For companies to maintain significance in a world that continues to change at a rapid rate, they need to cultivate a culture of innovation. This is precisely how AAA has continued its record of success for more than 120 years. AAA has existed since the introduction of the automobile and the innovations introduced by the organization have played an essential role in its success. These innovations include driving schools, road maps, tow trucks, road signs, and traffic controls.
Over the decades, the AAA brand has expanded considerably, with new services meant to address the shifting needs of drivers. Today, AAA has more than 63 million members and this number continues to grow, which is a testament to the organization’s ability to adapt to a changing market and remain relevant to consumers.
The Importance of Bringing Many Different Voices to the Table
The introduction of new products and services is driven but the culture of innovation that AAA has fostered. The AAA approach to innovation is centered on connectivity. The organization positions its strategic partners, educational programs, and community outreach initiatives in such a way that all are in continual communication with each other.
These parties can share feedback with each other and push each other to develop better services that address a specific need but can be adapted to the varying needs of its members. Of course, members themselves also provide invaluable feedback on services, as well as ideas for new products. These constantly open lines of communication create sustainable currents of innovation.
AAA understands the value in having different perspectives weigh in on the same issue. As such, it leverages its universal engagement to bring as much diversity to the table as possible. Innovation is not something driven just by employees, but rather by all parties with a stake in the organization’s success, from members to community leaders. Each party comes to AAA with different expectations. It is by taking all these different perspectives into account that the
organization is able to stay on the leading edge of automotive services. Moreover, it is by listening to these voices that has led to AAA expanding into new market segments, including insurance and travel.
The Need to Establish a Place for Innovators to Fail Safely
The other key aspect of AAA’s culture of innovation is the safe environment it fosters for people willing to take risks. Innovation can only happen through taking risks, so organizations need to make employees feel like they can do this without negative professional consequences. The creation of such a safe space is a simple concept, but it is challenging to accomplish.
When companies purport to create culture of safety, yet there are negative consequences for people whose projects don’t meet benchmarks, leadership is actually signaling to employees that they should not take risks. Perceived penalties could range from not being given the opportunity to take a risk again to termination. Any apparent danger in taking a risk discourages employees from thinking outside of the box, so behaviors around risk-taking need to be carefully considered.
Obviously, the consequences of failure encourage us to be prudent with the risks that we take. However, this consideration doesn’t take into consideration the difference between general risk and calculated risks. The thing that makes it possible to create a safe space for innovation is the ability to take calculated risks. This means learning from the failures of other members of the team and offering those stories a place within the organization’s larger legacy.
AAA encourages people to take calculated risks that carefully balance past lessons with exciting innovation. That way, failures get reframed as learning experiences and the larger tone of the organization shifts when it comes to resiliency in the face of disappointment. Moreover, this mindset keeps the focus on the next big innovation. Rather than a failure being a step backward, it is actually a step closer to success as you identify what doesn’t work.
Recent Examples of Exciting Innovation Happening at AAA
One way to understand what is made possible by the innovation culture at AAA is to look at some recently introduced services. One of the most valuable assets that a person has is time, and AAA respect that. The company looked at the industry standard of 15-minute insurance premium quotes and considered how technology could save people even more time.
A team worked across various cloud-based tools and implemented multiple forms of artificial intelligence to scan applications and process them immediately. The result is a quote calculated digitally in less than 15 seconds. Once the quote is received, new members can pay online or get connected directly to a representative to complete the process.
Some of the advances made by AAA are meant not just to improve member experience, but also maximize the safety of its employees. Field workers often put their lives at risk to help motorists. Recognizing this fact, AAA employees began investigating how to make their jobs safer and found a role for radar, LIDAR, and microcontrollers in a prototype for a new type of field unit.
The resulting iSafety Patrol unit leverages these new technologies to predict incidents and alert field workers. This helps them to stay out of harm’s way by giving them an early warning. Often, these extra few seconds make it possible to prevent serious injuries, including death.