Innovate or die
3 September 2010
If you have been around the business world for any time then this is one word that you should have become very familiar with - Innovation!Unfortunately we seem to have relegated such a powerful word to the Research & Development labs of big tech companies. This is a crucial error for all of us. The fact is if we dont keep asking ourselves the vital questions that keeps us moving forward and on the edge then we not only become less effective but ultimatly irrelevant.This word should be equally at home in the Church leaders meeting, Scout Group planning meeting or family conference as it is in the bored room.Innovation keeps us coming back to the ideals that sent us off in the direction we are going. Constantly asking WHY and WHY NOT, constantly saying WHAT IF?A culture of innovation is a culture where failure is seen as an important and vital part of success. In fact I would go as far as to say that failure is the key to success! Creating the right enviroment to be politically incorrect and just say what really wants to be said, or to voice what really isnt working anymore… creating anintolerance of the present creates a future…it fuels the desire to go back to the drawing board and ask the first things first questions.Diversity inspires innovation:Decision making is far far better with diverse views of any flavour.Creating a culture where we encourage the divers viewpoints. If we cant give a good answer for why we do something then why indeed do we do it? Just because it was good yesterday has no place in todays decision making! Diversity does not mean lack of of unity it just means that we don’t fall into conformity!Celebrate:
Celebrate! Innovative organizations are places where people enjoy their
peers’ work, good tries, good screw-ups, milestones reached, etc. Celebrating these events, large and small and very small, is a fullscale part of the “innovation culture.”
So how well DO we celebrate? Do we encourage Trying? How about screw-ups! A culture of celebration is linked to a culture of innovation. Trying, failing, trying again is all part of a highly effective team, family, business or even church!
Breaking out of the box
“To grow, companies need to break out of a vicious cycle of competitive benchmarking and imitation.” —W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne, “Think for Yourself —Stop Copying a Rival,”
Financial Times
It always amazes me that those who have the ‘new’ idea, that do that ‘new’ thing are so often labelled the crazy, insane, herotic or just plane daft, but as soon as there is success they are quickly called genius, inspired or even saviour!
We need to redeem our child like sense of imagination, we need to start to dream a little more and dare to see outside of the box!
Happy Dreaming, happy innovating!
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