PEOPLE matters
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The human factor in innovation
Richard Plenty and Terri Morrissey reflect on how investing in people and culture is essential for innovation.
What was impossible yesterday is an accomplishment today, while tomorrow heralds the unbelievable’.
These were the words of entrepreneur, Percival Elliott Fansler shortly before the world’s first commercial airline flight took off from St Petersburg to Tampa Bay in Florida , USA on January 1st 1914. A distance of only 17 miles with just one passenger, the former Mayor of St Petersburg.
Fansler’s words were prescient. This one flight paved the way for the billions of passenger journeys that now routinely take place annually, and the complex organisation, infrastructure, technology, and regulation that support them.
The development of aviation has been a story of collaboration, co-operation – and relentless growth. Airports have evolved from simple landing strips to business organisations that underpin the economies of the communities that they serve. Geo-political change and economic uncertainties have provided an ever-shifting context.
On the whole airports have adapted well and shown a great deal of resilience to changing circumstances. Still, the need for innovation has never been greater than it is currently. Coming out of the COVID pandemic, airports now face the immediate challenges of dealing with renewed growth, rebuilding their economic viability and improving passenger experience while at the same time addressing the longer term challenge of environmental sustainability.
How airports bring people with them, so that innovation is welcomed rather than resisted, is critical. Digitisation and technological advances provide paradigm shifting opportunities for innovation, but to take maximum advantage of the possibilities for change will require attention to the people who work at the airport as well as the technology.
Investment in the human side of airports and the organisation culture is equally important in fostering innovation. In particular it will be important to focus on:
- Building communities for collaborative working. Co-creating solutions with others is generally a more successful way of innovating in a complex world that just ‘buying in’ expert solutions. After all, it’s the socio-technical system that needs to change, not just the technical one, and involving people creates a better shared understanding of what needs to be done and what needs to change. Building communities may involve forming new organisational alliances and partnerships – or consolidating existing ones. Developing higher levels of trust underpins this approach.
- Paying attention to the employee experience. People who trust their organisation and feel positive about their overall work experience are more likely to embrace innovation. One innovative area, that of the human centric workplace, sees people, their values, ideas, and experiences as a priority and puts effort into creating meaningful working environments that are inclusive, flexible, and fair. This approach aims to create better work experiences, build in resilience and de-risk innovation. It cares about the experiences of its employees as much as it does about customers and puts in similar investment and effort into making this happen.
- Reconsidering attitudes towards failure. Without the possibility of failure, true innovation cannot flourish. Amy C Edmondson in her book, The Fearless Organization, talks about the need to create organisations where people feel free to speak out, are encouraged to engage in creative ideas generation, and do not fear making mistakes or being punished for getting things wrong.
In such organisations, failure is considered part of the learning and innovation process. In the words of singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran … ‘You learn nothing from success. Nothing. You learn everything from the failures…. Success happens from failing hundreds of times. It doesn’t happen overnight… and you have to have the belief that eventually it’s going to get better’,
Pay attention to people and culture and ‘What is possible today, will be an accomplishment tomorrow’.
Arrivals and Departures
Thomas Wodlbye officially replaced John Holland-Kaye as CEO of London’s Heathrow Airport on October 18.
Gary McLean has been announced as the new managing director of Dublin Airport by Irish airport operator, daa, succeeding Vincent Harrison who has taken up the position of chief commercial and development officer for the daa group.
Swedavia has announced that Susanne Norman will become its new chief operating officer for international airports and Karin Цhrstrцm its director of regional airports, effective from April 1, 2023. Norman will succeed the departing Peder Grunditz who has decided to leave Swedavia after 20 years of service.