October 2009 Deep Insights

Innovation is what brings and keeps life in an organization. Innovation has always been thought of as a few gifted people working in solitude to deliver the newest next best thing. Recent experiments and measurements clearly point to two factors not considered until now: when organizations embrace engaging many minds, rather than a few, the outcome is greater; and if the many engaging minds are diversified by function, nationality and social position the outcome is beyond expectations.

Innovation is driven by forward thinkers who encourage celebrations for success and failure. They know from experience that both require a thorough understanding of why. They embrace facts not anecdotal evidence when seeking answers before they journey to another innovation. Success is being at the right place at the right time with the right product. Failure is being at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong product. Analysis is the last thought when failure confronts us, easier to forget than to find the truth. Forward thinkers embrace analysis of failure, not to find fault or place blame, but because they know the seeds of innovation are more often found in failures than in successes.

It is the forward thinkers that encourage their organization to engage in a culture of inclusion, to analyze success as well as failure and to develop the ability to understand strength in diversity. Worlds that were far away are now viable markets but are also competitors. Their innovations compete with all others worldwide. If they utilize the minds of many and understand the value of diversity their product life cycle will extend beyond their competitions.

Innovation is forward thinking not limited to a few, but open to all. It must be encouraged by management through inclusion and diversity as integral components.