Aside from the business necessity of innovating, there is an unmistakable attraction and “deliciousness” associated with innovation. Why is innovation is so irresistibly tasty to business people? Here’s my take:
OPTIMISM
Innovation requires a belief in possibilities to be realized, an investment in potential. Without optimism, there is no endurance to withstand the ups and downs of business. But with optimism, anything looks possible…and therefore becomes possible.
POWER
Innovation is an act of creation. By making something real out of the thin air of an idea, you own the exhilarating power of bringing a new product, workshop, service, process, or facility into being. For organizations, that translates into revenue and mission impact.
CHALLENGE
Innovators push boundaries and leap over edges, reaping joy and satisfaction in meeting tough challenges. Breaking the rules is thrilling, too; so is disrupting the status quo. Organizations that challenge themselves are learning organizations with a tendency to thrive.
CONTRIBUTION
Innovation is about making things better. If you care about making a difference in your work/life/world, this aspect of innovation is undeniably delectable.
PLAY
Innovation gives adults permission to play (have fun!) while doing serious work. Some of the “toys” of innovation include experimenting, coloring outside the lines, engaging your imagination, and playing “What if…” and “How can we…?” games. The good news is that our brains get creative when we play; so playing is good for problem-solving.
PERFORMANCE
As business people, you’re always striving for results; you love to perform at a high level, and you like it even more when your businesses thrive. Innovation is the ultimate fuel for performance; without it, you stagnate.
Do your innovation efforts serve up tasty results? Get in touch to find out how Value Planning for Infrastructure can cook up better results for you.
