Pervasive attitude
Innovation is a mindset
Is innovation a process? Is it a strategy? Is it a benchmark, a cross-functional
team, or a new-to-the-world process? Is innovation a management technique
or a leadership responsibility? The answer is that when innovation is done
well, it is all of the above and more. A truly innovative organization has
developed a mindset that permeates every aspect of its business. There is no
halfway measure. That is because innovation is a pervasive attitude, a
feeling, an emotional state, an ongoing commitment to newness. It is a set of
values that represents a belief in seeing beyond the present and making that
vision a reality.
Most managers are unable to recognize innovation when it is happening right
in front of them. Their understanding of what it is and what it involves leaves
a lot of room for misinterpretation. Some think of innovation as a
broad-ranging creative process, others as simple idea-generation. Some see it
as strictly the domain of the new products department, others know it has
something to do with marketing, but are not quite sure what. Most just want
to get it ``done'', but fail to devote enough attention or dedicated resources to
it to make this possible.
risks and think creatively, which leads to astonishing growth through
radically new products, services, and competitive strategies. This mindset
takes time to develop, and it rarely thrives without the full and continuing
commitment of the company. However, it is not as difficult to cultivate as
most believe. Like baking a cake, creating an innovation mindset comes
more easily once you have the right recipe. Often, the biggest barrier of all is
just not knowing what the key ingredients are. The following recipe for
successful innovation provides some insight into how simple innovation
really can be.