“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge” – STEPHEN HAWKING
Who would want destruction? Am pretty sure nobody wants to cause damage to something that cannot be cannot be repaired anymore. I surely do not want to be a part of it.
On the flipside, there is what is called “Creative Destruction”. Simply put, this is the dismantling of longstanding practices in order to make way for innovation. They could also be disruptive technologies that can completely change our lives.
From the manufacturing industry where I spent more than 30 years, this simply means the deliberate dismantling of established processes in order to make way for improved methods of production. In the early 1900s, the introduction of mass production propelled America to industrial power status. The initial conveyor type lines were later out staged by cell type lines. As production needed to be more efficient & yield better results in terms of quality, cost and sustainability, automation & robotics have been incorporated as well.
Examples of disruptive technologies are cars, railroads & trains replacing traditional means of transportation, smart phones replacing landlines, smart watches replacing wristwatches, livestreaming replacing CDs & DVDs are some examples of disruptive technology that saw the demise of earlier technology or way of doing things.
As of late, the biggest creative destruction seen is the internet. It is by far the greatest disruptive technology that completely changed our lives in terms of way of communicating, storing data, socializing, etc.. Imagine if we did not allow creative destruction to flourish, maybe am still typing away this article in my old but reliable Olympia typewriter smudged with correction fluid.
As an Organizational Development person, I’d like to believe that Creative Destruction & Disruptive technology can help companies/organizations move up to the next level and be better.
In Human Resource, from simply being an admin help and or HR tag along clerk, the new business model to follow is the HR Business Partner (HRBP) model. HR being a Business Partner must refocus on helping the business come up with good business decisions, not merely churning out suspensions, terminations or payroll disbursements as we have always been traditionally known for.
For countless companies/organizations, participated & witnessed a lot of discourse on how to propel growth and remain relevant in this very difficult & changing times. Being in the midst of leaders who are respected peers, intellectuals, legal minds, seasoned professionals and passionate advocates just gets really exciting. Am always in awe of experts in their chosen fields of endeavor “picking each other’s brain” with the aim to have the best solution to a particular concern/problem.
Discussions could go on to the point of debate, wherein in some instances, made me think, why it seems like nothing is being concluded, accomplished or agreed upon even if these are all considered “experts” in one way or another. Having both the appropriate knowledge and wealth of experience and yet these so called experts still face challenges, obstacles & even failure made me think hard.
It is either their knowledge has not been a tuned to the requirements of the current situation or their past experiences where they became successful have prevented them to be more creative, seek suggestions, listen to sound advise or look at other options other than theirs.
A keen observer will always see who among experts stand on firm or on shaky ground. It is a choice between those that rely on data to draw conclusions against those that ignore them; those that would like to sound senselessly technical and sugarcoat things against those that are simply practical; those that sound so scripted & biased against those that discuss based on issues; those that seek consensus among peers against those that would like to fast track everything; those that articulate intelligently against those that angrily reply with threats & repercussions or the expert that will intervene to have a healthy compromise or one who will proudly take sides then shutdown anything contrary to their side idea/s.
A simple discourse, becomes an endless debate with nothing that really being accomplished except for bruised relations and damaged institutions.
A loud reminder, including to myself, that it is an illusion to think that one always has the right answer to any situation. Sticking to what always worked well before will surely work in the generations to come is a fallacy that is most dangerous and growth stunting.
It is like a dagger stuck not only in your heart but also between your eyes because it prevents us to have that feel and vision to see the real path to being successful again.
Creative destruction does not simply destroy anything in its path. It seeks to create new opportunities, improve chances of success, innovations and better decisions making processes. It welcomes disruptive technology.
Monarch’s have long been ceremonial leaders. Leaders with growth mindset, who are open to honest feedback, have ready humility, respects all sides & ideas and the unquestioned integrity almost always make good decisions.
GOOD MORNING HARDWORKING PEOPLE!
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