A New Way to Define "Innovation"

Let me start by saying that I am not suggesting that this new definition for innovation is better than any other one out there -- including, of course, yours. But in the true spirit of innovation, you may acknowledge that it is valuable to keep an open mind. Here I make the case for a new, additional definition of innovation that you may simply want to add to your repertoire, not replace what you believe is already just fine as-is.

The scenario of use here is most compelling when you and/or others are attempting to learn innovation and most approrpiately understand what it is, how it can be used successfully, and what to do if it doesn't seem to be going well. This is of value to those who are either learning, practicing, or training/coaching others in innovation.

Author's Note: This article is the first in a series of excerpts from a new research report and future mini-book series entitled, "The 7 Errors that Destroy Innovation -- And How to Avoid Them." This entire report is available for free download, along with an introductory video, by going to the following URL: https://mailchi.mp/innovationoutlet/7-errors-that-destroy-innovation-download-page. This new series of articles presents each such error as well as the recommended solution for reducing or eliminating it.

Error #1: Innovation Definition

Ask 100 people to define innovation, and you’ll get at least 100 different definitions of the word. Many of these will be interesting and useful definitions. But if they reflect each individual’s true understanding of the term – and how they ultimately approach it in real life – then in the majority of cases, they are heading in the wrong direction right from the outset. For example, many will impose contextual limitations on the term, such as suggesting that it’s all about customers, or making profits, or creating products, or involving technology and science. And while all of those might legitimately fit in with familiar impressions of innovation, they are all themes that also tend to constrain how people understand it, and thus practice it.

If you define innovation in a way that creates such limitations, you are much more likely to miss out on other aspects of innovating, including when or where you try to use it, how you go about it, and what you eventually wind up with. And “what you wind up with” is one of the aspects of an individual’s definition that could be among the most limiting. Why? Because an over-focus upon the result, to the neglect of the process that gets you there, tends to reduce the amount of time, energy, and other resources you dedicate to the process, rather than the product. We’re all dazzled by the “bright shiny object” – the new mobile app, the powerful pharmaceutical, or the exciting performance vehicle – at the end of the day. But it is the many nuances within the process of innovation that require the vast majority of the work. Not understanding this can thus cause us to under-invest in the effort needed to ultimately bring about the amazing result.

When you hear the word innovation, do you experience a visceral reaction to it – one that causes you to feel somewhat intimidated? Is it something you believe that you’ll have a difficult time doing successfully? Does it conjure up images of Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, or Mark Zuckerberg – and make you feel like you could never do anything like what they’ve done? Well, if any of this sounds familiar – to you or to anyone you know – then the insights in this document are certainly for you. For the more you understand the true essence of innovation, the more you’ll realize that you absolutely can do it – and in many cases have already been doing it. You’ve always had what it takes to innovate successfully; you just haven’t realized it.

So many people hold these incorrect, severely limiting views of what innovation is. Some think it is only for work, and not for social, family, interpersonal, or other domains. Some maintain that it must involve the use of technology. Others define it within the context of markets and customers. Still others insist that it’s the craft of a very select few – those with great educations, spectacular IQs, certain roles or titles, or unique personalities. Many confuse innovation with creativity, invention, ideation, artistic ability, or similar terms. Thus they subconsciously place innovation (ironically) into a box. And that box then constricts our minds to the things, the people, the times, the methods, the places, and even the reasons that are appropriate for innovating. What an incredible loss of opportunity.

Solution #1: The V-SURE Framework

As a means of addressing the challenges that omnipresent cognitive biases pose to innovators, we have developed the V-SURE? framework. V-SURE consists of a new conceptual model for innovation that improves both the general understanding and the actual practice of innovation. It starts with a new and practical definition of innovation – one that corresponds to the key drivers within an innovation process. It also explicitly addresses the vital areas where attempts at innovation typically fall short, or fail outright.

Innovation can be defined in a wide variety of ways, depending on one’s orientation, experience, or application context. We have created V-SURE as merely one new manifestation of innovation, which is intended to both appropriately define innovation and help individuals, teams, and organizations successfully apply it. The practical definition we use for innovation is as follows:

the process of creating and delivering new value,

for one or more stakeholders,

through the unique use of available resources.

Notice the key terms within this definition, namely:

• Value
• Stakeholder
• Unique Use
• Resource

Thus, the name “V-SURE” helps remind users of these key terms relevant to our innovation process.

The definition above is not intended to imply that your current definition is wrong. On the contrary, the vast majority of such definitions can be both accurate and helpful. However, we feel that they are often not complete; nor are they ideal for teaching and supporting the practice of innovation. We offer up this definition as one that you ought to strongly consider adopting if you plan to teach and lead others in innovation, and especially those new to the task. We recommend that you consciously consider simply adding this definition to the one(s) you now embrace, and then share them with others to explore – for both their and your deeper understanding.

A primary reason why this practical definition is so valuable is that it directly addresses the major errors (listed in the full report) that are committed by most who try to innovate, but fail to achieve desirable results. One of the major culprits is that specific cognitive bias, “unconscious incompetence.” As a reminder, our natural (but unconscious) tendency is to implicitly assume that we already know everything – or a sufficient amount of information – that is required to successfully create the value, resolve the problem, or navigate the challenges of innovation. The truth is, we almost never do.

Several of the upcoming articles about errors and solutions will refer back to this practical definition we've just introduced, specifically addressing key Stakeholders, their priority Values, the Resources we have available to us, and how to uniquely Use those resources to create and deliver new value.

Request to the reader: Do you have opinions, questions, or other feedback? Do you feel you have any changes that would improve our working definition of innovation? If so, please do share with others in the comments fields below. Each response will be very carefully reviewed, considered, and likely responded to in kind.

Author Bio: Charlie Garland is an innovation consultant, coach, trainer, author, speaker, and evaluator. He designs and teaches a number of unique, powerful tools to help improve individuals' and teams' peformance in the innovation process. Charlie is also a board member with the Creative Education Foundation, whose annual CPSI (Creative Problem Solving Institute) conference is held each June in Buffalo, NY (USA), the "birthplace of brainstorming." At CPSI, you will learn extraordinary new techniques, insights, and real-life stories of innovation success, just like those that are published in the 7 Errors report. To register or just find out more, click here: https://cpsiconference.com/. Teams of 3 or more will receive a 20% discount.