Innovation

The highly responsive digital organizations have to be solid enough to give some sort of meaning and open enough to their environment and respond to changes dynamically. 

The idea of ambidexterity, traditionally related to using both hands with equal ease, can metaphorically apply to the ability to handle diverse challenges and opportunities with equal proficiency. 

In "VUCA" reality, the problems become more complex, and individuals or organizations need to build ambidextrous capability to effectively explore the multifaceted reality, implement multiple strategies, or take alternative approaches to problem-solving. This capability involves flexibility and agility, allowing individuals or organizations to switch between different methods or practices as needed in order to come up with innovative solutions.

"Ambidextrous capability" improves the ability to be innovative or creative, which involves generating new solutions to problems. Additionally,  This metaphorical ambidexterity is crucial for innovation and strategic decision-making, enabling the exploration of various pathways to achieve goals. Innovation ambidexterity means that the organization can manage a healthy innovation portfolio with the right mix of incremental innovations and breakthrough innovations. Thus, metaphorical ambidexterity can enhance creativity by enabling individuals to switch between different modes of thinking and explore diverse solutions, fostering innovative and creative outcomes.

Individual-level ambidexterity: Employees need to be able to make judgments about how to divide their time between alignment-oriented and growth-oriented activities, which require complex mind shifts and behavioral repertoires.

In a broader sense, ambidexterity can symbolize cognitive flexibility—the ability to approach problems from multiple perspectives and adapt to different situations. This cognitive flexibility is closely related to creativity, which involves generating new solutions, methods, or artistic expressions. 

Digital is all about rapid changes, blurred territories, and expanded business horizons. An ambidextrous organization can strike the right balance of listening & telling, innovation, and efficiency. The highly responsive digital organizations have to be solid enough to give some sort of meaning and open enough to their environment and respond to changes dynamically. 

Posted in: Creativity,Problem Solving