Does industry disruption disturb or excite you? Before you answer, consider this. Innovation is not disruption. Disruption is much, much, much bigger. Disruption turns an industry on its head. It creates massive shifts in markets, in how work is done and even if it is done.

Last blog I wrote about that feeling of being like a deer caught in headlights. I said that it was your job to get your colleagues moving from Assessment to Investment (or divestment) to Execution. Alternatively, I could have said that your job is to scare them into moving. People are more likely to listen to a positive emotional message than a negative, scary one, but instilling fear sometimes works better.

Here are some tips to help you scare them into action if you need to:

First, you need to explain that there is more happening in your industry than any of you probably realise. Check out this KPMG article on start-ups in the financial services sector. Download the infographic and check out the brands you have heard of and the ones you haven’t. There are literally hundreds of start-ups working on potentially disruptive technology plays.

Second, explain that the people working in the hundreds and hundreds of start-ups don’t think like the innovators in traditional companies like yours. They have a different appetite for risk, and many are very, very passionate about their idea.

Third, do some research for your industry and find evidence of disruption that will disturb them. Hold on to it until my next blog, when I will give you some tips on how to move them from disturbed to excited. You don’t want them left feeling down and negative towards the bearer of bad news. You want them thanking you for showing them the light.