What do you mean by "innovation?"

I'm often asked, "What is your perspective on innovation?" That's the topic of this post, but I would love to hear your perspective as well.

In my view, innovation is a dynamic and ever-evolving concept, where creativity and empathy are the driving forces behind the development of new technologies, ideas, and methods that aim to improve people's lives. In present times, innovation has taken on a new meaning in the wake of the global pandemic, with industries across the board being forced to rapidly adapt and reinvent themselves to keep up with changing market demands.

Despite the often overused term, innovation remains a critical strategy for businesses and organizations looking to stay ahead of the curve. At its core, innovation involves breaking down barriers and promoting a culture of open communication, where ideas are judged on their merits, and everyone is recognized as a potential innovator.

To achieve true innovation, we must remove artificial barriers such as geography, silos, and roles that hinder the ideation process. Instead, we must promote a culture of open communication and encourage everyone to participate in the ideation process, recognizing that every individual has the potential to contribute valuable insights and ideas.

Moreover, the key value and trailhead to a culture of innovation is human empathy. By understanding the needs, desires, and pain points of our stakeholders, we can develop solutions that truly make a difference in their lives. This requires us to break down biases and judgments to create a safe environment for everyone's ideas.

Innovation is not a project or process, but a strategy that requires ongoing effort and investment. As such, we must recognize and reward innovators regularly to encourage continued participation and engagement in the ideation process.

Ideas need no business justification, and the ideation process should be viewed as productive time. This means that idea development efforts should always focus on value engineering towards positive stakeholder outcomes, rather than simply pursuing ideas with the potential for quick returns.

Finally, decentralizing innovation decision-making is critical for promoting agility and responsiveness. By pushing decision-making closer to the edge, we can directly address the needs of stakeholders and remove bureaucracy, enabling organizations to respond quickly to changing market demands.

Overall, innovation is a critical strategy for organizations looking to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving market. To achieve true innovation, we must break down barriers, promote a culture of open communication, and recognize the value of human empathy in the ideation process. In doing so, we can develop solutions that truly make a human impact, while also promoting agility, responsiveness, and ongoing growth.

Disclaimer:?Joe Blaty (he/him/his) is an innovation leader with a passion for driving disruptive change, a storyteller, a trusted advisor, a futurist, and a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging advocate. The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of Mr. Blaty and are not representative or reflective of any individual employer or corporation.

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