{"id":125,"date":"2014-03-12T18:16:38","date_gmt":"2014-03-12T18:16:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rockypeaklc.com\/blog\/?p=125"},"modified":"2014-06-24T20:42:13","modified_gmt":"2014-06-24T20:42:13","slug":"innovation-process-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rockypeaklc.com\/blog\/innovation-process-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation Process"},"content":{"rendered":"

Without an Innovation Process you are Searching for Gold without a Map or Compass!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>
Image courtesy of http:\/\/jaeselle.com\/2012\/04\/planning-ness\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every opportunity I have, I ask business leaders if they have an official and documented process for innovation. The typical response I get leads me to a clear understanding that <\/span>most people don\u2019t<\/i><\/b>!<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s even more troublesome is that over half of them say they don\u2019t really need an Innovation process\u2026that they just “do it\u201d when they need it and that\u2019s perfectly fine. What these business leaders are really describing is probably just problem solving, not true innovation. Both are required in your organization but they are two entirely different mindsets requiring different thinking.<\/p>\n

The difference is subtle and can make the difference between moving forward in a positive direction\u2026or remaining mediocre and stagnate. Some background into the difference between problem solving and innovation is required to illustrate the point, so I will provide a quick comparison for you.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"innovationprocess1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Problem Solving<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 True Innovation<\/span><\/b>
\nReactive \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Proactive
\nDefensive approach \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Offensive approach
\nBased on Stability \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Based on Change
\nRisk reductions \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 New Opportunities
\nOperational Efficiency\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Leadership Strategy<\/p>\n

\"innovationprocess2\"<\/a>
adapted from figures in “The Innovation Formula” by M. Robert, & A. Weiss<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The list and figures above show clear distinctions between the two processes. The biggest difference is the change in performance level. So you can see that Innovation requires a different, and unique process, which may also include interconnected process elements or components.<\/p>\n

Innovation is a repeatable business practice containing specific skills and thinking mindsets. It is not a homemade soup where you add a pinch of this and a pinch of that.\u00a0 Innovation requires a structured and disciplined sequence of steps that contains tools that can be used in each step.<\/p>\n

Divergence ——–> Transformation ——-> Convergence<\/strong><\/p>\n

The above\u00a0steps are interconnected and flow forward from a starting point using divergent thinking to a finish point using convergent thinking.\u00a0 Inside the flow between these two thinking elements, you must have a creativity step allowing a series of new ideas to evolve providing a transformation. Any Innovation process requires as a minimum these three steps.<\/p>\n

Many Innovation processes contain 4 to\u00a08 steps depending on their design thinking logic. The NOVATE process contains 6 steps with an interconnected flow that allows you to think forward, think backward and then continue to think forward again.<\/p>\n

\"novate\"<\/a><\/p>\n

NOVATE Innovation Process<\/b><\/p>\n