The principle of innovation

From my blog on innovation, the purposeful innovation results from the organized search and systematic analysis of opportunities. The core of the discipline of innovation is based on the principles of innovation. This principle is based on the DO’s – things that have to be done and DON’TS – things that had better not be done.

The DO’S

The things that have to be done are:

1. Purposeful, systematic innovation begins with the analysis of opportunities. It begins with systematic analysis and study of the sources of innovation. The search has to be organized and must be done on a regular and systematic basis.
2. Innovation is both conceptual and perceptual. The second imperative of innovation is therefore to go out to look, to ask, to listen. It requires working out analytically what the innovation has to be to satisfy an opportunity. So they go out to study their customers, their users, to understand their expectations, their values and needs.
3. An effective innovation should be simple and focused. Even the innovation that creates new uses and new markets should be directed towards specific, clears design application. It should be focused on specific need that it satisfies, on a specific end result that it produces.
4. Effective innovation starts small. It should be capable of being started small, requiring a first little money, few people and only small and limited market. Otherwise, there is not enough time, to make the adjustments and changes that are almost always needed for an innovation to succeed. The necessary changes can be made only if the scale is small and their requirements for people and money is fairly modest.
5. A successful innovation aims at leadership. All entrepreneurial strategies (that is all strategies aimed at exploiting an innovation) must achieve leadership within a given environment. Otherwise, they will simply create opportunities for competition.

The DON’TS

The things that had better not be done are:

1. The first is simply not to try to be clever. In competence, after all is the only that in abundant and never failing in supply. Anything too clever whether in design or execution is almost bound to fail.
2. Don’t diversify, don’t splinter, and don’t try to do too many things at once. Be focused. Innovations that stray from core are likely to become diffused. An innovation needs the concentrated energy of a unified effort behind it. It requires that the people who put it into effect understand each other and this requires unity and common core.
3. Finally, do not try to innovate for the future. Innovate for the present. An innovation may have long range impact; it may not reach its full maturity until later years.

Conditions for innovation

The three conditions for successful innovation as outline by Drucker (1993) are:

1. Innovation is work. In innovation as in any other work, there is talent, there is ingenuity, and there is predisposition. But when all is said and done, innovation becomes hard, focused, purposeful work making very great demand on diligence, on persistence and on commitment.
2. To succeed, innovation must build on their strength. It is important in innovation to build on ones strength because of the risk of innovation and the resulting premium on knowledge and performance.
3. Innovation is an effect in economy and society, a change in behavior of the general populace, a change in process (that is how people work and produce things). Innovation always has to be close to the market, focused on the market and indeed market-driven.

Thank you

Augustus Zekaryah

Questions or suggestions?

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the content of this article, please do not hesitate to share them with us through filling the comment form below:

Also, if you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends. If you would like to read more articles like this, then enroll on our email list by ticking the box below to enable you receive our future articles in your inbox as soon as they appear on this website.

Other articles published by the author in this series at https://firstplus-ibs.com.ng that may be of interest are.

1. Innovation
2. Who is an entrepreneur?
3. What is entrepreneur?
4. Consulting
5. 8 things a consultant can do for you
6. How ICT can solve Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges

As you read them drop a comment because your feedback is very important to us. It will help us to improve. Regards…

About the author – Augustus Zekaryah

Augustus is a management, banking and business computing professional with over 20 years of documented success in the field. Augustus is recognized for the application of software to solving business problems, Software Project Management, Enterprise Architecture Strategy, and Delivery of learning solutions with focus on adaptability, Development and execution of business plans, General management and administration, Operations management and  Best practice development. Augustus founded and manages FirstPlus Integrated Business Solutions (http://firstplus-ibs.com.ng) as a Software and Business Consulting outfit that specializes in Software development and integration, E-Learning development, Business and Marketing Planning, Consulting and training. Augustus brings to his work a high level of energy, passion, commitment and humour. He is married with children.