Innovation does not require any model and those schools that teach innovation have got it wrong. Innovation is situational and has no formula.
You just need to put in place a process of getting great ideas from everyone who can give you and an open policy to look into each and every idea. No one monopolises knowledge and by far, the most people with noble ideas can come from anywhere. You just cannot rely on your staff for ideas to take your company to the next level.
Customers who use your products and services on a daily basis, by far, have more experience with them and ideas of what ‘they would like your product to do’ for them to be happy.
How many times do your staff use the products of the main competitor? But your customers do. They are willing to get back to you on how you could make it better for them to buy from you, but there is no such opportunity. You’ve locked your doors and busy doing what you think your customers need, in stead of providing an ongoing user engagement to promote innovation and improvement.
The magic is: you have the budget to actualise their ideas. They don’t. All they need is recognition. All you need is shareholder value. So, why not engage them via the many available options? I get many ideas from my readers telling me the kinds of articles they would like to read. How are you engaging your customers so as to make products that meet their needs instead of what you think they need?
If teaching innovation worked, every company would be innovating! There is no standard innovation model. You just get an great idea and have it explored further Companies that innovate the most, have a clear process to encourage such ideas from all and sundry and ‘test’ their potential to solve today’s problems. If your idea passes the basic checks, it will be given an opportunity and the funding to take it far. That is the magic. Everyone gets great ideas daily — the difference is that their companies just lack a clear process to materialize them. For example, I thought if I were at Honda, I would by now have a Motorcycle that has an option for cycling manually to reduce pollution, while also helping the tired! Of course now Honda will say that they tried this already or they are working it! Comeon, recognise me for this break-through and engage me to show you how I got the motivation and idea about this. You will come up with a great product and will change the way people do exercise.
You can virtually have a moving gym, and enable people to arrive at work early, while exercising as they go to work. Save them from thieves (they will start the engine when it gets late or put manual so as to cycle when they need.) In today’s health conscious and environmental conscious society, you cannot avoid to do this. You see, with a dual cycle (manual/ auto) one can cycle (manually) to a remote place and return. There about avoiding polluting the industrial or commercial centres. That is the secret.
Copyright Mustapha B Mugisa. 2014 All rights reserved. Your Success Partner.
