One of the many insightful professionals whose tweets I follow and read on a regular basis drew my attention to this article about two weeks ago. 'Why Victims Can't Invent Anything' takes a fresh approach to why many struggle with innovation to either enter a new marketplace or continually develop in order to compete in their current one.
Part of the article can be broken down into a simple concept we're all familiar with - that is, in life, do you typically see the glass as half empty or half full? However, when applied to your business outlook, this theory naturally becomes a bit more complex.
When problems arise do you welcome them, knowing that in the end whatever product or service you produce will ultimately be more complete solutions for your customers/clients due to issues faced early on? Do you see these challenges as times to innovate, to stretch yourself, your employees, your company?
Or do you throw up roadblocks, adopt exasperation as an attitude and complain?
If you regularly do the latter, the piece asserts you're robbing yourself of the ability to innovate. When you complain about hiccups in time lines, frustrations with research and development or any other inevitable hurdles you make yourself a victim. And as the article argues, victims never invented anything.
To lead your company or organization into the future you're going to need the ability to innovate which means no excuses, problems/challenges = opportunities to change the landscape of your marketplace.
This outlook doesn't have to be inherent, it can be learned. After all, many traits or characteristics of entrepreneurs are more skills they have honed than anything else. You can't be the only one whose adopted this attitude either. It should be a part of your organization's identity and brand so all employees not only identify with it, but exhibit it in their approach their every day routines. This means assessing your business plan, product marketing plan business strategy or marketing communications strategy - make the can-do attitude a part of your company culture and you'll be able to innovate on a daily basis.
Part of the article can be broken down into a simple concept we're all familiar with - that is, in life, do you typically see the glass as half empty or half full? However, when applied to your business outlook, this theory naturally becomes a bit more complex.
When problems arise do you welcome them, knowing that in the end whatever product or service you produce will ultimately be more complete solutions for your customers/clients due to issues faced early on? Do you see these challenges as times to innovate, to stretch yourself, your employees, your company?
Or do you throw up roadblocks, adopt exasperation as an attitude and complain?
If you regularly do the latter, the piece asserts you're robbing yourself of the ability to innovate. When you complain about hiccups in time lines, frustrations with research and development or any other inevitable hurdles you make yourself a victim. And as the article argues, victims never invented anything.
To lead your company or organization into the future you're going to need the ability to innovate which means no excuses, problems/challenges = opportunities to change the landscape of your marketplace.
This outlook doesn't have to be inherent, it can be learned. After all, many traits or characteristics of entrepreneurs are more skills they have honed than anything else. You can't be the only one whose adopted this attitude either. It should be a part of your organization's identity and brand so all employees not only identify with it, but exhibit it in their approach their every day routines. This means assessing your business plan, product marketing plan business strategy or marketing communications strategy - make the can-do attitude a part of your company culture and you'll be able to innovate on a daily basis.
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