Offer the Carrot – Bury the Stick

Earlier in this blog, I wrote a little in a post called Subjectivity in Risk Assessment about research showing that we accept greater risks from voluntary hazards than from involuntary hazards. I would like to expand on that topic because I think it is important in understanding how members of an organization respond to efforts to innovate.

Consider the following list of voluntary and involuntary hazards:

Voluntary Hazards

• driving or riding in a car
• recreational risks – such as cycling, motorcycle riding, white water rafting, rock climbing. SCUBA diving
• entertainment risks – amusement park rides, bungee jumping
• alcohol consumption
• smoking
• sun exposure
• flying in a plane

Involuntary Hazards

• air pollution
• hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes
• hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
• communicable diseases
• second-hand tobacco smoke

If you are like most people, you consider many of the involuntary hazards to be a more significant that the voluntary ones. A great deal has been written about the statistically verifiable impact of all the hazards listed. For this discussion, it is not necessary to discuss at lengthy the relative impact of each hazard. The point is that hazards that are imposed on us are commonly perceived as more significant or threatening than those we take by choice.

One example it sun exposure. Many people actively seek to enjoy the warming rays of the sun. Yet it can be readily proven that doing so brings with it significant negative consequences.

How does this apply to encouraging innovation in organizations? The clear message is that you will be more successful if you create incentives as opposed to requirements. It is as simple as seeking action with a figurative “carrot” versus “a stick.” Whether it is change, uncertainty, temporary discomfort or hazards, people do not like them to be imposed upon them.

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