Innovation
Read this and complete the task (1 hour well spent)
There has been research conducted to help to support our understanding of the how, why and at what speed new ideas and technology spread through cultures (Rogers, 1962).
The model is likely to familiar to you because it is how clever people explain to other clever people how “change” and “the new” is adopted.
Image from: https://phdsoft.com/innovator-5-stages-technology-adoption-you-must-know/
At the front of the curve, ahead of it even, there are people who do the innovations. Then there are the people in the organisation who are “early adopters” and getting them onboard is important for innovation to gain momentum. This facilitates the bringing in of the “early majority” who see the innovation take hold, and then you get the people who come in later as it is embedded, and last but not least, the laggards. They are mainly people who come because they have to, or they had so little at stake in the innovation, they didn’t need to pay attention. They might even just be the kind of people who are proud to never “buy into” things until the very end, the last one out.
This research might also contain some other things you have heard of before, in how it describes the characteristics of how people perceive innovations, and how this perception impacts on the speed of their adoption by these groups. The more people agree with the sentence in the brackets as it relates to your innovation, the more likely they are to adopt it:
“As a user, I want to use innovations that offer clear improvements, so that my tasks become simpler and more efficient than before.”
Or: (“I perceive a relative advantage by doing it the new way”)
“As a user, I want innovations that seamlessly integrate into my current workflow or lifestyle, so that I can feel the benefits without overhauling my routines.”
Or: (“I perceive it is compatible with my values and how I like to do things.”)
“As a user, I want innovations that are intuitive and easy to use, so that I can confidently engage without feeling overwhelmed or challenged.”
Or: (“I perceive simplicity in doing it like this”)
“As a user, I want to feel it is easy to try out innovations on a temporary basis, so that I can assess their benefits and feel secure about my decision to then more fully adopt them.”
Or: (“I perceive it is easy for me try it out”)
“As a user, I want to see the tangible results that innovations provide, so that I can trust in their effectiveness and feel reassured in their value to me.”
Or: (“I perceive observable value and benefits to me in doing it”)
Understanding and Applying Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation Model for Your Innovation:
Your task if you choose to accept it -
1. Review the User Stories:
Review the user stories thinking about how they relate to the innovation you're invested in.
Remember the Research:
The closer the user resonates with the underlying statement, the more likely they are to embrace your innovation.
The better your innovation addresses the needs expressed in the user story, the higher the chances of rapid adoption.
2. Contextualise the User Stories:
Based on your understanding of each of the user needs stated in the above stories, tailor it to suit the context of your specific innovation. You should create a new version of all five stories linked to your innovation idea.
3. Draft Key Communication Messages:
Derive key communication points from the five statements emphasised within the brackets.
(“I perceive a relative advantage by doing it the new way”)
(“I perceive it is compatible with my values and how I like to do things.”)
(“I perceive simplicity in doing it like this”)
(“I perceive it is easy for me try it out”)
(“I perceive observable value and benefits to me in doing it”)
Remember the Research:
by communicating the perceived value and advantages of your innovation you will increase the likelihood of attracting the other innovators and early adopters required to provide the momentum needed for an innovation to be adopted across wider groups successfully.
4. Document Your Findings:
Dedicate 15-20 minutes to complete the above steps (2-3).
Allocate another 10 minutes to refine and articulate your findings either in a document or as presentation slides for an initial innovation pitch.
Challenge yourself as an innovator to apply this knowledge now, especially if you have an innovation in mind, and your stake in the innovation is significant.
5. Reflect on the Value of What You Just Did:
Congratulate yourself!
This exercise can save considerable cost, effort and planning time later.
Recognise that these steps are supported by the research and model you've just engaged with, learned about and applied.
6. Feedback and Continuous Learning:
Share your work with me here at the blog if you would like some feedback or to have a chat about what you are doing.
Additionally, reach out if you would like to offer suggestions on further aligning this process with something else, or you know stuff about Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation Model.
Skip sharing with me, and go straight to sharing your work with someone else you know for clarity or to start a conversation.
Don't hesitate to reference this post or Rogers' original work, unless you're positioning this knowledge as a unique skill in your professional setting. If that's the case, own it confidently and best of luck leveraging its value in potential professional advancement.
Remember, the ultimate goal is to make discussions around innovation more straightforward and actionable for everyone involved.
My Reflection:
Acknowledging the role of perception related to your innovation and its impact on adoption sounds so obvious, almost logical, but Rogers (1962) research was significant in the insightfulness it provides for innovators and communicators of innovations. While it is somewhat about the functionality of the innovation, and the effectiveness with which it does what it is meant to do, there is also perception that change managers need to acknowledge and maintain awareness of during the process of putting an innovation out into the world.
Because the product and function is not known to the audience before it is released and they don’t know much about it immediately after the release of the innovation. During that early release stage, at this time, the model explains that you need the innovators and early adopters to buy into your innovation. This speeds up the process of bringing in the early, compliant majority who know how to follow. From a communication perspective, you want your pre go-live and go-live messaging for your innovation to align with encouraging people to see themselves agreeing with the statements you have written for your innovation.
You want the key messages for these communications to encourage the innovators and early adopters to jump in. Then, to keep people in, and bring in the early majority and other groups, you want the statement in the user stories you have written for your innovation to be met, and for the statements in the brackets to be true for the people using your innovation.
Conclusion:
This model is helpful, and it should be reinforced that nobody is always in one of the categories for everything, you could be way ahead on adopting technological innovation at work, and a real laggard on adopting change to your diet or exercise, or a late majority in your thinking on social issues, just as some examples.
Other factors that impact where you are in the model are: area of your life, the cultural context, your status in relevant hierarchies, financial circumstances, level education and understanding and tolerance of risks.
You might see yourself as being in different buckets to the one you are in, but know you will definitely be in different buckets depending on what the innovation is and what is at stake for you.
This is a key part of the model. Understanding where you are in relation to adopting your innovation, where the customers perception is, and knowing where employees are in this model can help you proactively manage adoption of your innovation.
References:
PHDsoft, (2016, October 18). Are You An Innovator? The 5 Stages on Technology Adoption You Must Know, https://phdsoft.com/innovator-5-stages-technology-adoption-you-must-know/
Rogers, E. M. (1962). Diffusion of innovations. New York, Free Press of Glencoe.