As I walked to the local lockdown farmers market this week with my inquisitive twelve-year-old daughter, she tested my elementary knowledge of astrophysics to the very limit. We talked about different planets, the stars, the galaxy, the universe, and the possibility of parallel worlds. It got me thinking about further parallels to business, and especially in the current challenging times. Specifically, I thought about the different profiles of organizations and their ability to not only survive but to thrive beyond the current crisis into the New Normal. I liked the context of the Stellar Galactic and hope that you do too. In business, the Perfect Star has all the factors required for success. They are balanced and aligned in a way that they are focused, from leadership through to execution and everywhere in between. They understand the importance of an aligned approach and that all the moving parts are focused on client and consumer success. "The Perfect Star, has the foundational core, an equal balance of Dreamers and Doers, of Partners and Believers and has the fundamentals of Liquidity, Nimbleness, Agility, and importantly the Imagination to adapt, even co-create the New Normal." Just like everything in existence, stars have a lifespan and different factors dictate how long that can be. The difference is the currency of stars is millions, billions, or even trillions of years. Just like a business though, these foundational elements are critical in understanding that trajectory and life-cycle, but unlike a star, a business has the opportunity to make changes to what the future can be. If this Perfect Star is likened to our own Sun, it is stable, optimally sized, with a balanced fuel and burn rate, then what are the other potential categories in the constellation, galaxy, or universe we can learn from? "Which star relates to your organization, but more importantly, which one do you aspire to be into the future?" There are many examples but here is a quick summary: The Protostar is the equivalent of the start-up in the business world. It's a collection of gas full of gravitational energy but not the nuclear fusion to materialize fully. Often they either fail or get swallowed up, only the few make it all the way to superstardom. A Tauri Star is waiting for its big break before it makes it to center stage as a Main Sequence Star. Its gravitational pressure holds itself together and is often its only source of energy, yet to have all the ingredients required for nuclear fusion. The Red Giant has gained critical mass but over time has consumed all of its energy but can still exponentially increases in size. Despite its continued growth, it has depleted all its fuel, and in the absence of a renewed source it will eventually turn into a White Dwarf - it may continue to exist but become increasingly less relevant in the scheme of the wider Universe. "The Red Giant exists in business. The company's size and mass continues to push growth but it may have run out of its fuel - creativity, new ideas, innovation, or lack of talent to further future differential." True, it's not just about the makeup of the star itself, it's also about the environment in which it exists, but without the right level of awareness, innovation, creativity, talent, then the internal and external factors can lead to any organization becoming a White Dwarf, or altogether non-existent. Red Dwarf Stars often have a much lower mass and are much cooler than our own Sun. They are however able to keep the hydrogen fuel mixing at their core and can conserve their resources for much longer than most others and are estimated to continue burning for a very long time. "Red Dwarf's will not necessarily shine the brightest, but they will continue to outlive most of their contemporaries." Neutron Stars are between one and a half and two times the size of our Sun. When they die, often through a catastrophic supernova explosion, it leaves behind its core and becomes a neutron star composing entirely of neutrons. If the original star is even bigger, then these can become black holes, or in business, can get swallowed up where the core activity is complementary to an acquirer. Supergiant Stars are the largest stars in the Universe. They are monsters, dozens of times the mass of our Sun. Unlike a relatively stable star like the Sun, Supergiants are consuming hydrogen fuel at an enormous rate and will consume all the fuel in their cores within just a few million years. "Supergiant stars live fast and die young, detonating as supernovae; completely disintegrating themselves in the process." Especially in this current environment, there are several Supergiant Star candidates to watch closely. Then finally, Main Sequence Stars have all the factors of the Perfect Star, they are both balanced and stable. They have an overall vision and purpose, their stakeholders are aligned with the shared values and focus of success. They have sufficient fuel, funding, liquidity, they have the optimum mix of factors for them to shine bright. As you can see, stars come in many sizes, colors, and varieties, as do businesses. Knowing what accounts for this, and what their various life stages look like, are all important when it comes to understanding our Universe. It also helps when it comes to our ongoing efforts to lead our organizations into the future and steer them to the longest possible period of sustained success. I am sure you will draw your own conclusions on which type of star represents your organization but the constants exist in astrophysics as they do in business. Companies also need the right conditions not only to survive but to thrive. A set of factors uniquely balanced to ensure you have the gravitational pull that aligns your united efforts, the right balance of resources required to fuel your business, the optimum size, and sufficient focused energy to excel. "At the core, you have Liquidity, Nimbleness, Agility, and Imagination to varying degrees. This is at the very heart of your star. You should nurture each of these well." The shared vision and values between your Dreamers and Doers, your Believers, and Partners is your gravitational pull. Your Insights, your Proactive Innovation, your Value to, and Strategic Alignment with your stakeholders, including your customers is your fuel source. Finally, Your Brand, your Image, and Reputation are your shining light and together will be collectively what will make your star shine long into the future. I hope you have enjoyed my meanderings and that I have not exposed my almost non-existent knowledge of astrophysics too much! What I do know is that our world, our universe is changing and only those with these core elements, harnessed in the right amounts will not only be the ones to survive but the ones who will thrive and shine long into the future. 4xi is a global consulting firm helping EMPLOYERS, OPERATORS, INNOVATORS, and ACCELERATORS Optimize the Power of Potential. 4xi Global is a part of the Global Partner Leadership Board of WORKTECH and is also the Chapter Chair for North America.

It might seem like an obvious statement, but what are the obstacles in the way for corporations to successfully innovate? Meaningful innovation is an essential element to long term and sustainable business success. As your competition develops and evolves, companies need to make sure that they keep up. Some choose to follow the trend, some choose to lead the way, and those who do neither will eventually wither. Fail fast, the mantra of Silicon Valley is the dichotomy of the culture that can often exist in corporations, the fear of failure. Innovation for Innovation Sake First, I want to test the principle of meaningful innovation, what does that mean? How do you get the balance right between challenging the status quo, disruption, and avoid innovation for innovation's sake? This is an equation between what consumers think they want, what innovators think they need, and somewhere in between an educational evolution that drives adoption and ultimately a sink or swim for the product, service, or technology. "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." - Henry Ford. As an old mentor of mine once said, “don’t go suggesting selling sandwiches on the space shuttle.” And, there have been many inventions that just do not get past GO because they are too highly technical, too gimmicky, impractical, or beyond the realms of the consumer's imagination. The balance equation has been missed. Funky, futuristic workstations, a Nose Stylus for multi-tasking. The Fliz that overcomes the need for bicycle saddle, the iPhone Fan. Or what about a paper shredder for your hamster's cage, a baby mop so infants can clean the floor, or what about even vibrating jeans? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and at some point, innovators believed that all these ideas were good, had value and that consumers would adopt to make them, The Next Big Thing. The flying car, in some shape or form, may well yet make an appearance in the mainstream. In Los Angeles, there is much hype about the prospect as they think about the infrastructure of sky-ports, landing pads, and even self-flying autonomous vehicles in the air space above. It was not that long ago that this was just considered a fantasy, a dream, a storyline in The Jetsons. Back down on terra firma, think about the plight of the electric car, and how after decades of that prospect, TESLA has turned it into reality. TESLA is leading the charge. In just seventeen years they have reached a market capitalization of nearly 7X that of Ford who has been around since the beginning of automotive, over a century earlier! There are many examples of companies who failed as a result of their inability, for whatever reason, to innovate. The famous Kodak story who invented the digital camera but decided that traditional film was the future. BlockBuster having the opportunity to buy Netflix but turned it down. Nokia, Compaq, ToysRUs, there are many examples of why having a healthy regard for innovation probably makes good business sense. So, if the premise of the need for innovation is accepted as being important, then what are the challenges and blockages in the way. Entrepreneurial Spirit For many of us, the notion of the entrepreneurial spirit might be likened to the stuff of pioneers, climbing the highest mountains, exploring the deepest oceans, maybe polar explorers, space explorers. We tend to look up to these few. We admire them, we are in awe of their trials, tribulations, and successes, often as our heroes. Thing is that these pursuits are often dangerous, and many times these pioneers are putting their lives at risk. That is the same in corporations. Those individuals that take the most risks may well be more likely to succeed but they are also more likely to fail too. The Corporate Herd Corporate compensation systems rarely reward risk, and never reward or recognize failure which is, and should be so closely linked to innovation. When Thomas Edison was asked the question, "How did it feel to fail a thousand times?" his response was: "I didn't fail a thousand times. The light bulb was an invention with a thousand steps." - Thomas Edison. Compensation programs mostly reward the success and the safety of the herd and not the entrepreneurial innovator. In fact, if the innovator is perceived as putting the herd at risk then a group resistance may dilute the innovation itself, or worse, halt it completely. Disruption Indigestion The whole notion of disruption flies in the face of everything we have ever learned from childhood, from our parents, throughout our school years, and into the workplace. Disruption often gives many workgroups and individuals indigestion, and in many cases, corporations too. Courage Innovation doesn't just need a good idea, the resources and wherewithal to turn the dream into reality, or, the consumers' appetite for ultimate adoption, it also requires its fair share of courage too. "One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." - Andre Gide. A challenge from a C-Suite Executive asked my group, "How do we really disrupt our marketplace?" As the room fell deathly silent, I suggested lifting the lid on the industry's dark and secret practice and the retention of hidden purchasing rebates as a sure way to really challenge the status quo. From the reaction, I understood there and then that the challenge was aesthetic and not a fundamental desire. There was no real appetite to truly disrupt. The fear of disruption was not just the internal fear of failure but also the fear of disrupting an entire industry and a lifetime of industry relationships. In other words, whether the idea was right or wrong, there was an element of personal risk that got in the way. The Sterling Method Bob Christopher, Senior Director for Innovation at Diamond Edge Ventures, a division of Mitsubishi, and career innovation leader shared with us his thoughts on innovation in corporations and introduces the Sterling Method. Innovation requires creativity, inspiration, and insights. Yet many companies bury innovation by penalizing risk, i.e. failure. Instead, they promote compliance with the corporate culture and company objectives. Of course, many companies think they are innovative and they promote themselves in this way. "So, how do you know if your company is truly innovative or just talking innovation (not walking it)?" Well, there is a formula for measuring innovation within a company, it’s called The Sterling Method. The formula focuses on the variables that support or penalize risk. These variables are: Employee compensation models Access to corporate resources Internal communication flow Physical and virtual work environments Mentorship or advisory support, and C-level alignment. By addressing each of these six, then organizations can create an environment where innovation may not only survive but thrive. De-Risking Innovation Opportunities exist to remove some of these risks and obstacles from the process of innovation. There are many examples of enterprises accommodating or even acquiring the capability. Often enterprises maintain their independence as they recognize the distinct cultural differences and the risk of suffocation. Some organizations create workgroups that sit in isolation to the rest of the business. Maybe in a different building, a different culture, a different work experience, and often starkly different look, feel, environment, and output. This is evidenced by Financial Services firms having in house FinTech Labs, Automotive manufacturers having a presence in Silicon Valley, retailers developing new technologies to lessen the reliance on bricks & mortar. "A large, traditional, financial services firm with suits and ties, conservative, risk averse. A couple of blocks away, a roof top studio office full of hoodies, free snacks, music blaring and a tribe of FinTech software developers busily creating, inventing, innovating." The core business needs this innovation to survive and stay ahead. The talent needed to achieve this goal are different, have different needs, values, desires and simply don't abide by the same rules. Outsourcing Innovation Tapping into outside resources to fuel your innovation pipeline may well also be an option, and an attractive one too. Specialists who scout for the latest products, services, technologies to keep you ahead of the game. Or, through their network of innovators build on demand. Innovation: How will you Choose to Optimize your Future Potential? ------------ 4xi Global Consulting works with innovators on our quest to identify the innovations whether products, services, or technologies specifically for the world of work and ultimately how these can drive a better work experience adding value to both Employers and Operators in the space. EMPLOYERS | OPERATORS | INNOVATORS | ACCELERATORS Work Experience | Global | Consulting | Hospitality Review | Benchmark | Insights | Partnerships | Growth | Innovation | Accelerate Strategy | Marketing | Talent | Procurement | Leadership | Impact 4xi Global is proud to be Chair of the WORKTECH Academy North America and on the Global Partner Leadership Board. Driving the conversation on how we'll work tomorrow.