Innovation – Awesome! But where is the true value?
How good is your memory?
Who remembers the Tefal television adverts of the 1980’s? It featured men (it was the 1980s..) in white coats inventing things. Nothing unusual there, I hear you say. True, but what was different was their heads. They were long. The size indicated they had big brains and were good at inventing, The phrase ‘Tefal heads’ was coined.
This was a clever and impactful advertising campaign, successful championing the companies approach to innovation and reflected increased brand awareness and higher sales. Why did they emphasis this? Because having a clear innovation strategy keeps the competition on its toes and secures future revenues. So, that’s the end of discussion. Or is it?
Looking at the wider context of innovation, perhaps this misses the point a little. Innovation is any activity, which makes things better. Companies that build this capability into their culture are far more likely to succeed, particularly when conditions are a little ‘choppy’. In-fact recent studies show that when disruption hits, companies that invest in innovation outperform the market by up to 30%. (1)
But innovation things can be a little daunting. Do you have to build a swish laboratory and spend thousands on highly qualified staff to come up with the ideas? Well, actually no, you don’t need to. Back to the notion that making things better is the definition of innovation a commitment to improving processes and products, which involves gradual steps is for far more practical. You don’t need necessarily need a high element of technical wizardry, in-fact all you need in your workforce is ?Curiosity and insight to discover, select and translate suitable ideas into action. Effective innovation starts with people.
Commit to improving this capability and the prospect for innovation starts to change. Staff to identify where things can be done better on small scale. It might be a process with 1 x step removed, it might be a product with a minor tweak to the design. There is no need to go at it hammer and tongs, small and gradual wins the day.
Acknowledging that most business have this hidden resource adds considerable value and it is just waiting to be tapped into. Jeanette on despatch has an idea for lowering innovatory damage, Dave from sales a different operator screen for a new machine for better control. By encouraging and supporting their efforts, this is a steady stream of ideas. This is the value.
This curiosity comes from asking questions, analysing the answers, before exploring and playing with ideas. These are supported through developing the skills of critical thinking, lateral thinking and problem solving in teams and apply them to the outcome of getting better results from innovation.
Back to the larger innovation projects. There might be multi-disciplinary ideas, complex designs, and it may be an impressive outcome. But, where a lot of innovation struggles is the ability to translate an idea into something that has commercial future and can be described succinctly, with benefits and features that are easy to understand. Less is more, simpler is better. Too often an innovation is to complex and experienced teams can lose sight that the output needs to resonate with a wider audience.
We’ve all done the exercise of trying to explain how to make a cup of tea to an alien. A crude example but the ability to describe in clear and compelling tones in this type of exercise weeds out assumption and jargon, often the enemy of innovation.
So, underneath innovation whether it be simple and low scale or global and extensive is to expand that culture of curiosity and clear communication. How can we make things better, simpler and more effective? At Sara Penrose Ltd we support businesses who want to improve the performance of their teams to do just that, by developing the skills to get better results from innovation. It is worth noting that in a recent survey 72% of manufacturers ranked innovation as the most important skill. (2)
Not only does it showcase a great use of your best resource your people, but it also fosters ownership and engagement in the process of becoming better, which is more likely to retain a workforce.
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Worryingly 80% of organisations consider that their creativity and innovation training needs are not fully fulfilled. (3) ?Yet innovation continues to be a crucial way to stay ahead of the game. Don’t be one of those organisations. If you want better results from your innovation process to be ahead of the competition and secure future revenues, find out more [email protected]
1.?????McKinsey & Company, “Innovation in a crisis: Why it is more critical than ever,” June 17, 2020
2.?????Make UK and Enguity
3.?????Creative Engine Project - 2021
John Henderson – Co-founder and Director
Sara Penrose Ltd
Optimising performance through skill development
? Sara Penrose Ltd 2023
Sage & Microsoft ERP | IT Solutions | Founder of Northamptonshire Manufacturing Week & Northamptonshire Manufacturing Alliance | #INTJ | Neurodivergent Advocate
1 年True, innovation doesn't necessarily require massive breakthroughs or high-tech laboratories, but rather a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement. Indeed, companies that foster this ethos are better equipped to navigate through uncertain times and emerge stronger. The often-overlooked potential within every company's workforce is particularly poignant. Each employee, irrespective of their role, brings a unique perspective that can spark incremental innovation, from refining a process to tweaking a product design. It's about creating an environment where everyone feels empowered and encouraged to share their insights and ideas. Moreover, the emphasis on clear communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving in the innovation process is spot on. The challenge of innovation often lies not in ideation, but in the ability to translate ideas into practical, commercially viable solutions. This requires a clear, jargon-free language that resonates with a broad audience. Innovation skills training is critical. Companies that neglect this aspect risk falling behind in an increasingly competitive business landscape. It's vital to ensure that creativity and innovation training needs are adequately met.