Why innovation is easier said than done
Taking the unknown path to innovation -or- how to get from “no idea” to “brilliant idea!”
When was this written?
“In today’s rapid-cycle business environment driven by technology advances, increasing and dynamic customer expectations, and a shifting competitive landscape, continuous innovation has become an imperative for most organizations. As industry after industry has experienced disruption and corporate longevity has plummeted, simply maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. Innovation has become the imperative.”
This month? Six months ago?
This paragraph is from the Harvard Business Review Analytic Services’ State of Innovative Leaders Report, published in 2018.
The point being that even if we thought all was hunky-dorey before Covid, the Report’s assessment of the challenges facing companies was just as cautionary then as it is now. There were the same types of challenges facing organizations, external influences commanded the need for swift change, and the answer to remaining viable was innovation.
Why innovation is easier said than done
I know from the experience I’ve had, and those that clients have had, taking the road to innovation is easier said than done. For one thing, as a leader you probably got where you are today by implementing strategies that ain’t broke.
For another, innovation requires the ability to embrace failure. But, hey, who wants to go to their manager and gleefully say, “I failed yet again at designing this new [insert your answer] – isn’t that great??!!” But that’s what innovation is all about – experiencing one disappointment after another. What makes it different from out and out failure, though, is enjoyment in learning how to overcome the challenge, as if you were learning to ride a bike all over again.
Even if you are determined to walk the innovation walk, there’s a lot that needs to happen to get from “no idea” to “brilliant idea!”. Not everyone has the patience to figure out how to smoothly manage that process. Having a process is crucial, though. Not just to get from A to B but also for everyone’s sanity – in my years as both a leader and a productivity coach, I learned that the secret to teams successfully and amicably achieving a goal is the system they follow.
Employ a creative problem-solving framework
Whether it’s Light Bulb Thinking™ or another model, having a framework to follow for generating and harnessing creative problem-solving is one of the best leadership tools you can employ to sanely take you down the path to innovation.
You can learn more about Light Bulb Thinking here. If you’re curious about how LBT Coaching could help you, contact me at Ellia@ThePotentialCenter.com to arrange a call.
With the right support, any individual, team, and organization can learn creative ways to solve problems. I’m hired by visionary leaders to bring serious fun and creative problem-solving to the workplace. Using Light Bulb Thinking™, we create a kickass culture of innovation.
The Light Bulb Thinking™ framework demystifies and simplifies the creative problem-solving and innovation processes, and opens the door to fresh ideas and stronger teams.
Would you like to see what tapping into creative potential could look like for your team or organization? Arrange an exploratory call - email me at Ellia@ThePotentialCenter.com.
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Forward this post to colleagues and friends that would also appreciate a creative perspective on solving problems. :)