Tactics of Innovation with Joel Barker

About the film...

A Message from Joel Barker

Thank you for your interest in Tactics of Innovation. Our goal is to present an approach that individuals or groups can use to increase acceptance of a new idea or product. The program draws on the work of Professor James Bright, now retired, and my own applications of Professor Bright’s research. Together, we have studied this issue for more than 60 years.

New ideas and innovations generate one of the great ironies of life: while we all benefit from change (not many of us would want to live without such conveniences as the telephone or microwave oven), we also resist it. We resist change for some very logical reasons (some emotional, some cultural and some intellectual). The fundamental reason we resist change is that it upsets the careful balance between new and old that we work so hard to achieve in our jobs, at our homes, and in our communities.

This resistance, however logical, can be overcome. Tactics of Innovation offers a powerful pathway that anyone can use to do this. By applying these guidelines to your situation — whether it is introducing a new structure in your organization, a new candidate for city council, or a lifesaving invention — you can remove the barriers between your ideas and potential users, and increase the likelihood of acceptance.

As always, I wish you the best for your future,
— Joel Barker

Key Concepts:

• Upside, Yes
• Downside, No
• Seemingly Simple
• Small Steps
• Clear Message
• Compatible Fit
• Credible Messenger
• Reliable Performance
• Easy In
• Easy Out

Quotes from the film:

“Here is a great irony: What has been just as constant as change is the almost universal resistance that new ideas encounter. Great ideas which could improve people’s lives and make the world a better place sit on the shelf unused because we are somehow unable to convince people of the value of these innovations.”

“Invention is the creation of a new idea. Innovation is the introduction of that idea to its users.”

“…because they are good and rational reasons for not adopting an innovation. Instead of trying to ignore those reasons, or even worse, belittle them, now, using the tactics of innovation, you can respond to them with dignity and respect.”