Companies rise and fall on the strength of their innovation: innovation in the products and services they offer customers, innovation in the methods and means by which they create their wares, and innovation in the way they carve their niche in resolving society’s challenges. Innovation is just the evolution of how we deliver value; and like it or not, it is always in flux.
The tricky thing about innovation is that it rarely comes to you in a flash. Innovation tends to be the result of countless hours in the pursuit of ideas that once seemed beyond reach. As such, the days of passive innovation – eureka moments where the solutions seemingly materialized out of thin air – are largely gone. Let’s face it; the low-hanging fruit has long been eaten.
I like to think of this paradigm as the tension between intentional and fortuitous innovation. Intentional innovation is the deliberate, tenacious and systematic pursuit of innovation. While fortuitous innovation is merely the misplaced hope that innovation will somehow spring forth from somewhere that neither invests in nor fundamentally appreciates it. It’s not unlike expecting tomatoes where none were planted or cultivated.
Innovation simply won’t happen by itself. It requires resources, determination, and an incredibly supportive atmosphere (which we commonly refer to as culture). Innovation demands that we repeatedly adopt a fresh perspective and challenge the status quo, testing the boundaries of what is thought possible.
I’ve observed three significant qualities related to innovative cultures that seem to make all the difference in the world. The key doesn’t appear to be in the intellectual capital but in the cultures that allow the intellectual capital to thrive. Incidentally, they tend to be acutely aware of these qualities and are passionately protective of the cultures they have created.
First, innovative cultures value and celebrate both the achievements AND the individuals almost reflexively. People are understood to be the greatest of all assets and they are trained, empowered and engaged at very high levels. No one is excluded from participation or glory. These environments attract the greatest talent and generate the most buzz.
Second and closely related to the first, is that innovative cultures are wildly collaborative. That’s not to say that competition is absent; far from it. Nevertheless, innovative cultures recognize the necessity of leveraging broad input and the synergistic potential found in group thinking. “We are stronger together than we are apart” is a common theme. Innovation is usually a team sport.
Last, innovative cultures leave little up to chance. They recognize that innovation and discovery are closely linked. They are adept at managing risk. They have a plan and commit to it by keeping resources applied to the endeavor regardless of the pressures and present circumstances. Well-defined systems and processes are in place to keep forward momentum strong. The pipeline is therefore always brimming and theirs is the enviable task of selectively discarding modest ideas and pursuing only the best of the best.
Innovative cultures will always have the upper hand when it comes distinguishing themselves in the marketplace. These cultures nourish the curiosity, enthusiasm, and perseverance of their people to dream and achieve great things. How do we compare and what will need to change for us to embrace this notion?
Lean in and Lean on.