Last month, I watched with admiration some parts of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. I couldn't help thinking, "Wow, they put on quite a show."
At times, the ceremony felt like being transported back in time to the Middle Ages, looking at the ornate uniforms, sabres and other historical weapons, horses and carriages, and established rituals like firing a cannon shot for each of the Queen's years of life.
Watching the beautifully orchestrated ritualistic ceremony made me realise the value of tradition, the force that counterbalances innovation, which is the force of renewal I am preaching.
What is tradition? And what is its opposing force?
"When a tradition gathers enough strength to go on for centuries, you don't just turn it off one day," noted the Nigerian writer China Achebe.
Tradition can be defined as a long-established custom or belief that has been passed on from one generation to another. Other related concepts include ritual, convention, ceremony, observance, institution or principle.
In many ways, traditions are like a mighty oak tree -- deeply rooted in the past, towering high above the more mundane aspects of everyday life and providing everything on the ground with shadow and shelter from the celestial turbulences unfolding high up in the sky.
Like a majestic giant redwood, traditions are cherished. So who would even think of cutting an old tree off to make space for something new? And who dares to question some of the long-held traditions?
PLANTING A SEED
As with many things in life, tradition is opposed by a counterbalancing force: progress, or in other words: positive change or innovation. Progress is a counterforce emanating opposite, transformative energy compared to tradition.
It's more like planting, nurturing and growing a fresh seed that can grow into a majestic, sky-scraping redwood in the future.
Interestingly, both traditions and innovations have their place and can make meaning. Traditions can be meaningful because they prevent the end of something good that is worth preserving.
On the other hand, most innovations make meaning because they introduce something new that improves people's lives or rights something that is wrong, thus making the world a better place.
Why is there a tension between these forces?
"Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse," said Winston Churchill. Tradition and innovation (progress) are in a silent tug of war.
This struggle is grounded in a fight for influence, dominance and power and can take place in a family, a group, an organisation or a society.
Traditionalists stand for the preservation of the status quo and the established order of things, while progressives push for moving to a new order and shifting to a new, better world.
Interestingly, the people who are most actively involved in this tug of war are only a minority. We can explain this with the help of Everett Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory and the related innovation adoption curve:
- Roughly one in six people is a diehard traditionalist who likes everything to stay the same and dislikes if someone wants to rock the boat. These people are laggards when it comes to embracing and adopting a new innovation.
- On the other end of the rope in our tug of war, hardcore progressives pull with all their might to introduce positive change into a group, organisation or society. Again, roughly one in six people fall into this category. Rogers distinguishes them into innovators and early adopters who validate and promote the innovation.
- Four in six people represent the majority who watch this tug of war from the sidelines. After some time, they might join rooting for one side or the other, or even join pulling the rope in one direction.
STRIKING A BALANCE
As my admiration for the ceremonies of Queen Elizabeth's ultimate rite of passage indicates, tradition and preservation have their worth -- and so do innovation and creative transformation.
How can we strike a balance between the two poles? How can we bridge the divide between the two opposite forces and acknowledge the value of each while also noticing the negative aspects if one side is too dominant?
If you consider yourself a progressive, you are a vital force of renewal in society, business and life. At the same time, be aware that a group, organisation, or culture can only absorb a certain amount of change at a time without getting overwhelmed by it.
Too much change unfolding uncontrolled often results in chaos and disintegration of order and the rule of law. As such, introduce innovations and positive change gradually to give the majority of people a chance to adjust.
If you pride yourself on being a traditionalist, you help carry on worthwhile past customs, rituals and practices in the here and now. However, beware of being locked in to too many customs, rituals and traditions that weigh you down. Beware of holding on to a long-gone past that prevents you from enjoying the innovative blessings of modern life.
So keep those traditions, customs and rituals widely loved by most of society. These include rites of passage, treasured public holidays and celebrations of achievements, among others.
Dr Detlef Reis is the founding director and chief ideator of Thinkergy Limited (www.Thinkergy.com), the Innovation Company in Asia. He is also an adjunct associate professor at the Hong Kong Baptist University, and an innovation adviser at the Institute for Knowledge & Innovation - South-East Asia (IKI-SEA), Bangkok University. He can be reached at dr.d@thinkergy.com
