Management Information |
Innovation Management: What Problem Is Being Solved?
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted. Franklin (2003) reported that many innovations fail due to a lack of focus. This sentiment is echoed by Doug Richards (Words of wisdom from the dragon's mouth, Financial Times, 7th May 2005) a venture capitalist who stated that what he really wants to know is what problem the product solves. This stresses the often overlooked but important part of the creativity and innovation process - problem identification. Ask twenty different people what the problem is and you will likely get twenty different answers. Each answer opens up a pathway that can be explored for ideas. Taking time to identify problems exactly decreases misunderstandings, increases awareness of multiple dimensions, enhances interpersonal relationships and allows all opinions to be heard. Developing and commercialising products addressed to specific problems reduces the occurrence of failure and the related cost. Further, it saves the cost of having to retrace steps and re-engineer. These topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com. You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site. You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained. Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
The DNA of Motivation It really is about motivation. After all, what impels someone to climb a mountain, or go to college, or save for a car, or learn a new language or anything of a thousand things? What is it that moves someone to action from a position of comfortable stasis? The answer is motivation. Smart Staffing: Replacing a Key Manager Have you been in this situation? One of your top managers left suddenly and you're under the gun to replace her quickly. So you promoted her assistant. Internal Communication: 12 Essential Elements There are 12 essential elements of a successful internal communications strategy:1. Effective employee-directed communications must be led from the top Effective communications require the active commitment and endorsement of senior managers. Quick Tip - Effective Meetings Earn a Profit Most people treat meetings as a free resource that can be used to deal with any issue. As a result, huge amounts of time and money are wasted on trivia. Creativity and Innovation Directors, Consultants and Managers Creativity and Innovation is essential for competitive advantage, yet the role of Creativity and Innovation Manager is often not viewed as essential. Organizations without such a role will simply not perform as competitively as their rivals. The Myth of the Management Team Every business has problems. That is why the average life span of a large industrial company is 40 years. Unlock the Hidden Creativity of Your Employees To release creativity in employees, managers must get involved in their employees' work. Look at each employee as if he or she is the expert on the job and tap into their creative energy. Classifying Motivational Needs While there exist several useful definitions of motivation, for our purposes we will define it as an individual's desire to do something based upon a need. When a person is confronted with a need (either perceived or actual), he or she usually is motivated to perform specific actions for some sort of gratification. Designing Your Healthy Administration - A Management Overview Management or Leadership?Simply stated, management ensures that things get done, in accordance with accepted policies, based on the reality of a situation. It involves deciding the how, and the when and often the who. Creative and Innovative Culture, Change Management - Three Easy Tests Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation and innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. From this simple definition, it is clear that certain cultural characteristics ought to be prevalent if creativity and innovation are to be maximised. Real Costs in Distribution and What it Means To Your Company Ever feel that all the lawyers in thh Country need to give their lives up for our freedom, by exiting the planet forthwith? Yes, me too. In an article in CCJ-Commercial Carrier Journal entitled "Ticking Away" The Insurance Time Bomb. Resolving Needs - What Your Employees Wish For! For your people, they want to do a great job - no, really, despite your experiences, they do. And what might seem to 'the management' the important things, just don't stack in the day-to-day reality of the workplace. Five Overlooked Ways To Hire Winners Here is a true story. My dentist did a "clinical" evaluation of my teeth. When Code Freeze Turns To Code Slush Time To Market (TTM) is a vital concept that every executive understands. Releasing a product to market before your competition gives you a significant first-mover advantage. Why Would Anyone Do That in My Meeting? Imagine that you open a meeting by saying, "We need to talk about the budget."And someone responds with, "I named my dog Budget because everyone tells me he's too big. 3 Tests To Hire The Best Question: What's the easiest, cheapest and quickest way to have profitable, productive, and honest employees?Answer: Hire profitable, productive, honest people!Unfortunately, managers often hire underachievers or losers. Fortunately, pre-employment tests give managers a simple-to-use, quick, customizable way to hire the best. Business Innovation - Tacit Knowledge Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Document management : A dream of paperless office What is document management: When we think about "Document Management" we usually see a picture of paperless office. It is not an easy task to make an office paperless due to several existing problems based on Industrial needs. CEOs Role in Family Business I first met Roland (not his real name) in 1972. He was a high school student working a summer job in his father's business. Best Practices Plan: Dissemination of a Great Idea Good news spreads quicklyNews of the invention of the wheel must have traveled in every direction as quickly as horse or camel could run. Those who learned of its advantages over the litter and the sledge adopted it right away. |
home | site map | contact us |