Innovation In The Age of Adaptability

Last month I attended the Lean Startup Summit in Berlin. It was an amazing experience and event.

I had many interesting conversations with people from all around the world about their innovation challenges and how they suffer form “innovation theater” syndromes in their companies. 

“Our innovation initiatives are not bearing fruit!” is a statement that I heard in many of my conversations.

Since then I have been reflecting on the matter. Why are smart people, armed with enough resources and capabilities are not succeeding at innovation?

Innovation is failing because despite applying the right tools, processes (and plenty of sticky notes of course! ), we are not applying the right mindset.

Innovation is a journey and not a destination

In a previous article (innovation in the age of R&D), I attempted to explain the difference between innovation and tech R&D. I also attempted to define innovation in a matter that is more relatable to the current challenges we live in. (innovation = impactful creativity + sustainable business models)

To achieve this, we must embark on a journey of discovery; a journey of discovering how to create value for the customer and by the customer. And it is a marathon not a sprint!

Innovation is about evolution

 “It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself”. Darwin

Perhaps these words echos with us the most these days; never before has our world been under so much economic, social and environmental pressures. 

As responsible executives, we must adapt and adjust to the fast changing world around us in a way that is profitable and sustainable.

The question is: how can we adapt and adjust? 

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” Einstein

We evolve with imagination!

If we take a deeper look at the quotes by both A. Einstein and C. Darwin, they are talking about evolution. Two different types of evolution.

Reactive Vs Responsive Evolution

One is describing the evolution triggered by the urge to adapt to a changing environment (make the best out of the current available options) while the other is encouraging the evolution of perception to impact its environment and change it to all it can be (presenting the potential of imagining and discovering alternative outcomes). 

One is reactive, the other is responsive.

Boxing Innovation with Adaptability

Why innovation in large organizations is not prevailing? Because management is spending more time adapting than it is imagining. Imagination is not about fiction, yet what was once considered fiction is now but a trivial reality. Imagination is about the evolution of how we perceive the world around us and all it can become. 

Boxed inside the limited options presented by adaptability, imagination suffers and hence innovation efforts also suffer. The power of imagination is perhaps man kind’s strongest weapon and it is being dramatically underutilized. 

Innovation is the power of imagination harnessed to create alternatives. Desirable, feasible and viable alternatives. We are failing at innovation because of the constant friction between the natural urge to adapt and the indispensable need to imagine and create. We are naturally attracted to adapt and to survive. Imagination is evolving to adapt to the future, while just adapting is simply an act of submission to the current challenges, the now. Creating the future is essential for sustainable survival by applying imagination and creativity (original ideas) into innovation.

Innovation is not about new things, innovation is about imagining the future by creating new products, processes and business models to adapt to it. Basically innovation is about making imagination (original ideas) tangible, sustainably.

Where can we start?

Four themes present themselves as sources of inspiration for the future:

1. Climate change
2. Natural Resources
3. Demographics Boom
4. Tech Boom

These four themes present great challenges and will cause great changes in our world as we know it today.

Use these four themes as ideation constraints and ask your self:

How can we leverage the organizations current key resources, partners and activities to create a future where we can create value (for and by a specific customer segment) in one of these four themes?

The Washing Machine Example:

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that water as a resource is a critical topic!

Yet, we, as human beings, will not stop washing our clothes. We will always need to wash our clothes. 

How can we accomplish that with the least water possible? In other words, can we imagine a future without water for washing machines?

A company called Xeros, inc imagined a future where we will use small recyclable plastic beads to wash our clothes and consume 80% less water! And they were able to turn that imagination into an innovative product and business model!

The challenge is great, there is no doubt, however, the challenge also offers greater opportunities! Are you ready to imagine the future? Innovate!!