3 Innovations make valuable differences
Innovation is the implementation of creativity to make a valuable difference — the introduction of a new idea, process, or product. Creativity provides the necessary spark to get the ball rolling.
Creativity is best applied in the workplace to create innovations. Innovations are essentially doing something different to make a valuable difference. Innovations in the workplace could result in any of the following:
- improved working procedures
- improved business and/or production processes
- improved services or products for sale
- improved skills and proficiencies of people in the workplace
- improved job satisfaction.
Innovations can be small or very large in scale, but they all need to create value or they would just be an interesting exercise.
Watch this video presentation about how innovation is so valuable.
Watch this short video below about a simple innovation that solves a simple problem.
I wear shoes with laces all of the time and I walk a lot. Before I watched this video, my shoe laces were always coming untied, but then I watched it very carefully about 4 times and figured out how to improve the way I tie my shoes. It has been a couple of years now and my shoes have never come untied by themselves. This worked and it has been very valuable to me. Give it a try and see if it will work for you and add value to your life.
Oh, and if you like that innovation, check out this website that has 37 different ways to lace up your shoes. Personally, I hate the way new shoes are laced when I buy them from a store. Before I will wear them I will re-lace them using the Straight European Lacing method. My father taught me this method when I was very young and I have used it ever since. I like it because it is much easier to tighten and loosen your laces. I have observed that many use this method for lacing up their ice skates, but it also works great on shoes. I challenge you to try this method on one of your shoes for a week and see if you find it valuable. If you don’t then you can go back to the default method.
Creativity in the workplace is mostly about making innovations that are valuable improvements to the organization and/or people involved, including yourself. All of the principles in this book will help you to become a more creative and innovative person. Another benefit is that innovative people are very sought after as employees or leaders in any workplace.
Watch the following video about the innovation of innovation. What are the questions you could ask to help you create an innovation?
The Innovation of Innovation https://youtu.be/jP80EoL4Z70
Watch this short video that answers the question: “What is an innovation?”
Do you consider yourself an innovative person? Would you like to become more innovative? You can develop your creative and innovative abilities by learning and applying the principles in this book. But it also takes making a choice to be more creative and looking for ways to create improvements in your workplace. Start with small things and then take on more challenges as your confidence grows. Look for something this week that you can improve in your workplace and share it with a friend. Update them on your progress in implementing your innovation.
Using new technologies (new for you) is a popular way to make improvements in your work. There are many new technologies available to you to explore using to be innovative with. Many of them can be downloaded onto your phone or they may already be there waiting for you to discover them.
And just for fun, take a look at this article at http://www.designyourway.net/blog/inspiration/incredible-gadgets-you-would-kill-for-20-examples/. This is an interesting list of new innovative “gadgets” that you may find useful. Check it out.
Watch this TedTalk about how one guy is making a significant difference in education. Is this a valuable improvement? Would you find this valuable?
An opposing view to this principle is that only special people can be creative and innovative. Perhaps the people promoting this view are the high priced consultants that are making their living by helping organizations make improvements. Have I convinced you, yet, that you can be just as innovative as those people? Yes, it takes practice, courage, and experience, but you can gain that expertise as they did. Believe in yourself.
So, now what do you think is holding you back from being more creative and innovative?
What assumptions, misconceptions or habits are preventing you from gaining the full benefit of applying this principle?
Challenge:
Identify one or two changes that you can make in your workplace that will make a valuable difference. Share these and your progress in implementing these changes with a friend.
Further readings/viewings:
