We need a new innovation mindset

When we think of 'innovation' most people typically gravitate to mainstream new technologies that have made so many things possible today. From electricity, to cars, to telephones, to the internet, we can easily cite tangible examples of 'innovation' and speak about their impact in how they have defined the world, for better or for worse.

Yet despite our collective ability to identify 'innovation' and the impact associated with it, we rarely stop to collectively question the meaning behind each new technology that is released into the world.

I'm not talking about brand or product values here. I'm not talking about mission statements that rationalise why we should produce something. By 'meaning', I'm talking about something much deeper. Something rooted in who we are as a species existing in an interconnected natural world. Something that speaks to our instinctive motivations to go the extra mile, where happiness and health is a by-product for everyone and everything involved. I'm talking about the sense of duty we have to leave the world in a better state than we found it.

But it is escaping the conversation.

This attitude is reflected in how the vast majority of companies today approach the topic of 'innovation'. Technological ideas are pushed forward because of the potential impact they can create for business and people, and not because of the potential meaning that they may bring to the world holistically.

Even in a post "Design Thinking" era, where product people now sit alongside marketing people in the board room, shaping technology in ways that dial-up it's desirability, viability and feasibility, the question of true meaning still remains untapped.

Why is this happening?

The truth is that sales and marketing teams are still in the driving seat of 'innovation' as we know it today. According to a recent survey, 83% of global CEOs said they look to marketing to be a major driver for most or all of a company’s growth agenda.

This means that the level of influence other functions of the business can have on 'innovation', is ultimately limited because it is being controlled and filtered through the lens of new customer volumes, sales numbers and profit margins. Classic 'success' factors.

And it's not just marketing teams who are to blame. Designers and strategists too have become so good at framing problems, interpreting market needs and identifying business opportunities as new products or services, that we can create almost anything and make people use it however we want them to. We know how to push people's buttons and set up companies for success.

Innovation is out of control

This combination of marketing plus design is lethal when it comes to creating value, delivering competitive advantage and generating maximum impact and efficiency in markets. But this can't be the final objective.

The negative knock-on-effect is that consumers have been force fed, for decades now, a concept of 'innovation' that is very limited, expedient and hard to reverse. They have become accustomed to short-term products and services that sell them the promise of convenience, with better features, at a better price than the competition. As consumers, our subsequent use, actions and behaviours then directly inform how companies respond next with 'innovation'.

And so, the cycle repeats. Marketeers, designers and technologists come together to push something new on to them, and we find ourselves in an unsustainable situation.

People and businesses have both forgotten what 'meaning' is and it's importance in defining the world. In fact, our current understanding of 'innovation' has arguably given us a false sense of security and advancement thanks to the bombardment of new products and services every year.

Our understanding of 'innovation' is blinding us from the reality - a crumbling environment, devastating climatic events and a fractured society struggling to hold it together.

It's time to modernise our understanding of 'innovation'

Experimenting with new technologies is and will always be crucial for improving living conditions, healthcare, education and the economy. Marketing will always be needed to help people discover products and services that can help them in better ways, and design will always play an important role in shaping those products and services correctly. But we need to make it a priority to build meaning in to what we imagine and pursue in the first place.

'Meaning' is where true innovation lies today, and it matters now more than ever that we understand and promote this. It's time to consider 'meaning' as a sustainable action, placed as a priority over profit and convenience.

The challenge with 'meaning'

Adopting a true meaningful approach to innovation is easier said than done given the complexity of the challenge. Here are some of the hurdles which we are likely to face along the way.

1. 'Meaning' is a pursuit rooted in long-term goals. Think about 'the meaning of life' or the scientific study into what the universe means for us. They hold cultural or scientific moments of realisation, often considered to be at the end or the extremities of our journey. It is not typically associated with the current moment in time, and yet this is where we desperately need to inject 'meaning'.
2. 'Meaning' is hard to define. It is a blurry subject with philosophical, emotional, behavioural and sometimes mythical under pinnings. It can mean one thing to one person, and something completely different to someone else depending on their context. Your gender, ethnicity, location, job, social status, diet, climate, and political system will all have an impact. This means that there will be no silver bullet, and that meaningful innovation will need to come from a highly personal place for everyone involved in its creation and end use.
3. 'Meaning' is hard to measure. We live in a world where tangible KPI's and metrics drive our perception of 'innovation' and define what success looks like. From higher customer acquisition rates, to higher sales conversion figures, to stronger customer retention rates, our metrics are easily tracked and understood. How can we do this with something so intangible and diverse such as 'meaning'? How can we measure it in an actionable way and compare results over time in order to improve?
4. 'Meaning' can feel as something only reserved for the privileged. Think about phrases like "living the dream" or "living the good life". These paint a picture of the lucky few who have managed to gain a sense of happiness and meaning. In this regard, social media has driven a new perception of what 'ideal' lifestyles look and feel like. A highlight reel of endless perfection, ease and beauty. It promotes unrealistic 'meaning' and unachievable perfection. In today's social media obsessed world, there is no place for challenges or hardship, and yet this is often what brings us true 'meaning' in the first place.
5. 'Meaning' is not only an approach, but also a mindset. In a similar vein to 'Emotional Intelligence' our ability to identify, perceive, understand, and control 'meaning' in our lives can be difficult. You may be naturally gifted with the ability to read meaning in the world, and detect what matters most to others. You can also train yourself to become more aware of meaningful moments and things around you, but it can take time and focus to gain this level of empathy. Not everyone can do this easily, and yet we need everyone to do it.

How can we make a difference?

As with all complex problems a great way to act is to come at the problem space from different angles and approach the issue from various points-of-view. Only then may we uncover ways to modernise our idea of innovation, and raise the bar with a much stronger focus on 'meaning'.

Here are some suggestions as to how we might be able to get the ball rolling, in no particular order:

Give it a name

Before anything, it will be important to acknowledge the issue. We need to turn this lack of 'meaning' in innovation into something that people and businesses genuinely recognise as a problem. To do that, we can start by giving it a name - an identity that can be pushed, or term that everyone can revolve around and use when speaking about what true innovation actually is today. Any ideas?

Define the vision

To integrate stronger 'meaning' in innovation successfully it will require starting with the desired end in mind, not the means of achieving it. We should ask ourselves what 'meaning' we ultimately want to bring to the world when imagining a new product of service. That should be the guiding light for all decisions that follow where possible.

Embrace the complexity

We can't veer away from the issue of a lack of 'meaning' in innovation because it is complex. We can't afford to be afraid of tackling it because of it's intangible nature. We just need to understand it. Explore it. Dissect it. Let's embrace the complexities of 'meaning' and learn how we can use it alongside technology to drive a new standard of innovation.

Pick your battles

It will be impossible to solve everything all at once, so pick your battles. From shifting mindsets, to measuring 'meaning', to injecting it into the present, identify what the priorities are, and where you can make an impact. Ask yourself where the 'low hanging fruit' is that you can begin to apply yourself towards, and what the bigger challenges might be. That will give you the ability to apply your efforts correctly.

Generate tools

'Sustainable design' has seen a huge boost in new methodologies and various tools for use in innovation in the last few years. Why can't the same thing be done for 'meaning'? Perhaps we should integrate 'meaning' into sustainable design practices as a platform for new areas of exploration. However we do it, the tools and methods we form must be easy for others to use effectively when shared.

Collective action

This challenge calls for widespread adoption if we are serious about meaningful innovation. To begin with we can form dedicated teams who are tasked to look into the topic. Define new leaders and scouts who can collectively look into and drive our understanding. Create forums to share latest learnings and hear different points-of-view. Share and build together.

Meaningful innovation is real innovation

To sum it up, 'meaning' is not the "icing on the cake". It is not something that can be shoehorned in or applied at the last minute to make a given piece of technology appear more meaningful than it actually is. It is core to ethical innovation today and how people will use the next generation of products and services in a sustainable world.

So let's move past the out-of-date limited idea that innovation is "something new" and face the fact that we can do better than that. Let's aim for finding new value for the world, through the lens of moral responsibility and integrity. We have a responsibility to innovate with meaning.