A Definition of Innovation is a Critical Success Factor
Though it seems like common sense, many organisations don’t define what they mean by innovation before they start innovating. Then, they wonder why there are few decent innovation outcomes they can show to stakeholders.
In many organisations, say the word “innovation” and you will most probably find it impossible to get any consensus at all with respect to meaning. People have very personal ideas of what constitutes innovation or not, and it is generally very difficult to change such strongly held beliefs. That’s especially true if those concerned feel a prospective innovation ordering prescription drugs online effort will stray onto their turf.
In some instances, I’ve seen discussions go round the same arguments for so long that someone will suggest “we don’t need a definition, lets just get on with it”. This is a mistake.
Multiple divergent opinions on what you’re trying to achieve in an innovation programme almost always leads to a situation where nothing is achieved at all.
The most successful innovation teams usually agree a definition that permits them to examine new things with very broad scope, but which avoids being excessively threatening to existing operations. In my own programmes, this is a definition that’s worked:
Innovation is “anything that wouldn’t have been achieved through ordinary business-as-usual processes”.
Now, obviously, this definition doesn’t make any statements about either the scale or volume of innovation that’s undertaken. The innovation team is free to do anything that’s not already being done elsewhere.
Such a definition provides balance between the flexibility needed to do new innovation, and making sure that powerful stakeholders don’t feel obliged to kill off the innovation programme before it goes anywhere.
Are you worried that your organisation isn’t doing enough innovation? If so, James A Gardner’s free book has plenty of advice on how to start your innovation effort.