Use an Incubator as a Means to Manage Change

One of the challenges we hear most often from clients is how difficult it is to manage change. Often, really great and necessary strategic initiatives stall simply because the culture of an organization cannot manage the change necessary to move forward on a good idea. And, the death of great ideas can often be what I call “dualism”, or the idea that an organization has to be “all in” or “all out” to enact a concept. It is that “either/or” thinking that kills great ideas.

I often believe that building a new idea incubator to “pilot” or “try on for size” new strategies is a way to mitigate and manage the change in an organization. Most schools or colleges are happy to be innovative and try new ideas if — and here is the big catch — it does not impact them directly or change their work environment. Creating an incubation hub is one way of building safe change, innovation, and experimentation into a school or college culture.

Consider making short-term commitments — such as three years — to a few new ideas emerging out of a strategic plan. Put those programs and ideas into an incubation hub and see what sticks. Place your most innovative faculty and teams into that hub to grow and water the seeds. It is a great way to creatively operationalize new ideas that emerge out of your strategic plan.