Creating a safe space is not the endgame when building an innovative organisation. There’s one more step you can take:
Transform a safe space into a brave space.
A safe space is great. It’s a space where people feel free to ask questions, share ideas, or try new experiments. However, that doesn’t yet mean they will.
Innovation is about doing something new. Doing something new is always served with a certain level of discomfort. In a brave space, people actively embrace discomfort and are constantly trying new things.
I love this analogy David Bowie once shared in an interview:
“If you feel safe in the area that you are working in, you are not working the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”
Innovation is doing something exciting.
In a safe space, people feel free to explore the waters. In a brave space, people take the plunge.
