Innovation

What is Innovation?

It is a journey in excellence. The journey in its earnest sense is a Continuum; not a discrete event. It's input is a Context and its outcome is both Sustenance and Growth. These are tangible values that societies and enterprise have to consciously cultivate. Please refer to the above illustration.

Six Stages

You will recognize the six stages of the Continuum of Innovation from the above illustration. The input for any journey in excellence / innovation is Context. The constancy of Change has two forms; Incremental and Transformative. The former affords a reactive response while the latter demands a proactive response. In Incremental Change the outcome is an improved version of the Input whereas in Transformative Change, the outcome is a Morphed / Transformed entity. Learning is therefore a very critical factor in the process of Innovation. Where the devices of learning are sensing and observation.

Change is the only Context

We are at a time on our planet where the context is the triad of existential crisis we face collectively;

1. Environmental is the crisis caused through Climate Change.
2. Economic is the crisis of financial liquidity (impacting strategic fluidity) caused on account of unserviceable debts by nations, corporations and individuals.
3. Epidemic is the crisis caused through the Covid-19 response that has seen not only seen death and fear but also emotionally scarred an entire two generation of lives.

Leadership Deficit

The crisis we face is life threatening and is caused by a deficit in Leadership in every walk of life. A conscious effort must be made to improve this deficit and no one should be exempt from its ambit. Without bridging this deficit, it would be a terrible waste of time, money and opportunity. Because it is the leadership that sets the context for Innovation. The movement from Ideas to Applications must be guided by Cognitively Intelligent Process that is Stage Gated for Quality & Risk Assurance.

Innovation is a Choice and not a fling at a Chance

The Process of Renewal

Everything we have known must be up for questioning. And the questions must be framed to a future context. Because we are a point of arrival where everything we built on this planet ha brought us to a point of surrender and hopelessness. The only way out of this mess is to depart from the present into the future with a deliberate design; one that is guided by a definitive design thinking that abstracts the future.

The Big Bang Argument

Everytime there is a dialog or a debate around Change or Transformation the Big Bang Theory comes into play. The revolution of Digital Technology forces upon us an inescapable Big Bang transition. But Innovation is critical to succeeding in this revolution that is a fission at an atomic level. There is no way other than Learning in Action through the three step process of Simplification (Concepts), Modernization (Models) and Innovation (Solutions & Applications) that must become the norm. This disciplined approach to Innovation needs the Infrastructure of a mutually fulfilling Platform, Product, Process and Projects (Services) stages of Continuum.

Isn't is clear that it is critical to operate at any given point in time between Competence & Excellence?

Stop Projecting and Start Seeing

Recent surveys at societal and organizational levels reveal the maturity of Innovation is averaging at 0.5 which is between Innocence and Awareness. There is a huge gap between Potential and Performance.

The biggest identified human problem is the knack of projecting rather than the simple act of seeing. It is necessary to first recognize where one is without exception on this journey to excellence with context as the mirror. Thereafter the process of Inquiry, Exploration, Discovery, Engineering, Development and Deployment must be diligently undertaken. This will complete one cycle of Innovation and this must be well organized within the equation of time and economy to serve effective outcomes.

Innovation is an instrument to thrive. We have somehow managed to survive clutching at the seams for a while now. But the fabric of our societies seems to be giving way. We have a responsibility to renew and rebuild in the interests of our future generations. Let's take the Innovation Challenge upon ourselves to cross this chasm of Mediocrity or fall into its irrecoverable abyss.

The intent of publishing these articles is to assure that the right Frameworks, Methods and Tools can be employed in our effort to rebuild our societies from the threats and destruction we face. There is a lot we can learn and action from one another.

Please share your perspectives in the comments section. Every comment and question will be answered. No obligations. If you are shy of a public debate message me directly on my LinkedIn Profile.