More on Innovation

As I was writing the last post the weekly newsletter "Working Knowledge" rom Harvard business school arrived. It had an item about how every generation of managers learns about importance of innovation over again. Item was appropriately titled "Lessons not learned about Innovation". Why does this happen! Tom Peter's book appeared almost a decade back and was such a rage. One would think managers would have learnt the lessons and importance of innovation would become a tenet of management and be part of the standard curriculum! Not so apparently!! See earlier post to get an inkling of why that happens.

This article had several references to back publications. My interest was at a peak anyway, so I dug around. Some of the findings are as follows.

1. Mar 19, 2001, Stefan Thomke, The Essentials for Enlightened Experimentation
This appeared exactly 5 years ago. Quick innovation requires change in technological as well as managerial ways. Author comes up with four rules.
a. Organize for rapid experimentation- This is kind of obvious, if we have to find quick solution, we have to experiment and arrive at conclusions fast.
b. Fail early and often but avoid mistakes- Again necessary to avoid wastage of time in following wrong tracks.
c.Anticipate and exploit early information- Any early conclusion about direction that can be taken, should be take.
d. Combine old and new technology- Newest technology is not necessarily the last word.
New technology has made experimentation easier and hence the urgency/velocity required also has increased.
2.Aug 5, 2002, Loren Grey, Understanding The Process Of Innovation
Work of Clayton Christiansen is analysed here. He says the process is important, the "process of innovation and value creation," How to generate sufficient amount of innovative ideas and the ability to choose what to back for the next product. The nalytic approach, the MBA way may uncover niches/gaps in existing product lines in the market. But it takes intuitive leps of faith to create disruptive technology. Unfortunately in most organizations "There's usually some process by which a potentially great idea gets prostituted into something lackluster"(Clayton Christensen)
3.Sep 29, 2003, Rob Austin, Lee Devin,Why Managing Innovation is Like Theater
Rapid experimentation and frequent reconfiguration of the process are essential components of innovation. Team that works towards this ia a lot like a theater troupe. Each individual with unique talent working together towards making the overall play a successful one. In this regard authors feel, "A company of exceptionally talented big stars can ... create a less effective play than one made up of ordinarily talented artists who have, through hard work,learned how to collaborate." Certainly collaboration is the key alright!

Copyright:2006 Debasis Das