How Anyone In Your Organization Can Innovate
Since the beginning of mankind’s existence we have been accidental innovators. In our early years most of our innovation was birthed out of a need to survive. Then as we incrementally achieved technological advances, we gradually moved along Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Innovation became mankind’s platform to produce wealth and industry. Today, when we think of innovation, we think of it as a special skill that only a choice few people possess such as the late Steve Jobs. The truth is we are hard wired to be innovators, and if given Daniel Pink’s observed A.M.P (Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose), that is exactly what we will do. But what does it really mean to innovate? Take the preverbal statement “you can’t reinvent the wheel”, the wheel was merely a process improvement to an existing form of transportation, our own two feet. Therefore we do not dare try to reinvent the wheel; rather we endeavor to be innovative within the means of transportation. To be innovative does not necessarily mean that you have to have an original idea either, in many cases innovation is no more than the application of an existing technology for a new purpose. Take for example Gutenberg’s use of the wine press in the design of the first printing press. Fundamentally at its core, innovation is all about solving problems and many times these solutions can be monetized because it is a pain that is felt by more than one. There are roughly three ways to innovate; by necessity, by accident, or by thorough structured thinking. Let us consider each in turn.
Necessity Innovation:
This type of innovation is very familiar to most of us. Just think of the last time you needed to open up an ice cold bottle of Coke and didn’t have a bottle opener. The process usually begins with a pressing need that must be met with a limited amount of time and resources. We start by observing our surrounding environment to see if we can re-purpose an existing technology to solve our immediate need. If found in an unfamiliar environment; we use a combination of our five senses to survey our surrounding area for a solution to our precarious situation. We quickly test assumptions and hypothesis, often failing fast and frequently making small iterations until we make a discovery that meets our immediate needs. At this point we are not looking for six sigma type perfection; rather a means to an end.
A-ha Innovation:
This type of innovation happens almost by accident. Next time you pass Play-Doh in the isle of Target or Wal-Mart just think, this childhood past time use to be used as wallpaper cleaner inside coal heated homes. This type is not always a re-purposed use of existing technology, sometimes it starts off as wouldn’t it be cool if we could …. A great example of this is the Write brothers thought “wouldn’t it be swell if we could actually make humans fly?”
Structured Innovation:
This type of innovation can capture the best qualities of both the Necessity and A-ha innovative processes. Structured Innovation is a way to differentiate yourself from the competition, or perhaps create new industries. It starts with a clearly defined problem, forces us to expand the limitation of our bounded rationality, and often delivers scalable solutions that add value to multiple stakeholders. It doesn’t stop there though; structured innovation identifies other ways to re-purpose the solution to solve seemingly disconnected problems.
As I conclude this short article, let me leave you with a thought. The worst thing in life is not to fail; rather it is to not try. Everything that is now known had to be learned at some point in time. Learn how to innovate with purpose; and your compensation will become just a bonus to a full and satisfying career. In our next article we will learn how to overcome 3 main obstacles we encounter in the innovation process.
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