What Is a Red Monkey?: An Interview with Jef Staes
A few weeks ago I received an email with the subject line, “Do You Like Red Monkeys?” I have to admit that one caught my eye, so I did a little investigating and discovered the work of Jef Staes. At this point, Jef is relatively unknown in the United States, but he is a recognized expert on change and innovation in Europe. Now he is reaching out to English-speaking audiences with a video series on YouTube and an English language website (it’s still under development).
After looking at the video series (you will find one at the end of this post), I decided that it would be great if Jef explained his concepts for all of you, rather than trying to summarize his work myself. He kindly agreed to answer a few questions. I hope you find his answers as interesting as I did.
Could you please describe your concept of Red Monkey Innovation Management?
The concept started to develop itself a few years ago. During one of my seminars one of the participants asked me where to start with very confrontational change projects. At that moment, I had just learned about the origin of the rich bio diversity in a rain forest. It didn’t start at the middle of the forest but at the edge where different species from different eco systems ‘meet’. At the spot I created a metaphor of a brown monkey from the jungle that meets a red fish from the sea. They start ‘talking’ and from their conversation a new confrontational idea is born: a Red Monkey. I then asked what would happen if that confrontational idea would be dropped in the middle of the jungle. The answer was unanimous … it would be killed. I then said the same happens with confrontational ideas that are ‘dropped’ in the middle of an organisation … they get killed also. Innovation ‘never’ start at the middle of an organisation but as the edge …
How do a Red Monkeys travel from the fringes to the center of an organization?
Red Monkeys are created by Red Monkey breeders or ‘creators’ … they communicate with ‘Pioneers’ who are able to envision the potential of the idea and are able to make the idea work. When there is a proof of concept the idea is handed over to ‘followers’ to make the proof of concept operational.
Red Monkeys will no doubt encounter resistance. How do they overcome that resistance and become accepted?
Red Monkey Hunters are the opponents of new ideas. Most of the time they don’t understand the idea because it is not brought into practice yet. Sometimes they do understand the idea but realize it could become a treat for their existence. A confrontational idea is always an opportunity for people who believe in the idea but at the same time it also a treat. The only way to overcome resistance is to make it work and proof its value.
Can an entire organization be Red Monkey minded? I’m thinking of companies like Apple or Pixar that are known for constant innovation. Or is it just that these types of organizations have more Red Monkey Breeders than their competitors?
Not everyone has to be a Red Monkey Breeder but organisations have to build in such a way that Red Monkeys (confrontational ideas) can be handed over from creators to pioneers to followers. If this process … what I call Red Monkey Innovation Management is disturbed an organisation can’t be innovative enough to survive in a faster changing environment. Innovative organisations have this ‘hand over’ process
If an organisation doesn’t have any Red Monkeys breeders right now, where can it find some?
It has to go and find them outside of the company. Every organisation has to do this … this is called open innovation. An organisation that only looks for Red Monkey Breeders within the company will not be able to renew its business portfolio fast enough.
How do human resources and hiring practices fit into the cultivation of Red Monkey breeders? How about organizational culture?
In order to install a Red Monkey Innovation process organisations have to transform their organizational culture … and that’s the most difficult part. You can’t build a really innovative organisation with today’s management. And since management itself is responsible for organizatonal culture change it seems nearly impossible. How to do that is another story.
As a bonus, here is the first part of Jef’s video series explaining Red Monkeys:
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This guy is like the Tom Peters of Europe. I like the ideas as I have seen the innovation and the killing of innovation. I believe I have been a pioneer in most organizations. Often Red Monkey Hunters have caused conditions that made me move on. I would definitely like to know more about Jef and his concepts. they are very easy to grasp at this level.
Thanks so much for bringing them to our attention.
Bruce’s last blog post..Lose 1 pound of Fat a week – Activity
This is such a good post, and so true of every organization I have worked for in the past. How unfortunate it is, that the majority of people, including CEOs, fear change, rather than exploring or embracing it, or seeing it as something that might bring them profit and long-term employees. The organizations which do welcome change, and which challenge that which “have always been done that way” tend to do better in the long run than those that stick to their old, unbending ways.
What can you change about the way you do things?
Jeniffer Karas’s last blog post..The Achievers-Part 3–Getting Started and Learning As You Go
@Bruce – I can definitely agree that many organizations are full of Red Monkey Hunters! And sometimes the only thing you can do is leave .
I’ll be posting more about Jef’s work in the near future, so do check back soon!
@Jeniffer – I like how you left a challenge to everyone reading your comment. Personally, I try to do something at least once per week to change my perspective and stimulate creative thinking – that’s the purpose of my SmallChange series.
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