A Coaching Power Tool By Greg Major, Business Owners Coach, AUSTRALIA
The Concept of Stagnation vs. Innovation
The concept of stagnation was first mooted as an economic theory by Tyler Cowen (2011). Innovation was seen as the antidote and comments arose soon after that “We are living through the consequences of a dramatic decrease in the rate of innovation” (Ogden, 2012).The idea that innovation stands as a positive perspective to stagnation applies equally well in the microcosm of human decision-making and problem-solving as it does in its consequential form at the macroeconomic level.
Stagnation refers to “a situation in which something stays the same and does not grow or develop” (Cambridge Online,2023). In a coaching context, stagnation is evident when someone has become stuck in a situation or state of mind, unable to move, unable to solve a problem, or see their way through to other solutions or remedies. The individual has been unable to innovate their thinking to the point where new ideas and solutions come to mind and instead, the same answers continue to emerge.
My work as a business advisor gives me the opportunity to work with many small and medium-sized business owners. I offer a blended service, which means that sometimes there is work to be done on the business, which is mostly in the form of advice, and sometimes there is work to be done with the business owner, in the form of coaching. In the latter instance, the objective is to enable business owners to reach their full potential as owners and leaders to take on and succeed at the challenges within their own businesses. It is often that I see stagnation as they are overcome with the day-to-day running of their business that they cannot see a way forward. This linkage, then, that connects the economic theory of Cowen, to the decision-making and problem-solving of business owners is real, as is the opportunity to move from stagnation to innovation to unlock fresh perspectives and thinking.
When acting from a position of stagnation, problems can remain unresolved and dissatisfaction can result. This can be the cause of frustration, unhappiness, and a feeling of underachievement. It can also lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed as new problems mount on top of other problems.
Stagnation vs. Innovation
The frames of our mind create define – and confine – what we perceive to be possible. Every problem, every dilemma, every dead end we find ourselves facing in life, only appears unsolvable inside a particular frame or point of view. (Zander and Zander, 2000, p14)
Barriers
Some of the barriers to creative and innovative thinking include (Harappa Education, 2020):
- distraction
- lack of knowledge
- rigid thinking
- perfectionism
- criticism
Distraction can cause people to not allow themselves the time or space to really reflect on a problem or situation, potentially because of other stressors in their life or potentially from the pressure itself to resolve the issue.
Lack of knowledge means that people have not taken the obvious steps of gathering more information that might lead to a solution and instead become stagnated and going in circles. Sometimes finding a solution requires movement from the current situation without knowing exactly what the final outcome might be, taking an incremental approach, with a focus on movement rather than the final destination.
Rigid thinking is evident when one is bound up by embedded beliefs which can hinder the development of new perspectives and ideas. It may also cause the individual to assign the problem to incorrect or flawed causes that hinder the development of innovative solutions. Breaking free of rigid thinking can allow other factors or causes for a situation or problem to be evaluated and considered, bringing to light other possibilities for resolution.
Perfectionism is the concern that finding new ways of solving problems might come at a cost or with additional risk. It prevents the development of new and innovative solutions that are not fully developed or formed from taking shape and coming to life. The perfectionist cannot progress and innovate when they are fearful of sub-optimal outcomes or solutions that risk unintended consequences.
Criticism is the fear that changing the way something is done will bring ridicule from others for disrupting the status quo or shining a light on a problem, thus stifling the motivation to be innovative and feeding the status quo. Addressing the fear of criticism can open the door to innovative thinking and allow new possibilities to emerge.
Flip It – Innovation
Innovation is the “creating and use of new ideas and methods” (Cambridge Online, 2023). The idea of using innovative thinking to solve problems has its history again in the economic domain but extends to this day in the domains of personal problem-solving and business. The original concepts of innovative thinking were Charles Babbage, a 19th-century English engineer, and then Joseph Alois Schumpeter, the Austrian American economist (Numa, 2014). These processes were originally applied to solve process issues, primarily in manufacturing. Today, the concepts of innovative thinking allow us to resolve mental roadblocks relevant to everyday life.
To move from a mindset of stagnation to one of innovation requires mental agility to see the landscape differently, remove biases, open up to possibility, and trust your fears in the hope of a fresh and improved outcome.
I have chosen this as the flipped perspective because it encompasses not only a change of thinking but a change of attitude and speaks to resilience and strength of character, courage, and a desire and a will to change. These qualities resonate deeply with me as a coach and one that I hope to be able to create space for my clients to explore. Working from the perspective of Innovation, one can unshackle the limiting beliefs, stagnant energy, and constructs that bind them to old ideas and solutions to unlimited potential and freedom to think freely, without fear to try new and bold ideas.
Coaching Questions
Some coaching questions that might assist a client to explore their current perspective in light of the 5 dimensions of stagnation include:
- What issues are distracting you from seeing this problem more fully?
- How can you develop the space to potentially see this problem differently?
- What do you need to learn to identify new solutions?
- What else could you actively do to explore more potential solutions?
- What assumptions are you making?
- What beliefs are you carrying about this situation?
- What factors might be involved that you haven’t yet considered?
- What do you need to do to be more creative?
- What would support you in facing your concerns about this situation?
- How might this situation be different if a new solution emerged?
- What is one step you could take in the direction of a new solution?
 |
 |
|
The same old answers keep circulating around and we can’t seem to find a way forward to think of anything new. Being stuck in a groove can relieve you from the responsibility to find new answers or ways of doing things, but is that all there is on offer? Sometimes fear of change or criticism is driving us to keep the status quo or we haven’t taken the steps we need to get more information or learn. We can feel frustrated at the lack of progress because we are too busy to attend to the problem or we might even believe the cause of the problem is something that we haven’t really tested or confirmed. Any of these factors could be keeping us stagnated from moving forward.
|
The state of mind where we open up to new creative possibilities, put aside our fears, and invite the unexpected and unexplored. Innovation is the condition where we let go of the belief that every solution has been explored and we allow ourselves to be creative. We reach into the unknown and question our existing beliefs about problems or situations that might have held us back. Innovation is as much an attitude as a way of thinking as it liberates and energizes. It rekindles our curiosity about what might be possible, removing constraints and letting us ask the question “What if”?
|
References
Cowen, T. (Ed.). (2011). The Great Stagnation: How America ate all the low-hanging fruit of modern history, got sick, and will (eventually) feel better. Dutton.
Ogden, T. (2012, Spring). The Race vs. The Stagnation (SSIR). Stanford Social Innovation Review.
Stagnation. (2023, September 27).
Zander, R. S., & Zander, B. (2002). The art of possibility (Rev. ed.). Penguin Books.
Creative Barriers—What are the Barriers to Creative Thinking? (2020, October 27). Harappa Education.
Innovation. (2023, September 27).
Numa, G. (2014, April 7). Institute for New Economic Thinking. Charles Babbage and the History of Innovative Thinking.
