Was sind häufige Missverständnisse bei der Innovation und wie können Sie ihnen begegnen?

Innovation is achievable by anyone who is willing to talk with and understand people. First, there are two types of innovation: sustaining and disrupting. 1) Sustaining innovations make your product or service incrementally better. 2) Disrupting innovations typically reduce complexity or cost of a product or service, making it accessible to a new audience who was previously locked out. To begin the innovation process talk with your target audience to answer these research questions: - What jobs are they trying to do? - What are their pain points? - What unmet needs exist? Once you've answered these questions, you can start to generate ideas to solve them. The best innovations are often the simplest and are achievable by everyone!

It's key to understand that innovating is not a skill, nor is it dedicated to the C-Suite. It is a mindset which everyone can embrace. If you want your business to outperform, you want all your teams, regardless of seniority and function, to be champions at what they do. For this to happen, you ought to instil a culture of innovation. As a leader, push for change, show everyone that the status quo is NOT always the best way to do things, allow people to take risk and make sure you celebrate and reward even the smallest of achievements.

Innovation doesn’t make sense in any reasonable, rational moment of leadership, but it’s a skill that no reasonable, rational leader can afford to be without. It is not something you can outsource to an “innovation consulting” firm or delegate to R&D. Every leader needs to understand that it is part of their job description, and that it’s a core competence they need to develop regardless of their personal leadership style. The idea that you have to be a "risk-taker" or that you have to be an "extrovert" to inspire people to step outside their comfort zones is flat-out wrong. Learning the techniques of innovation are available to anyone who chooses to adopt them.

Agree. Innovation does not occur in a lab. It occurs in hallways, in the kitchen where we gather our lunches and in the elevator as we begin and end our work days. Innovation doesn't require a degree, a fancy title or even an office...what is does require is a helluva lot of listening deeply and lifting voices.

No es misterioso para los Inventores. La falacia que venden las Universidades e instituciones establecidas para formar inventores e innovadores con cursos y con modelos pre establecidos de innovación, cuesta un 85% de fracasos en los primeros tres años y a nadie le importa porque viven de ese engaño.

Too many leaders think their organizations are stable and only change when needed. The opposite is true. Your organization is ALWAYS undergoing change. (Although usually at a pace too slow to notice.) You can... - nudge, - deflect, - speed up, - punctuate - or disrupt these change processes. But you can not control them. That's why... Your ability to challenge assumptions is more important than your ability to reinforce them. Disrupting the status quo creates... - new ideas, - new awareness, - and new conversations, ...that allow for the EMERGENCE of new possibilities. You don't "control innovation" as a leader. You "control the conditions" that make innovation possible.

Innovation is a highly misunderstood concept. It is neither a project nor an outcome. It is better explained as a spirit to upkeep or a flame to keep alive. Innovation is built based on systems that allows organisations to rapidly identify problems and fix them. Problem identification is dependent on factors such as data and customer feedback. With a clear problem statement, systems need to be put in place to enable cross-functional teams to product solutions rapidly and iterate. One of the biggest myth is that the process ends once your product is launched. In fact, with the launch of every new product the process re-starts again. Look for problems, fix them fast, fix them well. And that is the spirit of innovation.

There are so many examples of products that got better and better with every version. If a company thinks that the first version needs to be the best it may not take any steps to innovate! By talking about continuous improvement and learning, companies can ensure continuous innovation!

The misconception that innovation is a one-time occurrence often leads to unrealistic expectations and missed opportunities. To address this, embracing an agile and adaptable approach to innovation is crucial. By employing methodologies like lean startup and emphasizing a growth mindset, you can nurture innovation as a continuous, dynamic process rather than a fixed goal. The path to innovation is often marked by experimentation, learning, and iteration, and it's not limited to a single, predictable event. 🔄🚀

I wholeheartedly agree with everything mentioned, but I believe the most crucial point, in my experience, is the pursuit of innovation for innovation's sake. Numerous organizations aspire to innovate and anticipate instant and grandiose outcomes. However, innovation is, in reality, an ongoing process that often manifests in small, incremental steps. It's not akin to an apple falling from a tree, leading to the discovery of the law of gravity. Instead, it frequently involves those inconspicuous, incremental advancements that often go unnoticed but ultimately make all the difference.

An obsessive focus on the C-suite no longer makes sense in a world dominated by flat organization structures where a small increase in innovation across every function and role in the organization... Could be more valuable than having a few innovative (and controlling) people at the top. Every leader needs to understand... ✅ That innovation is part of everyone's job description. And... ✅ It’s a core competence they need to develop regardless of their personality traits or educational background.

Your front-line employees play a vital role in innovating as they are the closest to the issues and problems and customers. Leverage their thoughts through surveys, meetings, and even innovation events to leverage their wisdom and insights!

The belief that innovation must be a top-down directive from leaders can stifle motivation and creativity among team members. A bottom-up approach empowers your team to identify problems, generate ideas, and implement solutions. By utilizing tools like hackathons and adopting a servant leadership style, you can harness your team's collective intelligence and passion. Encourage their ownership, involvement, and input in the innovation process, creating a more engaged and creative work environment. Innovation flourishes when it's a team effort. 🤝💡

Innovation DOESN'T have to be risky and costly, but you DO have to be willing to fail. Most leaders think failure is risky and costly, and that can hold teams back from pursuing innovative ideas at all. The trick is establishing a culture and a prioritization structure where failure is neither risky nor costly. Starting fast and lean, accepting that some ideas won't work, and (most importantly) learning from them are prerequisites to fostering a culture of innovation.

If everything has to work this quarter, then by definition, you don’t have time to pursue risky, disruptive ideas. But, actually... It’s NOT the IDEAS themselves that are risky. The ONLY thing being risked is the TIME it would take to get those ideas to a point where they’re worth experimenting with further. 👉 The MORE thinking time you’re willing to risk... 👉 The LESS you’ll risk other resources.

The misconception that innovation is a costly and risky endeavor can deter organizations from pursuing new ideas. However, adopting a lean and efficient approach to innovation is possible. Techniques such as rapid prototyping and hypothesis testing can help minimize waste and optimize learning. A positive and resilient attitude towards failure and change is essential to overcome the fear of risks. Innovation need not be a costly gamble; it can be a systematic, controlled process. 📉💡

Your organization is (continuously) created and re-created through SOCIAL INTERACTIONS with ideas. And those ideas are open to many possible interpretations. So as an innovator and leader... You can use those ideas: ✅ to challenge mindsets, ✅ to re-enforce mindsets, ✅ or to create new mindsets. Assumptions of ... ❓ what will or won’t we change, ❓ what can or can’t we change, ❓ what should or shouldn’t we change, Are all woven into your—and your employees’—mindset. And that mindset is what determines... The freedom of your thinking and your organization’s future. So sharing ideas is the most important priority... Because developing mindsets is the most important product.

Was the I-phone 15 created by one person? No. It took a team at Apple 15 iterations of the I-phone to develop the current model. Each version gets better and better as a team assesses and studies the prior models. Innovation can not happen in a silo.

Innovation is neither a solitary quest for individual genius nor a competitive, secretive endeavor. A social and cooperative approach, including networking and mentoring, enables innovators to connect and synergize with others. A culture of trust, generosity, and reciprocity fosters collaboration and shared success. By working together, sharing ideas, and celebrating each other's achievements, we can amplify the quality and impact of innovation. 🤝🌐🌟

Misconception 6: Innovation is the only way to fix problems When organizations go through any and/or constant change a feeling or expectation may arise within the organization where any perceived problem must be fixed through innovation. This mindset can lead to cost increases, further process disruptions, inefficiencies and many other unintentional consequences. Several questions leaders should evaluate before starting any innovation: a - Are there problems with the process? b - Are there problems with the technology? c - Are there process/procedure following compliance issues? d - Are there external factors (buyers/end user wants,...) Answering these will help define the 5Ws for prioritizing any innovation efforts (if needed).

I loved my time at Whole Foods Market where we regularly talked about innovation. From hosting an ice-skating rink at our flagship location to highlighting our local suppliers, Team Members are the key to innovation. I appreciated working for a company that recognizes that!

People often assume that creativity and innovation flourish in expansive environments without limits. "Blue skies" and "blank slates" and "free reins" come to mind. But the reality is, that kind of freedom can be paralyzing, and creativity and innovation thrive within structure and defined parameters. In Why Constraints are Good for Innovation (an HBR article from 2019), the authors share results from a review of 145 studies that show that individuals, teams, and organizations all benefit from constraints when it comes to innovation.