David
Herbst & Nancy Beck.
As
a result of the discussions we had
there, we understand better the way in
which ideas must be sold.
Since any established
organisation is, by nature, more
adaptive orientated than its most
innovative (and therefore more prolific)
idea generators, the more the innovative
“idea seller” is likely to offer
ideas that buck the system.
Yet, in order for ideas to be
sold successfully, one must sell the
structure or context in which that idea
will live, i.e., make the idea come
alive inside a context appropriate for
and understandable to the audience.
Organisationally
savvy innovators have learned that they
need structure around their ideas.
This structure gives innovators
better understanding of their concepts
– enabling them to make more logical
and organised presentations to the
organisation.
Adaptors are more willing to
listen to the novel idea if it comes
fully clothed in fashions that are
perceived as being appropriate for the
event.
Editor’s
Note (2003):
Since this tactical
note was published no one has offered
their experience of how the more
insightful adaptors try selling ideas to
an innovatively inclined leadership.
Is the most common approach to
sell adaptive ideas as innovative or to
try to sell the notion that adaptive
style plays as critical a role as an
innovative one – the problem how to
get the right balance for the problem
being faced at this moment!
On this problem, we need more
views based on hard experience.
David Herbst & Nancy Beck, 1993