Humility as a Driver of Innovation?

I'm just a singer with a song
How can I try to right the wrong
For just a singer with a melody
I'm caught in between
With a fading dream

-- Freddie Mercury, In My Defence

Typically when someone acts on behalf of an organisation, it is the organisation, not that someone, who is considered responsible for making sure they both act in each-other's interests. This recognisably feudal attitude - where labour is traded for security - is the basis for such things as "commissions, profit sharing, efficiency wages," and so on.


It would be a clear failure of imagination on the part of an organisation to try and buy solidarity from an employee for whom the only dollar figure able to do that would best go towards their independence.

At least, it would be - if organisations knew the feelings and attitudes of those working with them. In this light it is curious but unsurprising that things like 'twenty-percent time' and horizontal business structures are mostly discussed as policies of innovation rather than policies of humility.

Just as whistleblowers are only desirable in the presence of imperfect institutions, when managers can justifiably not know some thoughts of those working for them, empathy is critical from colleagues who are trusted with that information.

If blindspots are not formally acknowledged as they may be in such practices as Valve's (which seems superior for this to Google's individualistic policy - though I work for neither), then the only remaining line of defence against wasted talent is that of employees who are proud of good, meaningful work. And since little of meaning can be achieved without collaborating, empathetic colleagues who have time to spare.

If employees are convinced their work is good, are we half way there? Or less?