Do you Have Innovation Akinetopsia?

In a book on neurological aspects within human behavior, I learned about the existence of Akinetopsia (Motion Blindness). It is a neuropsychological disorder in which a patient cannot perceive motion in their visual field, despite being able to see stationary objects. Imagine that a car is riding towards you, but you just see discrete pictures of that car, so are not really aware that it is nearing.

What a nice metaphor for the lack of innovation awareness in some organizations. Although it is pretty obvious that all company’s surroundings (customer expectations, global competitors, new business models that redesign sectors,…) are moving, in some companies there seems to be a manifest form of Akinetopsia. People see in fact discrete changes and this leads (in the best case) sometimes to smaller innovations, to hold the me-too equilibrium. Nevertheless, often a clear view on the continuous change is the main reason for the absence of an attracting vision as a motivating guide for all employees. It’s clear that in these organizations, the Akinetopsia spreads and a collective blindness for any change results.

For those interested about the neuropsychological aspects, check the following video out:

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Kurt Peys is Innovation Management Challenger within the Innovation Centre Antwerp. He supports SME entrepreneurs and managers on their way to successful innovations.