That Magic Pill of Innovation

Is there such a thing as a magic innovation pill that when swallowed, thoughts of innovation just blossom instantaneously in your mind?

The answer is, if only!

However, many organisations do believe in mystical wonders when they create the role of Chief Innovation Officer. Yes, once brought to life in the corporate organisation chart, this creatively anointed individual is expected to whip up all sorts of innovative wonders to the immediate benefit of the shareholders and those deemed less wise.

The question then is how?

The answer is simple when understood, and it all revolves around the ingredients used to manufacture that magic innovation pill in your organisation. There are 5 key ingredients, and if one is left out deliberately, or by mistake, the efficacy of the pill will take the form of a placebo which may seem to work in the short term, but failure will ultimately prevail with doomed longevity.

The first ingredient is called “Employee Diversity”. If you haven’t got this additive, well, just stop now and give up and go to the pub for a long lunch. Innovation needs employees who differ in thought processes, background, culture and beliefs in order to develop a plethora of creative ideas that deliberately push the organisation’s status quo and understanding.

You then need to add a good measure of a “Creative Work Environment”. There are many ways to do this, the key approach is to encourage and facilitate many idea interactions where an innovative chain reaction can start and quickly develop without restriction. If you get the occasional bang or loud explosion along the way, even better as this signals progress!

Next is the ingredient from the bottle labelled “Communication”. When added, you may see copious amounts of smoke quickly rising from the mixing bowl. Note, this is good and should be immediately communicated throughout the whole organisation so those not involved in the process know that there is nothing to be afraid of, or concerned about, and don’t call the Fire Brigade to quickly extinguish the innovative catalytic reaction from progressing.

You then need to add a few large drops of “Courage” which may leave a bitter taste in the mouth of the CEO, who may spit it out should they not be accustomed to the flavour. Courage is required to let the innovation process bubble away without interference, and to provide the requisite time for all the ingredients to adequately mix and blend into a homogeneous idea.

The final and most important ingredient that must permeate throughout the entire concoction is that called “Fun”. Without it, any hope of success is doomed to fail and a sticky, tasteless mess will linger in the organisation for years resulting in all references of the word innovation being quickly purged from the corporate recipe book pages.

So, should your business be blessed with the role of the Chief Innovation Officer, the first question to ask is, “can they cook”? if the answer is no, it’s time to invest in some takeaway!