Why All The Innovation Fuss About Ideas? Innovation Requires Much More Than That

‘We need more ideas’ Sounds familiar?

I recall being invited to a brainstorming session at an international company last winter.

When we got there, it looked like someone had set up an entire French pastry spread and stocked coffee pots on either side of them!

It was great that everyone knew who would be in the session before we began our conversation; nevertheless, no one could tell me what the session’s subject was beyond the firm’s innovation into the future.

The meeting got underway when they showed us a fascinating video about the ‘future of technology’ followed by a pitch on why innovation was an important factor for the firm.

Then, we were split into groups. I asked my peers if they understood the problem we were solving today?

None did it.

However, at the end of the day, two groups were selected with their ideas for the second face of incubation.

Still don’t understand?

Later, I discovered that none of these concepts became a real product; you may wonder if they still trying. Not they stopped after six months.

It’s been a tough few years for businesses, with global and local markets becoming highly saturated. This increased competition has caused people to innovate within their realm as they search for ways to impact, but most companies believe that the answer lies in brainstorming new ideas!

According to the?Massachusetts Institute of Technology ?experts, innovation can be defined as,

“The process of taking an idea from inception impact.”

This definition captures the essence of innovation and the differences between creativity and innovation.

Our capacity for creativity is amazing, yet we must learn how to apply it effectively.

From entrepreneurs and change-makers to businessmen and executives, professionals across different sectors have concluded that having an “idea,” no matter how brilliant, is not a marker for success.

Instead, seeing fruitful results is more about implementing, evolving, and adapting an idea.

Let’s look at five innovation principles and several practical instances to help you understand these distinctions.

1. Innovation Is About Impacting Reality

“I find out what the world needs, and then I proceed to invent it.” Thomas Edison

Innovation that does not address marketable issues may never be successful.

According to data from?CB Insights, ?“no market need” was the top reason for 42% of failed startups.

This indicates that new firms are more focused on creating what they desire. But, in reality, a company’s success is measured by whether or not it satisfies people’s needs.

Impact is measured by the ability to meet a market need while maintaining a balance of value generated and captured. The innovation must satisfy all of these criteria in order to be considered effective.

Many individuals try to solve their problems through innovation rather than coming up with fresh ideas. However, several entrepreneurs have strokes of inspiration where they discover a “remarkable” concept.

While their notion may genuinely be unique, it has no use if it does not fill a gap in the market. The drive for innovation focuses on resolving issues, not just generating new ideas.

Users do not care how an idea sounds; they care about what problems your idea can successfully address.

Most entrepreneurs fail to be innovators because they lack the perseverance and tenacity to keep pursuing new ideas and transforming them into viable solutions that meet customer demands.

#MonkeyFirst ?is the motto at Google X.

While it may appear strange, the thinking behind this particular phrase is that if you want to teach a monkey to recite Shakespeare on a pedestal, you must first get a monkey to comprehend the works of Shakespeare.

Of course, anyone can construct a pedestal; what sets you apart from the crowd.

People put up a pedestal for getting early results in the race.

The issue is that most individuals want to start with what’s simple and not with what’s most essential. The pedestal is meaningless unless you can train the monkey successfully. Innovation cannot be defined by ideas that do not relate to reality or provide genuine value.

2. Innovation Is A Journey, And A Destination

“Sometimes, it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” — Drake.

A single stroke of genius can’t properly combine innovation into your company and keep your consumers satisfied in the long run.

Innovation is a time-consuming, laborious process that has a delayed payoff.

While we remember revolutionaries for their innovative ideas, it’s also important to examine how they came to be recognized.

Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr spent the early 20th century immersed in debates that would revolutionize physics. However, no one paid attention to them then since the true significance of their work would not be seen until later.

Then, half a century later, engineers began to understand Bohr and Einstein’s theories, and the transistor and microchip were developed as vital components.

These discoveries revolutionized the world and immediately aided in the development of the information age, which brought about the productivity explosion of the 1990s.

Innovation is a continuous process, not a one-time event.

Because there are so many phases that must be completed for something new or better to emerge and then ultimately take off, the tale of disruption captures the actual essence of innovation.

3. Acknowledging Innovative Ideas Wins Half The Battle

Let’s delve into history to get a firmer grasp on innovation.

The first personal computer was developed by?Xerox, ?who undermined their discovery and did not invest enough in the technology, allowing Apple and Steve Jobs to take advantage of this opportunity.

Unfortunately, while the idea was there, Xerox failed to recognize potential and lost a fantastic opportunity. This experience showcases a bitter reality, our bias to reject creative ideas in the face of uncertainty.

This case remains valid.

Many companies perceive themselves to exist in a bubble of certainty.

They value current safety over chances of future progress. When faced with uncertainty, they reject innovative ideas that could gain them a competitive advantage out of fear of possible failure.

As a result, the ideas that can breathe life into a company are being killed off to maintain a false sense of security.

Streamline organizational structure is a wonderful method to turn creative insights into practical strategies. The approval procedure, for example, could be more accessible and warm than going through regular hierarchy and red tape.

4. Being Creative Does Not Cut It

When faced with problems, people are told to “think outside the box” without understanding the implications of creativity.

Yet, despite popular belief, creativity is not the solution to all your problems.?Theodore Levitt , a former editor of the Harvard Business Review, dispels that creativity is the key to innovative business practices.

The capacity to generate unique suggestions is known as creativity.

While it appears smart, creative thinking may be harmful to a business. Mindless originality that disregards practical application is impossible to achieve.

The challenge when being creative is to differentiate between abstract creativity and practical innovation. With creativity defined as having excellent and original ideas, all the pressure is put on having brilliant thoughts without focusing on real-world applications.

Consider two artists. One offers you an excellent painting concept but does not paint it, while the other paints similar ideas and finishes them. While the process is identical, only the latter artist can be recognized as a creative artist since they are the ones who achieved actionable results.

The same analogy applies to contemporary organizations.

Companies try to instill creativity in their staff through workshops and retreats or by providing courses on the topic. But unfortunately, they fail to notice that good talk isn’t the same as meaningful action.

Instead of concentrating on brilliant concepts, businesses should encourage tenacious follow-through to guarantee that every brilliant concept is achieved with real results.

5. Innovation Requires Time and Iteration

Computer pioneer Howard Aiken once said,

“Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats”.

Sometimes the stars are not aligned for ideas to be instantly fruitful.

When?Alexander Fleming ?first shared his discovery of penicillin, no one batted an eyelid. Nowadays, modern medicine is based on his groundbreaking discovery. Looking back, the brilliance in his discovery seems obvious.

However, cutting-edge ideas may seem irrelevant at times.

Occasionally, an innovation needs time to build momentum, gain traction in the industry, and blend with other developments before making a significant impact.

From a distance, it seems that people like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs just stood on a stage one day and announced an idea that changed the world.

However, in reality, several small ideas came together to embark on a journey of development and evolution before they gained enough substance to create a lasting impact.

The process of turning an idea into a reality takes decades, from the early phases of concept and discovery to engineering and implementation.

Great innovators aren’t just people with a lot of creative ideas. They are individuals who are dedicated to putting in the effort necessary to bring their concepts to life and alter the world as a result.

Final Thoughts

Ideas by themselves are insufficient for innovation.

It’s possible to be insightful while merely talking the talk, but walking through it results in action and outcomes!

While encouraging ideas can lead to brilliant breakthroughs, motivating people to act and deliver upon their ideas is the key to a successful innovative strategy.

Ideas can be transformational when properly utilized, bearing answers and limitless possibilities.

When creativity and innovation are guided mindfully, a firm may remain relevant, avoid stagnation and adjust to the changing market.

The world has an overabundance of ideas, but it also demands a mentality of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship to convert these concepts into value for people.