How Might We Create High Instructional Value in Innovation?

Inspiration, information and instruktions  

In the role of leading and organising people for innovation, we face the challenge of not only inspiring and informing but also providing clear instructions that drive change, renewal, and transformation, successfully realising or redistributing value, while promoting innovation.  

Some exploratory questions – as a leader for innovation: 

• How do we ensure that our communication, in the form of inspiration, information, and instruction, truly leads to action and progress – and has “high instructional value” (Lind & Lisper, 1990, p. 23, Samtal för förändring)? 
   
• How do we communicate and facilitate dialogue in ways that help individuals and teams, workgroups, management, boards, and other contexts move from talk to action, progress, and learning – individually and together? How do we achieve this successfully? 

Exploring together: How do we create high instructional value? 

High instructional value provides answers to the question: “How should I do this?” (Lind & Lisper, 1990, p. 23). “Instructional value” describes the extent to which a statement [task, declaration, claim, utterance] can contribute to a person’s conscious change in behaviour in a specific situation (p. 23).  

One way to create high instructional value is to work together with others and clarify answers to the six questions: WHAT? WHY? for WHOM? WHEN? WHERE? HOW? (Elvnäs & Söderfjäll, 2023, p. 73; 2024, Kära ledarskap). Additionally, we can enhance instructional value by answering the seventh and eighth questions: With which RESOURCES? And with whose STRENGTHS and TALENTS? (Richardsson, 2024, personal communication).  

These are empowering questions that increase “respect for people” and “respect for craftsmanship” (Ljungblom, 2022), making it easier for us to contribute with our unique strengths, more clearly and explicitly, based on the current circumstances. 

Instructional value vs. defensive value 

Instructional value can be contrasted with defensive value, which can be used to justify an action (Lind & Lisper, 1990, p. 24).  

Defensive values are characterised by being abstract concepts on a higher level, important “self-evident truths that everyone agrees on” (Elvnäs, 2017, p. 92). These values lack clarity regarding how we should do something. Examples of defensive values can include “participation, consensus, and customer understanding” (Elvnäs, 2017, p. 92) or the eight principles of innovation management, detached from their tangible examples: systems approach, adaptability, managing uncertainty, leveraging insights, a culture of creativity and effective execution, strategic direction, forward-thinking leaders at all levels, and the realisation of value (ISO 56001:2024).  

Defensive value tends to be abstract, whereas instructional value provides concrete paths forward that lead to changed behaviour. We clearly understand how to make “creative progress in meaningful work” (Amabile & Pratt, 2016). 

Present leaders of innovation 

As leaders of innovation, we need to be present and aware of the risks of using abstract terms that lack specific instructional value. Instead of talking about the defensive value “participation”, we should focus on what needs to be done to achieve participation (Elvnäs, 2017, p. 92).  

“Human behaviour is stimulated by clarity in how something should be done. If something is unclear, it leads instead to a degree of insecurity, uncertainty, and fear” (p. 92), and it creates increased confusion at the expense of focused action. Action is clearly guided and stimulated by addressing the following questions: WHAT? WHY? for WHOM? WHEN? WHERE? HOW? With which RESOURCES? And with whose STRENGTHS and TALENTS? 

Progress and learning – realising new or redistributed value 

It makes a positive difference when we make progress together and create learning in the work of: 1) clarifying crucial instructional values (the eight questions and their answers), and 2) following up at selected time intervals and providing feedback on a) actions taken, and b) any inaction due to low instructional value.  

An increased focus on progress and learning, along with clarification, follow-ups, and feedback on instructional values, naturally contributes to the sustainable development of individuals, teams, and organisations, as well as the work of realising new or redistributed value – innovation (ISO 56001:2024). 

Worth noting – “once upon a time…” 

In methodologies such as Corporate Storytelling, Storybranding, and Storytelling, the seven questions are used: When, Where, Who, What, Why, How, and With whose help? (Mossberg & Johanson, 2007, p. 47). By constructing our stories using these questions, we ensure better listening from the audience.  

Storytelling focuses on engaging the audience by telling a story. Corporate Storytelling is about presenting the company’s identity and values through storytelling.  

In Brand Story, the focus shifts to the customer’s situation, where the customer takes the lead role. It’s not about our product or service but about how our offering serves as a guiding expert in the story. In this way, our offering becomes part of the solution to the customer’s situation and crucial to their journey towards their set goals and desired outcomes. 

Closing thoughts 

In the end, it’s about moving from talk to action. When we focus on creating high instructional value through clear and concrete answers to key questions, we lay the foundation for progress and long-term sustainable value creation.  

By doing this together, we create real change, renewal, and innovation in a transformed world, building a sustainable and flourishing future—one step of progress and learning at a time, focused on the next life-giving instructional value. 

Call to Action 

How will you start incorporating high instructional value into your work today? What small shifts can you make in your approach to drive meaningful progress, and ask a valuable question, in the next situation you enter? 

References: 

Amabile, T. M., & Pratt, M. G. (2016). The dynamic componential model of creativity and innovation in organizations: Making progress, making meaning. Research in Organizational Behavior, 36, 157-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2016.10.001

Elvnäs, S. (2017). Effektfull: Ledarskap som gör skillnad. Liber. 

Elvnäs, S., & Söderfjäll, S. (2024). Kära ledarskap [Podcast]. Tillgänglig på: Apple Podcasts och Spotify. 

ISO 56001:2024. (2024). Innovation management system – Requirements with guidance for use. International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 

Lind, G., & Lisper, H.-O. (1990). Samtal för förändring. Natur & Kultur. 

Ljungblom, M., & Lennerlöf, L. (2022). The Lean principle respect for people as respect for craftsmanship. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 14(1), 75-86. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-06-2020-0085

Mossberg, L., & Johanson, U. (2007). Storytelling: Marknadsföring i upplevelseindustrin. Studentlitteratur. 

Richardsson, D. (2024). Instruktionsvärde och innovation [Personlig kommunikation].