Why are so few companies truly innovative?

Innovation is key to business survival, and companies put substantial resources into inspiring employees to develop new ideas. There are, nevertheless, people working in luxurious, state-of-the-art centres designed to stimulate innovation who find that their environment doesn’t make them feel at all creative. And there are those who don’t have a budget, or much space, but who innovate successfully.

For Robert B. jCialdini, Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, one reason that companies don’t succeed as often as they should is that innovation starts with recruitment. Research shows that the fit between an employee’s values and a company’s values makes a difference to what contribution they make and whether, two years after they join, they’re still at the company. Studies at Harvard Business School show that, although some individuals may be more creative than others, almost eveiy individual can be creative in the right circumstances.

One of the most famous photographs in the story of rock’n’roll emphasises Cialdini’s views. The 1956 picture of singers Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis jamming at a piano in Sun Studios in Memphis tells a hidden story. Sun’s ‘million-dollar quartet’ could have been a quintet. Missing from the picture is Roy Orbison, a greater natural singer than Lewis, Perkins or Cash. Sam Phillips, who owned Sun, wanted to revolutionise popular music with songs that fused black and white music, and country and blues. Presley, Cash, Perkins and Lewis instinctively understood Phillips’s ambition and believed in it. Orbison wasn’t inspired by the goal, and only ever achieved one hit with the Sun label.

The value fit matters, says Cialdini, because innovation is, in part, a process of change, and under that pressure we, as a species, behave differently, ‘When things change, we are hard-wired to play it safe.’ Managers should therefore adopt an approach that appears counter¬intuitive – they should explain what stands to be lost if the company fails to seize a particular opportunity. Studies show that we invariably take more gambles when threatened with a loss than when offered a reward.

Managing innovation is a delicate art. It’s easy for a company to be pulled in conflicting directions as the marketing, product development, and finance departments each get different feedback from different sets of people. And without a system which ensures collaborative exchanges within the company, it’s also easy for small ‘pockets of innovation’ to disappear. Innovation is a contact sport. You can’t brief people just by saying, ‘We’re going in this direction and I’m going to take you with me.’

Cialdini believes that this ‘follow-the- leader syndrome’ is dangerous, not least because it encourages bosses to go it alone. ‘It’s been scientifically proven that three people will be better than one at solving problems, even if that one person is the smartest person in the field.’ To prove his point, Cialdini cites an interview with molecular biologist James Watson. Watson, together with Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA, the genetic information carrier of all living organisms. ‘When asked how they had cracked the code ahead of an array of highly accomplished rival investigators, he said something that stunned me. He said he and Crick had succeeded because they were aware that they weren’t the most intelligent of the scientists pursuing the answer. The smartest scientist was called Rosalind Franklin who, Watson said, “was so intelligent she rarely sought advice”.’

Teamwork taps into one of the basic drivers of human behaviour. ‘The principle of social proof is so pervasive that we don’t even recognise it,’ says Cialdini. ‘If your project is being resisted, for example, by a group of veteran employees, ask another old-timer to speak up for it.’ Cialdini is not alone in advocating this strategy. Research shows that peer power, used horizontally not vertically, is much more powerful than any boss’s speech.

Writing, visualising and prototyping can stimulate the flow of new ideas. Cialdini cites scores of research papers and historical events that prove that even something as simple as writing deepens every individual’s engagement in the project. It is, he says, the reason why all those competitions on breakfast cereal packets encouraged us to write in saying, in no more than 10 words: ‘I like Kellogg’s Corn Flakes because… .’ The very act of writing makes us more likely to believe it.

Authority doesn’t have to inhibit innovation but it often does. The wrong kind of leadership will lead to what Cialdini calls ‘captainitis, the regrettable tendency of team members to opt out of team responsibilities that are properly theirs’. He calls it captainitis because, he says, ‘crew members of multipilot aircraft exhibit a sometimes deadly passivity when the flight captain makes a clearly wrong-headed decision’. This behaviour is not, he says, unique to air travel, but can happen in any workplace where the leader is overbearing.

At the other end of the scale is the 1980s Memphis design collective, a group of young designers for whom ‘the only rule was that there were no rules’. This environment encouraged a free interchange of ideas, which led to more creativity with form, function, colour and materials that revolutionised attitudes to furniture design.

Many theorists believe the ideal boss should lead from behind, taking pride in collective accomplishment and giving credit where it is due. Cialdini says:

‘Leaders should encourage everyone to contribute and simultaneously assure all concerned that every recommendation is important to making the right decision and will be given full attention.’ The frustrating thing about innovation is that there are many approaches, but no magic formula. However, a manager who wants to create a truly innovative culture can make their job a lot easier by recognising these psychological realities.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INNOVATION

1. Giải thích từ vựng

• Innovation (n) /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/ sáng kiến, điều mới đưa vào, cái mới, phương pháp mới

Eg: The recording industry is driven by constant innovation.

His latest innovation is a theater company that will perform for schools.

Innovative (a) 

Collocation 

• innovations in sth
• financial/organizational/technological innovation

• Survival (n) /səˈvaɪ.vəl/ sự sống sót/ người còn lại; vật sót lại (của một thời kỳ đã qua); tàn dư, tan tích

Eg: The doctors told my wife I had a 50/50 chance of survival.

His main concern is to ensure his own political survival.

Collocation 

• survival of the fittest

• Substantial (a) quan trọng, trọng yếu, có giá trị thực sự, lớn lao

Eg: The findings show a substantial difference between the opinions of men and women.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Big They live in a big house in the country.
• Large A large number of people were crowded into the room.
• Great The party was a great success.
• Enormous They bought an enormous house in the suburbs.

• Luxurious (a) /lʌɡˈʒʊə.ri.əs/ sang trọng, lộng lẫy; xa hoa, xa xỉ

Eg: They have a very luxurious house.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Comfortable After a long journey I was looking forward to sleeping in a comfortable bed.
• Comfy There are two big comfy sofas in the lounge.
• cosy The living room is warm and cosy.
• Snug She longed to be home in her snug little cottage.
• Homely The aim is to create practical, homely interiors rather than statement designs.

• State-of-the-art (a) /ˌsteɪt.əv.ðiːˈɑːt/ (công nghệ) tiên tiến, hiện đại

Eg: The control panel uses all the newest technology and is considered state-of-the-art.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Modern The building was made using modern construction techniques.
• Up to date The hospital has some of the most up-to-date equipment in the country.
• Latest She always wears the latest fashions.
• Cutting-edge Computers have brought cutting-edge technology into the classroom.
• high-tech Divers with high-tech equipment discovered the wreck of the ship.

• Stimulate (v) /ˈstɪm.jə.leɪt/ kích thích, khuyến khích

Eg: The government plans to cut taxes in order to stimulate the economy.

The athletes had taken pills to stimulate their metabolic rate.

• Budget (n) /ˈbʌdʒ.ɪt/ ngân sách, ngân quỹ

Eg: The firm has drawn up a budget for the coming financial year.

Libraries are finding it increasingly difficult to remain within their budget.

• Recruitment (n) /rɪˈkruːt.mənt/ sự tuyển dụng

Eg: The recession has forced a lot of companies to cut down on graduate recruitment.

It’s all part of a recruitment drive intended to increase the party’s falling numbers.

Collocation 

• a recruitment process/policy/procedure
• a recruitment company/firm/group
• a recruitment campaign/drive
• make recruitments

• Hidden (a) /ˈhɪd.ən/ ẩn giấu, giấu kín

Eg: There were hidden microphones in the room to record their conversation.

Hidden problems may lead to an increase in costs.

•  Ambition (n) /æmˈbɪʃ.ən/ tham vọng/ hoài bão, khát vọng

Eg: Her ambition and dogged determination ensured that she rose to the top of her profession.

We are looking for someone with drive and ambition.

Driving ambition is what most great leaders have in common.

Collocation 

• • ambition to do sth After his heart attack, he abandoned his ambition to become CEO.
  • achieve/fulfil/realize your ambition He has already achieved his main ambition in life – to become rich.
  • ultimate/long-term ambition Her ultimate ambition is to run her own business.

• career ambitions

• political/personal/artistic ambitions 

•  Hard-wired (a) /hɑːdˈwaɪəd/ tự động suy nghĩ hoặc hành động theo một cách cụ thể

Eg: Babies are hard-wired to pay attention to anything that is fast-moving, brightly colored, or loud.

All humans are hard-wired for language.

Many aspects of morality appear to be hardwired in the brain.

•  Counterintuitive (a) phản trực giác, khác thường

Eg: Steering a sailboat is counterintuitive – you push the tiller the opposite way to the way you want to go.

These results seem counterintuitive.

•  Seize (v) /siːz/ nắm lấy (cơ hội)

Eg: I seized his arm and made him turn to look at me.

He seized the opportunity of a free flight with both hands.

Collocation 

• seize a challenge/opportunity
• seize the initiative

•  Invariably (adv) /ɪnˈveə.ri.ə.bli/ luôn luôn vẫn vậy, lúc nào cũng vậy

Eg: There’s no point in rushing – she’s invariably late.

High blood pressure is almost invariably accompanied by high blood cholesterol.

This acute infection of the brain is almost invariably fatal.

•  Gamble (n) /ˈɡæm.bəl/ cuộc đánh bạc, cuộc may rủi/ việc mạo hiểm được ăn cả ngã về không

Eg: Her publishers knew they were taking a gamble when they agreed to publish such an unusual novel.

•  Feedback (n) /ˈfiːd.bæk/ thông tin phản hồi

Eg: Have you had any feedback from customers about the new soap?

There was a lot of positive feedback which was very encouraging.

•  Collaborative  (a) /kəˈlæb.ər.ə.tɪv/ (tính) cộng tác

Eg: The presentation was a collaborative effort by all the children in the class.

•  Crack (a) /kræk/  làm nứt, làm rạn, làm vỡ/ phá (mật mã, mật khẩu…)

Eg: A stone hit the window and cracked the glass.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Break I didn’t mean to break your phone.
• Fracture Last year he fractured his skull.
• Bust One of the children has bust the computer.
• Shatter The ball hit the window and shattered it.
• Smash I dropped the vase and it smashed.
• Snap She bent the ruler and it snapped.

•  Rival (n) /ˈraɪ.vəl/ đối thủ, địch thủ, người kình địch, người cạnh tranh

Eg: He beat his nearest rival by 20 marks.

The companies produce rival versions of the toy.

The company has decided not to go through with the takeover of its smaller rival.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Challenger

• Competitor

• Contender 

•  Stunned (a) /stʌnd/ choáng váng, sửng sốt, kinh ngạc

Eg: They stood in stunned silence beside the bodies.

I am stunned and saddened by this news.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Amazed

• Astonished

• Astounded

• Dumb

• Founded 

•  Teamwork (n) /ˈtiːm.wɜːk/ 

Eg: Great teamwork and old fashioned grit got the team a last minute point.

Her determination, teamwork skills and leadership capabilities convinced us that she was perfect for the job.

These activities are used to encourage teamwork.

•  Pervasive (a) /pəˈveɪ.sɪv/ toả khắp, lan tràn khắp, thâm nhập khắp

Eg: The influence of Freud is pervasive in her books.

Reforms are being undermined by the all-pervasive corruption in the country.

pervasively (adv) 

pervasiveness (n)

•  Old-timer (n) /ˌəʊldˈtaɪ.mər/ dân kỳ cựu (ở nơi nào, tổ chức nào…)

Eg: I happen to be an old-timer in connection with this matter.

•  Inhibit (v) ngăn chặn, hạn chế, kiềm chế/ ngăn cấm, cấm

Eg: Some workers were inhibited by the presence of their managers.

This drug inhibits the growth of tumours.

Collocation 

• inhibit competition/growth/innovation Authorities fear that fewer, bigger airlines will inhibit competition.

•  Regrettable (a) /rɪˈɡret.ə.bəl/ đáng tiếc, đáng ân hận

Eg: The omission of a sponsor’s name on the program was a regrettable error.

The loss of jobs is highly regrettable.

Regrettably (adv)

•  Wrong-headed (a) /ˌrɒŋˈhed.ɪd/ ương ngạnh/ không phù hợp, có thể gây hậu quả xấu

Eg: He admitted that the party had followed policies now considered wrongheaded.

•  Overbearing (a) /ˌəʊ.vəˈbeə.rɪŋ/ hống hách

Eg: Milligan had a pompous, overbearing father.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• domineering 

• disapproving

• haughty 

• disapproving

• imperious

•  Interchange (n)  /ˌɪn.təˈtʃeɪndʒ/ sự trao đổi lẫn nhau, sự thay thế lẫn nhau

Eg: An international medical conference was established for the interchange of new ideas and approaches.

•  Outperform (v) /ˌaʊt.pəˈfɔːm/ làm tốt hơn

Eg: The company has consistently outperformed its rivals this season.

Collocation 

• outperform (your) competitors/rivals

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Exceed

• Outdo

• Outstrip

• Surpass 

•  Loyalty (n) /ˈlɔɪ·əl·ti/ lòng trung thành, lòng trung nghĩa, lòng trung kiên

Eg: My loyalties to my family come before my loyalties to my work.

Can I count on your loyalty?

Companies are eager to build brand loyalty in their customers.

He inspires great loyalty from all his employees.

Collocation 

• loyalty to/towards somebody/something

•  Dominant (a) /ˈdɒm.ɪ.nənt/ át, trội, có ưu thế hơn; có ảnh hưởng lớn, chi phối

Eg: Unemployment will be a dominant issue at the next election.

Brigitte Bardot was the dominant image of womanhood in French cinema during the 1960s.

United’s 3-0 defeat underlined the fact that they were no longer the dominant side in the league.

Dominance (n)

•  Liable (a) /ˈlaɪ.ə.bəl/ có khả năng bị; có khả năng xảy ra

Eg: The areas of town near the river are liable to flooding.

He’s liable to make a fuss if you wake him.

Collocation 

• liable to sth You will be liable to tax on the interest.

•  Promotion (n) /prəˈməʊ.ʃən/ . sự thăng chức, sự thăng cấp, sự đề bạt

Eg: Did Steve get the promotion he wanted?

The job offers excellent promotion prospects.

Collocation 

• get/receive a promotion
• be recommended for promotion
• a candidate for promotion.

•  Ignore (v) /ɪɡˈnɔːr/ lờ đi, phớt đi, làm ra vẻ không biết đến

Eg: She can be really irritating but I try to ignore her.

Safety regulations are being ignored by company managers in the drive to increase profits.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Disregard He disregarded the advice of his doctor and went back to work.
• turn a blind eye to Until now, the mayor has turned a blind eye to the city’s homelessness problem.
• close your eyes to The administration closed its eyes to human-rights abuses by its soldiers.

1. Luyện tập

Bài 1: Chọn từ trong khung để hoàn thành các câu bên dưới

hidden	innovation	gamble	stimulate	luxurious
seized	survival	state-of-the-art	substantial	ambition

1. Humans, he argues, are amoral and what guides them is not any sense of morality but an instinct for …………………
2. He says universities should work with the private sector to foster …………….. and entrepreneurship.
3. This machine is an example of ………………… technology.
4. The government is taking steps to …………….. business development in economically distressed areas .
5. The first draft of his novel needed a ………………… amount of rewriting.
6. Cinemas are not all ……………….. halls which run their programmes for six days of the week. 
7. She finally achieved her ………………… to visit South America.
8. This tiny museum is a ……………….. treasure of the city’s Old Quarter.
9. A Malaysian tycoon …………………. the chance to bid for the company, and won.
10. It was a ……………. using such an inexperienced director, but it paid off.

Bài 2: Chọn đáp án đúng để điền vào chỗ trống

1. ………………. the reply came back, ‘Not now!’                                                                 A. Invariably            B. Substantially 
2. Now that he’s an …………….., his music seems even more solid and substantial.          A. ambition             B. old-timer
3. A sense of social change is ……………….. in her novels.                                             A. pervasive               B. substantial
4. A survey in January highlighted the ……………….. of people with leadership skills as one of HR directors’ biggest worries.   A. survival     B. recruitment
5. The project went over ……….……. because of a miscalculation at the planning stage.        A. innovation             B. budget
6. There is evidence that we are ………………….. to be musical.                                            A. hard-wired              B. luxurious
7. Rules that may lead to …………………………………….results are explicitly removed.       A. counterintuitive       B. hidden
8. The walls ………………. and the roof collapsed in the earthquake.                        A. collaborative         B. counterintuitive
9. There was a ………………… silence when I told them the news.                  A. stunned        B. hidden
10. There was a lot of positive …………….. on your article about parenting.         A. rival           B. feedback
11. In his brief experience, working for tips encouraged selfishness rather than …………………..    A. teamwork          B. loyalty
12. She was a ………………….. figure in the movement for constitutional reform.                           A. overbearing         B. dominant
13. The firm’s intranet is a forum for the …………………….. of new ideas and approaches.          A. interchange              B. teamwork
14. She hired an assassin to eliminate her ………………….                                                              A. feedback           B. rival
15. Everyone is dependent on everyone else to produce sound resulting in a truly ………………. situation.    A. collaborative            B. luxurious
16. It is highly ……………..…… that the delegate cannot be here in person.             A. dominant            B. regrettable
17. If you really want the …………..….., you’ll have to be more assertive.                  A. loyalty              B. promotion
18. Employment reports suggest that the US economy will …………………… Europe in the months to come.        A. outperform           B. seize
19. Some states have a rule that …….……………. lawyers from talking about their cases outside the courtroom.   A. stimulates           B. inhibits
20.  I wasn’t the least impressed or intimidated by her ……………….. attitude.                  A. overbearing                B. regrettable
21. How can the government ………………. the wishes of the majority?                            A. ignore                 B. outperform
22. It was a blatant attempt to buy their …………….……….                        A. loyalty                  B. interchange
23.  Ignorant about the public world of men, of capital and labor, she nevertheless continues to offer advice that repeatedly proves to be ……………..                          A. wrongheaded            B. regrettable
24. He’s ………………… to say anything that comes into his head.       A. dominant             B. liable

Bài 1: 

1.survival 2. innovation 3. state-of-the-art 4. stimulate 5. substantial 

6. luxurious 7. ambition 8. hidden 9. seized 10. gamble 

Bài 2: 

1.A 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. B

6. A 7. A 8. B 9. A 10. B
7. A 12. B 13. A 14. B 15.A
8. B 17. B 18. A 19. B 20. A
9. A 22. A 23. A 24. B