The Really Simple Steps to Creating an Innovation Engine

Give employees permission to generate ideas, nudge them in the right direction, then get out of the way

Photo by Samuele Errico Piccarini on Unsplash

Think innovation, and what comes to mind? For many, it invariably evokes big names like Apple and Tesla, their epoch-defining products ranging from the smartphone to electric vehicles, and genius leaders like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. But is innovation only for the select few?

Not at all, according to Ben M. Bensaou, INSEAD professor of technology management, and Asian business and comparative management. During a recent Thinkers50 webinar, Bensaou stressed that innovation isn’t just about radical creativity or breakthrough products. It can be a systematic habit applied to a company’s internal processes and functions. It has the potential to bring joy to both customers and noncustomers, i.e., suppliers, retailers, regulators, and other players in a company’s business ecosystem.

In short, said Bensaou, anyone can innovate, and they can innovate in everything.

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Comments

Innovation and Quality

Very good article. During 40 years in manufacturing I used to call this the American way. I came to expect operators to tweak the process. The best ones kept notebooks in their lockers for future reference. Some would tell you "we tried that and it doesn't work". But some would share. Rules against process changes were often ignored. Given my experience in technical and quality assurance work, I end up with two statements, the first attributed to Deming:

Uncontrolled Variation is the Enemy of Quality

Is Innovation an enemy of quality? Don't see how variation can be avoided for innovation purposes.

The second is my own:

I agree with both statements. It is the wise manager who can keep them in balance.