Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2019 279 Acquisi International - Issue 4 2019 17 Protostar : Renowned for Achieving Excellence So, what next after the survey results are discussed? Michael is keen to explain that this is where the excitement truly begins. “We run a series of workshops with any employee that is considered key to the organisation being more innovative. Partly, this is to teach a series of easy to learn innovation techniques, but also to have them make decisions that will impact the organisation, such as a agreeing a process for gathering and filtering innovation ideas. We find the workshop approach speeds up the change process and allows for participants to come away feeling that not only did they learn something, but that they made decisions.” To prove the point about innovation techniques being easy-to-learn, Michael demonstrates how to look at everyday products and services with a view to seeking possible innovation. It is fascinating to listen as he points to everyday objects and names familiar processes that we all use and helps you to look at them differently. This leads me to ask Michael about ‘Disruptive Innovation’ — is that not the key to a company’s success? “Possibly,” says Michael. “Disruptive Innovation is commonly misunderstood, with many thinking you simply do things in a radically different way and that’s an innovation. Instead, companies should consider whether their sector has tended to work in the same way for a long time – such as the taxi industry, which was disrupted by Uber – or if there is a segment of their customer base that tends to get forgotten. By offering something unique to that small segment and getting a name for yourself, it allows you to start offering that new approach to more mainstream and, typically, more profitable segments. This leaves the established providers wondering where on earth you came from. Not all companies exist in that situation, so disruptive innovation is not for all.” This message sometimes comes as a disappointment to clients, who were excited by the prospect of being the disrupters, and, again, that’s where Protostar’s innovation coaches kick in, helping the leaders to follow a more appropriate path. Protostar’s team of consultants and coaches all have many years of business and leadership experience, a deliberate decision by Michael. “Many consultancies hire raw graduates, and while I am also a university professor, so I support graduate hiring, when it comes to helping a whole organisation to become more innovative, the leaders need an experienced and steady hand to help them achieve that.” As winners of the 2019 Best Innovation Support Consultancy, Protostar’s Managing Director Michael seems quite upbeat about the future, despite the uncertainties that Brexit brings. “Brexit, while not something I wanted, is going to drive change and change can drive innovation if it is properly supported. If an organisation wants that innovation support, Protostar will be there for them.” As for the future in general, Michael is also optimistic and excited. “When I was a boy, I had a book that explained what the future would look like. By the year 2000, all pavements would move you along on a conveyor and there would be a base on the moon. While I am disappointed that didn’t happen, the book never imagined innovations such as smartphones, the gig economy or me having a YouTube channel. The precise nature of future innovation is difficult to predict, but rest assured that there will be many new innovations and, unlike invention, which often needs technical skills, anyone can be taught how to innovate. So, we all have an opportunity to get our names in the history books.” Michael started to explain the difference between “invention” and “innovation”, but we are out of time. A topic of a future AI article maybe. Company: Protostar Leadership Development Contact: Michael Coates Contact Email:
[email protected] Address: Portland House, Belmont Business Park, Durham, DH1 1TW, UK Phone: +44 (0) 191 3855455 Web Address: www.protostar-uk.com | www.protostarsurveys.co.uk YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ ProtostarDevelopment/videos “It all started due to family connections to Mexico, however, I soon found that there is a very strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative work ethic in the young people of Mexico, so it is a great pleasure to help nurture that.” Michael Coates Visiting Professor ITESM Mexico 2019’s Best Innovati n Support Consu ta cy