Innovation Dojo

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Comment by Sigmund A. Fidyke III on September 1, 2009 at 9:13pm

This is interesting! I don't automatically assume innovation has to be positive. And I think this is important to consider.

To me, something is innovative if it's a new way to do something, a new way to look at (and solve) a problem, or a new way to think about things. It's breaking out of the box and having the freedom and flexibility to truly go in a new direction.

Sometimes the new direction isn't better and it's important to recogonize this and be able to move on. Mazda's Wankle rotary engine was certainly innovative, but after years of trying, they finally gave up on it because it wasn't more fuel efficient than the standard design.

I don't want to give a curmudgeonly impression - innovation is absolutely critical to creating a business or product. However, any particular innovation is not automatically the source of success and we need to be able to judge new processes with a dispassionate eye if the business is to succeed.

Comment by Gregg Gallagher on July 2, 2009 at 2:49pm

Candice: I actually use terminology that puts innovation at tail end of process. In my parlance, I describe Ideation as the up-front, creative / R&D process, the instantiation of these ideas being invention. Invention only becomes innovation when customer value is being created (and thus the organization extracts economic or other value based on this customer value creration.)

In this framework, the Dot-Com bust was largely based on pure ideation/invention, with little to no true customer value creation, such that those firms could not realize valid and sustainable business models....

Comment by Candice Katayama on June 30, 2009 at 12:47pm

Innovation might be best defined by comparing it to invention. Innovation is the R&D phase and invention is when the innovation can be used for practical purposes or placed in the marketplace. Invention is not always a result from innovation, and you can have invention without the innovation (as proven by the dot.com era). As companies are restructuring in this economy, the starting point lies with innovation because of less demand, and greater competition. Companies need to differentiate their services and products, and re-evaluate their value propositions. New versions of the iPhone (maybe I am biased as I have iEnvy) and Kindle will surely remain a popular splurge for people during this downturn. In short, innovation is a key component corporate strategy for positioning, surviving, and thriving through towards the economic upturn.

Comment by Gregg Gallagher on June 30, 2009 at 11:03am

Theresa gets to the issue of the need for an innovation to provide value - be sticky with - the customer. Too often, "innovation" is perceived as just something new or creative, but unless it is grounded in the meeting of a need, alleviating of a pain, etc.., it won't succeed - and thus, IMHO, not a true innovation.

So, how does an organization better achieve innovation in the form of creating customer value? What are the tools, techniques, processes, etc....???

Comment by Theresa Dreike on June 4, 2009 at 8:54am

Innovation is about finding the stickiest way to do something. It could be using humor to show how apathy is taking over an office or by promoting healthy lifestyle by changing the way food is prepared. Whatever the idea, it must be something people latch on to in order for it to be innovative. What is the saying ... Innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. Or something like that.

Southwest Airlines, is the Love airline. Everyone knows that, but in addition they take the humor they portray to their customers into the workplace. Check out this article.

Kaiser Permanente is bringing healthy eating to their employees and patients by holding farmer's markets in the partking lots of their hospitals. Here an article from CNN. BTW, the Irvine facility does a farmer's market every friday.

Comment by Ramesh Sabetiashraf on June 3, 2009 at 10:50pm

New and creative way of doing things

Comment by Gregg Gallagher on June 3, 2009 at 7:52am

Welcome to the Innovation Dojo! It's still in the process of being "built up", and I'll be posting some initial thoughts to promote a discussion within the Forum area.

Feel free to start the conversation without me!

Also, please invite other individuals who you think will find this of interest & value.