Autonomy
for Sale: Learning from the Best
IDEO is the world’s largest and most successful
design and development firm. Since the company was formed in 1991,
it has a distinct design methodology, a renowned culture and process
of innovation. IDEO’s way of working, which is a culture
and environment based on dedication to fast-tracking the innovation
process, is marketed to large companies that had lost the ability
to be innovative. According to David Kelley, CEO of IDEO, “the
larger the company, the greater the barriers to be innovative”.
Thus he uses IDEO’s work approach and style to teach his
companies such as Steelcase to act small and stay innovative.
Kelley manages to keep IDEO “continually creative”
by avoiding common mistakes made by other well-known design firms.
Even a design firm, which starts off as a small dynamic team,
shifts over to hierarchical structure once it grows beyond certain
size. Much like any other organization an expanded design firm
ends up with rigid procedures and systems where the head designer,
or the CEO, makes the majority of the decisions. Consequently,
the overall company morale and creativity drops low enough to
affect the entire company’s profitability. At IDEO, a series
of small operating studios consisting of 25-30 people make up
the firm. According to Kelley, “each studio has a high degree
of autonomy: it can design its own space and determine its own
direction according to its needs and interests, free of rules
from the center” (2001
p.30). In order to avoid anarchy, however, managers from each
studio meet with Kelley on a daily basis to discuss outstanding
issues and to update projects. Instead of setting a hierarchy
by giving official titles or formal promotion, IDEO encourages
higher standards of performance through peer pressure. In addition,
each IDEO studio stands by a set of underlying principles known
as FLOSS.
F stands for Failure –
meaning don’t be afraid to take risks
L stands for Left-handed
– remember that not all users are like you
O stands for Out there
– don’t just sit at your desk
S stands for Sloppy –
prototypes don’t need to be perfect
S stands for Stupid –
don’t try to be too clever or presume you know it all
(Myerson, 2001, p.31)
Without innovation, an organization can only grow to a certain
extent. In order to thrive in our tumultuous current market a
company must not only seek creative talents but also set an inspirational
environment for these individuals. In place of hierarchy, there
needs to be equality. In place of constraints, there needs to
be freedom. In place of procedures and permissions, there needs
to be trial and error. In order to attain “creativity and
innovation” there needs to be autonomy.
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