Innovation: what a word! It’s spoken often, but do we truly understand it, support it and utilize its outcomes?
These are essential questions for executives who are leading companies and looking for that competitive edge. So we use the word innovation quite readily when discussing how to be more competitive, achieve greater market share or drive opportunity.
Based on decades of research, the InnovatorMindset® profile looks at two types of cycles to define true innovation versus what most business leaders actually do.
Most of us tend to adopt the Status Quo Cycle, which has four phases:
- Idea Phase: We ask, “How do we reproduce existing possibilities?” We aren’t seeking new or outside information, but simple sustainability of the existing known outcomes. Our focus tends to be on that which is proven, what we already know and have used.
- Feedback Phase: We look for reinforcement of what has worked in the past and why it worked. We restore our world to what has been and try to maintain the status quo.
- Reality Phase: We detect deviations in the present system or process that could cause a different or lesser outcome. Our focus is then on correction of the deviation to return to the normal or existing.
- Action Phase: In this corrective phase, we apply the solutions we are familiar with or have previously used in order to eliminate the deviations and return to the norm.
In the Status Quo Cycle, the focus is on utilizing the known and existing solutions to maintain the existing norm. Often times this referred to as “detect and correct”, which is vital to a sound and functioning business operation. We do not want to eliminate or avoid this cycle, but simply be aware of which cycle we are in.
In comparison, the Innovation Cycle seeks new information and explores what is not yet known, in four phases.
- The Reality Phase: We observe our business surroundings and our environment, and become aware of what is or is not happening. We see consequences that might not have been noted before and outcomes that we were not aware of. We look for the new or different versus the known and established.
- Feedback Phase: The new information or insight is interpreted. We seek to learn new knowledge, discover various applications and retain that which has possible value.
- Idea Phase: The new knowledge and insights lead to new ideas or applications that have not been applied before. We strive for new possibilities that existing knowledge has not given us.
- Action Phase: We take action by experimenting and undergoing trial and error. We apply the new knowledge and insights to observe what positive or negative outcomes may occur, testing our new hypothesis. This might be referred to as “failing forward:” testing quickly and adjusting to determine the best new solution or opportunity.
You’ll note a significant difference in mindset between the two cycles. The Status Quo is focused on tried, true processes and knowledge to maintain an existing situation, while the Innovator Cycle is all about seeing the existing differently, actively seeking new information and encouraging experimentation to try something new and different.
So what are we suggesting?
First, in which cycle does your organization invest most of its time and energy? Most are in the Status Quo, and occasionally a few within the organization might utilize the Innovation Cycle. What we recommend, and what highly innovative organizations do, is elevate the Innovation Cycle to a higher status, encouraging it through experimentation and working to stay out of Status Quo cycle.
On the flip side, the Status Quo is important, and while only utilizing the Innovation Cycle might be exciting, it’s not stable enough for long term growth and profitability. Both need to be utilized with purpose.
Are you including innovation as an initiative in your strategic planning? If not, perhaps that is a place to start.
Watch for our next post on utilizing the Innovation Cycle as a leadership communication tool.
For more on the InnovatorMindset® contact H. Goerger & Associates Inc. dba AskHG, one of the first to be certified in the nation.
InnovatorMindset® is the property of Dennis Stauffer, www.InnovatorMindset.com
Ubunifu: ni neno gani! Inasemwa mara nyingi, lakini je, sisi kwa kweli tunaelewa, kuunga mkono na kutumia matokeo yake? Hizi ni maswali muhimu kwa watendaji ambao ni kuongoza makampuni na kuangalia kwa kwamba kingo ya ushindani. "Tunatumia neno ""innovation"" mara nyingi tunapozungumzia jinsi ya kuwa na ushindani zaidi, kufikia sehemu kubwa ya soko au kuendesha fursa." Kulingana na miongo kadhaa ya utafiti, Profile ya InnovatorMindset inachunguza aina mbili za mzunguko wa kuelezea ubunifu wa kweli dhidi ya kile viongozi wengi wa biashara wanachofanya. "Wengi wetu huwa na kuidhinisha mzunguko wa hali ya sasa, ambao una awamu nne: ""Mzunguko wa wazo: Tunauliza, ""Tunawezaje kuzalisha uwezekano uliopo?"" Hatutafuti habari mpya au ya nje, lakini uendelevu rahisi wa matokeo ya sasa yanayojulikana." Tunazingatia zaidi kile ambacho kimethibitishwa, kile tunachojua tayari na ambacho tumetumia. - Awamu ya maoni: Tunatafuta kuimarisha kile kilichofanya kazi katika siku za nyuma na kwa nini ilifanya kazi. Tunarudisha ulimwengu wetu kwa kile kilichokuwa na kujaribu kudumisha hali ilivyo. - Awamu ya Uhalisi: Sisi kugundua kupotoka katika mfumo wa sasa au mchakato ambayo inaweza kusababisha matokeo tofauti au chini. Lengo letu ni kisha juu ya marekebisho ya kupotoka kurudi kwa kawaida au zilizopo. Katika hatua hii ya marekebisho, tunatumia suluhisho tunazojulikana au tumetumia hapo awali ili kuondoa kupotoka na kurudi kwa kawaida. Katika mzunguko wa hali ya sasa, lengo ni kutumia suluhisho zinazojulikana na zilizopo ili kudumisha kiwango kilichopo. Mara nyingi mara hii inajulikana kama <unk> kugundua na sahihi <unk>, ambayo ni muhimu kwa sauti na kazi ya biashara ya operesheni. Hatutaki kuondoa au kuepuka mzunguko huu, lakini tu kuwa na ufahamu wa mzunguko ambao tuko ndani yake. Kwa kulinganisha, mzunguko wa uvumbuzi hutafuta habari mpya na kuchunguza kile ambacho bado haijulikani, katika hatua nne. - Awamu ya Ukweli: Sisi kuchunguza mazingira yetu ya biashara na mazingira yetu, na kuwa na ufahamu wa nini ni au si kutokea. Tunaona matokeo ambayo huenda hayakuonekana hapo awali na matokeo ambayo hatukujua. Tunatafuta mpya au tofauti dhidi ya inayojulikana na imara. - Awamu ya maoni: Habari mpya au ufahamu ni kutafsiriwa. Tunatafuta kujifunza maarifa mapya, kugundua matumizi mbalimbali na kuhifadhi kile ambacho kina thamani iwezekanavyo. - Idea awamu: maarifa mapya na ufahamu kusababisha mawazo mapya au maombi ambayo hayaja kutumika kabla. Tunatafuta uwezekano mpya ambao maarifa yaliyopo hayajatupa. - Awamu ya Hatua: Tunachukua hatua kwa majaribio na kupitia jaribio na makosa. Tunatumia maarifa na ufahamu mpya kuchunguza matokeo mazuri au mabaya yanayoweza kutokea, tukijaribu nadharia yetu mpya. Hii inaweza kutajwa kama <unk> kushindwa mbele: <unk> kupima haraka na kurekebisha ili kuamua bora mpya ufumbuzi au fursa. Utaona tofauti kubwa katika mawazo kati ya mizunguko miwili. "Status Quo inazingatia mchakato wa kweli na ujuzi wa kudumisha hali iliyopo, wakati mzunguko wa ubunifu unahusu kuona yaliyopo tofauti, kutafuta habari mpya na kuhamasisha majaribio ya kujaribu kitu kipya na tofauti.""" Kwa hiyo tunapendekeza nini? Kwanza, ni mzunguko gani ambao shirika lako huwekeza wakati na nishati yake nyingi? Wengi ni katika Status Quo, na mara kwa mara wachache ndani ya shirika inaweza kutumia Innovation Cycle. "Kile tunachopendekeza, na kile mashirika ya ubunifu mkubwa hufanya, ni kuinua mzunguko wa ubunifu kwa hadhi ya juu, kuhimiza kupitia majaribio na kufanya kazi ya kukaa nje ya mzunguko wa hali ya ""status quo.""" Kwa upande mwingine, Hali ya Quo ni muhimu, na wakati tu kutumia Innovation Cycle inaweza kuwa ya kusisimua, si imara ya kutosha kwa ajili ya ukuaji wa muda mrefu na faida. Yote mawili yanahitaji kutumiwa kwa kusudi. Je, unajumuisha ubunifu kama mpango katika mipango yako ya kimkakati? Ikiwa sivyo, labda hiyo ni mahali pa kuanza. Angalia chapisho letu linalofuata juu ya kutumia Mzunguko wa Ubunifu kama chombo cha mawasiliano ya uongozi. Kwa habari zaidi juu ya InnovatorMindset, wasiliana na H. Goerge & Associates Inc. (DBA) AskHG, moja ya kwanza kuthibitishwa nchini. InnovatorMindset ni mali ya Dennis Stauffer, www.InnovatorMindset.com