Innovation guru Gary Hamel (aka: powerful communicator of complex organizational topics and user of relevant examples) said something that made me wonder. Apple’s core values are rooted in the elements of innovation. Is that just a marketplace thing that churches should ignore? Or does it have paradigm shift potential?One of Apple’s core innovation values is to ‘aim to surprise the customers’. They want to cause their customers to shout WOW! when they use Apple’s products or services. Gary went on to say that employees believe deeply in what they are offering and want to make a magical experience for their customers. And get this, they make it a cultural norm to act wild and passionate when their customers are surprised!
This might sound like a beneficial outcome commercial companies strive for with customers... but does it apply to churches? If Apple is aiming to surprise, it seems many churches are simply aiming to please. Surprise is experiencing the unexpected. To be pleased is to experience the expected.
Jesus, a great innovator, often created unexpected moments that surprised his followers in ways that drew them closer to God. Do churches do that? Is this an innovation concept that has merit for a local church? Or do we write it off because it seems like the pursuit of commercialism?
by: Craig (@CraigTerrill)
Innovator, WCA
You can hear Gary Hamel share his insights on innovation and the Church at the WCA’s March 17 free webcast!
The easy answer is to write off innovation and surprise as the "pursuit of commercialism" because that's the easy pathway. To some extent, this might also be a temptation for churches that are already considered to be innovative as it's easy to rest on past success. But the bottom line, as stated in the original post, Jesus was constantly innovating and challenging cultural norms. The church needs to do this too. The one caution is to make the WOW and SURPRISE about Jesus and not us or our own efforts. When we start turning the praise towards ourselves is when it becomes a problem.
ReplyDeleteBy all means, let's learn from industry. But let's not be stupid about it!
ReplyDeleteApple's seeking to WOW their customers with the raw materials of the latest circuits, gizzmos and gadgets and a healthy helping of innovation. Most of us respond saying, "It was so obvious, why'd no one think of this before?"
Our raw materials are a 2000 year old message and an invitation that aside from the Holy Spirit's enablement no one wants. The great WOW is when someone "gets it" and we see them change. Even then, the common response from those "outside" is "I doubt it!".
At what point do we stop talking about innovative methods and start praying like our very lives depend on it? Jesus warned us that this would be hard, and it is. Of course it was no cake walk for Him, either!
(Terry)
Innovation....., yes I agree with Gary Hamel.......requires a corporate body with a leader that is uncommonly humble, stimulates the entire body to think about others from an outside in view. Over history, the best innovative ideas come from the fringe by people who possess a unique servant heart view of reaching customers and ability to promote the need and desire for the products and services of the corporate mission.
ReplyDeleteTraditional inside out thinking is not new to business, but it is quite rare. Given our fleshly desires to serve our individual needs before the needs of others, others question the underlying mission of any organization. If it looks or feels, self serving, then the credibility of the organization is in question.
Thanks to Gary and the WCA for a superb opening webinar. My thinking is stimulated and I look forward to the next event, with great anticipation of what message it may hold.