Innovation Was Never the Goal: A CALM Framework Integration

I’ve often been told after presentations or in response to articles, “That’s great—but I can’t do that here at my institution.”
My answer is always the same: Yes, you can—but you have to build the culture, bit by bit, and it’s slow.

Culture change isn’t a campaign. It’s not something you launch—it’s something you grow. And growth requires CALM—intentional Communication, ongoing Adaptability, continuous Learning, and thoughtful Management that aligns people and processes toward shared purpose.

As highlighted in Harvard Business Review’s “Nurturing Innovation,” innovation is a long, collaborative journey. It’s not just about generating ideas; it’s about sustaining relationships, providing ongoing support, and curating experiences that allow people to connect, reflect, and grow together. CALM is the scaffolding for that journey, ensuring that innovation emerges from clarity, trust, and shared direction—not pressure to “be innovative.”

Build the Conditions, Not the Brand (CALM in Action)

Innovative cultures are paradoxical. Creativity, collaboration, and risk-taking depend on discipline, accountability, and high standards. The CALM framework makes these tensions manageable:

• Communication ensures expectations are clear, honest dialogue is normalized, and psychological safety is practiced rather than promised.
  
  
• Adaptability helps teams embrace experimentation while staying responsive to changing needs and unexpected outcomes.
  
  
• Learning reinforces that success is not a single moment but an ongoing process of skill-building, reflection, and shared growth.
  
  
• Management provides the structure—resources, boundaries, and alignment—needed for people to take meaningful risks.
  
  

If you want a culture where people take risks, you must also create one where people deliver results.
If you value experimentation, you must also value rigor.
If you promise psychological safety, you must also model candor and fairness.

The article’s case studies show that psychological safety is built through careful selection, equalizing power dynamics, and curating experiences that foster trust. CALM turns these insights into daily practice, helping leaders create spaces for honest dialogue, reflection, and shared accountability.

Practical Ways to Build a Culture Conducive to Innovation (Through CALM)

Protect Time for Thinking (Communication + Management)

Innovation doesn’t happen between back-to-back meetings. Build white space into calendars, reduce unnecessary reporting, and make reflection part of your workflow.
The article emphasizes the importance of structured support and reflective checkpoints—regular opportunities for teams to step back, share experiences, and learn from each other.
This is Communication (clarity about expectations) and Management (designing workflows that prioritize quality over speed).

Reward Learning, Not Just Success (Learning)

Celebrate when teams learn something new, even from a failed attempt. Reinforce the difference between productive failure (which yields insight) and avoidable mistakes.
This aligns directly with Learning in CALM: knowledge-building, curiosity, and iteration as core organizational values.

Model Candor and Respect (Communication)

Ask your team to critique your ideas. Show them it’s safe to challenge leadership. The best leaders invite debate—and grow from it.
Psychological safety is not just comfort—it’s the foundation for innovation. Leaders must nurture environments where sharing both successes and challenges is encouraged.

Balance Freedom with Accountability (Adaptability + Management)

Give people autonomy, but set clear expectations. Shared governance does not mean shared ambiguity.
This pairing is the essence of CALM: Adaptability empowers creativity, while Management ensures structure, alignment, and follow-through.

Invest in Competence and Development (Learning + Management)

A culture that tolerates experimentation must also demand excellence. Provide resources, training, and feedback so that everyone has the skills to thrive.
Holistic mentoring—coaching team dynamics, not just ideas—is critical for sustaining innovation.

Flatten the Hierarchy, Strengthen the Leadership (Communication + Management)

Empower decision-making at every level, but ensure leaders still set vision and direction. Flatness works only when anchored by clarity.
CALM keeps empowerment from drifting into chaos by grounding it in purposeful communication and thoughtful management.

People Before Products (CALM as a Human-Centered Lens)

In academic libraries and higher education, innovation is too often equated with technology. But the most transformative innovation is human. It emerges from trust, learning, and leadership that centers people—not platforms.

The examples in Anne-Laure Fayard, Jess Majekodunmi, Matina Mendola, and Rachel Kenny show that thriving innovation ecosystems are built by connecting people to mentors, networks, and resources. Alumni stay engaged, share experiences, and help new innovators succeed.
This is CALM at scale: communication networks, adaptable structures, learning pathways, and management strategies that elevate people, not products.

A nod to Seth Porter’s reflection: innovation and operational excellence are outcomes, not goals.
The true goal is to build organizations where people can shape their environments, lead their own projects, and grow together.

Inclusive Innovation (CALM as the Foundation of Equity)

At Inclusive Knowledge Solutions, we believe innovation starts with inclusion. When people have time, trust, and resources—and when leaders balance freedom with accountability—creativity follows.

Communication builds transparency.
Adaptability ensures processes meet people where they are.
Learning empowers growth across diverse experiences and identities.
Management aligns values with action, ensuring inclusion is practiced, not just stated.

As Ruha Benjamin points out, building that culture is slow, deliberate work. But it’s the work that matters most. Because when people thrive, innovation takes care of itself.