Just like in yoga, achieving innovation in business requires patience, preparation, and consistency. This post explores how SMEs can sustain innovation momentum by breaking down goals into achievable steps, using structured sprints to navigate uncertainty, and gradually building toward transformative change—much like mastering a challenging yoga pose with the right warm-up.
A Yoga Class and a Business Insight
Over the weekend, I attended a basic yoga class.
It was an hour long, and as we moved through the sequence, I began to notice a pattern in the way the instructor scaffolded the drills. Every move, every stretch, was designed to prepare us for the camel pose, or ustrasana—a deep backbend that requires flexibility and strength.
Had we attempted the pose right from the start, without warming up, it would have been impossible. Worse still, we risked injury.
This methodical approach to reaching the pose got me thinking about the similarities between yoga and the process of business innovation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
A New Approach: Treat Innovation Like Yoga Practice
What if we treated business innovation the way we approach yoga?
In yoga, mastering a complex pose requires preparation, patience, and gradual progress. Similarly, in business innovation, expecting overnight transformation is unrealistic and even harmful.
Innovation is not a sprint; it is a practice, and like yoga, it requires warm-up drills that allow your team to gradually become capable of achieving something greater.
So what does the warm-up for innovation look like in practice?
- Set a stretch goal—something ambitious yet achievable over time.
- Break down the goal into 4-5 week sprints, focusing on bite-sized achievements.
- Commit to the process for at least six months—around 5-6 sprints in total.
- Set tangible targets at the end of each sprint to measure progress.
- Debrief after each sprint to assess learnings and adjust the next phase accordingly.
- Rinse and repeat, focusing on consistency and learning.
The Benefits: Focus, Momentum, and Clarity
As your team works through these innovation "drills," they will become more focused, sustaining the momentum needed for long-term change. They will gain clarity on both the problems they are addressing and the solutions they are developing. Most importantly, they’ll become comfortable with navigating uncertainty, which is an inevitable part of innovation.
Much like how each yoga drill prepares the body for a challenging pose, these structured sprints will prepare your organisation for achieving innovation goals that once seemed out of reach.
Over time, you will find your way to your own “camel pose” in business—reaching new heights of innovation without burning out or giving up too soon.
Final Thoughts: Warming Up to Innovation
Just like in yoga, sustaining momentum in business innovation is about consistent practice and gradual progress. By setting stretch goals and working through focused sprints, your business can move towards transformational change without the burnout or frustration that comes from rushing the process.
Remember, lasting innovation does not happen overnight, but with the right approach, it becomes achievable.
Learn More: How I Structure Innovation Drills
If you’d like to learn more about how I structure these innovation drills for my clients, feel free to check out this blog post: Unlocking Innovation: How Lean Experimentation Drives Success.
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- Unlocking Innovation: How Lean Experimentation Drives Success