough to deal with these things
40. I’m not paid enough to take risks
41. My boss will take all the credit
42. I’m not a good diplomat
43. I’ve already got enough hassle as it is
44. If it doesn’t work, my career will be compromised⁷
45. My family life would suffer
46. I’m not disciplined or determined enough
47. It’s a too “far out” idea for our company
48. I wouldn’t be able to find the right staff
49. We don’t have enough data, research and information
50. Surely if I tell it, someone will steal the idea
51. It takes too long to give results
52. We’re having a budget cut
53. The board will veto it
54. They’ll make fun of me
55. I don’t know how to tell the idea to the decision makers
56. If it didn’t work I would never want to try again⁸
57. It’s too innovative!
58. I haven’t got a manager to deal with uncertainty
59. It’s all engineers here, no creative people
60. It’s not a good time in the company to start this kind of project
61. I’m not right to be the boss for such a project
62. Our company is going through too many changes as it is
63. They wouldn’t give me the necessary time to work on this
64. If it was successful, they would expect a great deal from me
65. Nothing ever changes here
66. It’s all to fast
67. Someone else would take the credit if it were successful
68. I’m not committed enough
69. It’s not enough to be committed, we need money
70. I’m close to retirement
71. The other projects would suffer
72. What would the others say?
73. If you were here, you’d understand
74. Try walking in my shoes⁹
75. I don’t want other things on my mind
76. Someone else will certainly do the same thing better than us and quicker
77. There is no teamwork here
78. I’ve never done anything like this before
79. If it was successful I would have nothing to gain
80. I would not be paid for this kind of activity
81. We are not measured for innovation
82. We don’t have the right credentials
83. It’s not my trade¹⁰
84. It’s not my job¹⁰
85. Too much hassle to sustain the project’s reason-why
86. I’ve already tried and it went wrong
87. It takes too long
88. Our innovation process would stop this project
89. OK, but after August
90. OK, but after Christmas
91. The market is too volatile
92. It’s a luxury we can’t afford these days
93. I think we’re being acquired
94. We’ll have to re-organise soon
95. We’ve just re-organised
96. We’ve got the auditors in, better wait
97. I’m trying to make my life simple, not complicate it
98. I’m like a prisoner, I can’t move
99. My company is exploiting all its resources
100. You can’t draw blood from a stone
101. We’re not interested in innovation
102. We’re already innovative
103. I haven’t got the patience
104. I’m not sure I will start
105. I don’t know how to start
106. I’m too old for this kind of thing
107. The company is too competitive
108. We are not a collaborative company
109. This is the CEO’s job
110. This is the managers’ job
111. I’m trying to leave this company
112. Nice project, but can I send you my CV?
113. Market conditions are not right
114. We need to concentrate on the short term
115. Innovation? Show me something the others do
116. We have a Six Sigma project that’s taking up all our resources
117. We’re cutting costs
118. It won’t work
119. Maybe next year
120. This is R&D’s job
121. I would if I could, but I can’t so I wont
122. Can you first benchmark something similar for me?
123. Be realistic!
124. Too expensive
125. Let’s keep it real!
126. We need to look into the analysis
127. Fine, but in future
128. Too difficult to manage
129. It’s too big a challenge for us
130. Are we sure?
131. I don’t want to be the first to do this in our field
132. We’re doing well, why change?
133. We innovated too much in the past
134. Who says it will work?
135. Let’s wait and see if and what our competitors do.