Comments on: Innovation is a Human Ability http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/04/04/innovation-is-a-human-ability/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:38:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jeremy Thomas http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/04/04/innovation-is-a-human-ability/comment-page-1/#comment-5105 Jeremy Thomas Wed, 04 Apr 2007 23:52:47 +0000 http://fastforwardblog.com/2007/04/04/innovation-is-a-human-ability/#comment-5105 Paula, Great point. I must admit I'm guilty of getting too caught up in the technology side of Enterprise 2.0, but you're right, this is definitely more about people and culture than anything. Paula,

Great point. I must admit I’m guilty of getting too caught up in the technology side of Enterprise 2.0, but you’re right, this is definitely more about people and culture than anything.

]]> By: Paula Thornton http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/04/04/innovation-is-a-human-ability/comment-page-1/#comment-5095 Paula Thornton Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:53:57 +0000 http://fastforwardblog.com/2007/04/04/innovation-is-a-human-ability/#comment-5095 Thanks for that observation Corey. What I've discovered of late adds to that perspective. Let me share a specific example. The comment I made about variability came from a conversation with a PhD candidate colleague. He suggested how a continuum he had culled from a Drucker perspective worked really well for differentiating work. At one end of the continuum was the knowledge worker at the other end was highly mechanized work. He shared how in a course exercise, students could readily place specific roles on the continuum. The example he gave was a UPS Driver. I challenged him. I suggested that this was only because they had a limited perspective of the potential of the UPS Driver to be a knowledge worker. I asked him if he was aware that all FedEX truck drivers were owner/operators? I told him how they were free to optimize their own routes. I challenged him to rethink 'mechanized'. If mechanized jobs are so simple, why use a human at all? Because they can manage variability. But are there not repetitive tasks that can be both process optimized and allow for variabilty? Consider the FedEX driver. He would love a system to take all of his deliveries and map them out in the most efficient route possible. Efficiency saves him costs. But does he also want to be free to decide to return to an important account to take care of a special 'last minute' large delivery to increase equity in that relationship? You bet! Innovation is not about avoiding automatic processes, but about leveraging them to free us up to manage more and more variability. It's a matter of both...yin and yang, chaos and order. The greatest potential is in the moving middle. Thanks for that observation Corey. What I’ve discovered of late adds to that perspective. Let me share a specific example. The comment I made about variability came from a conversation with a PhD candidate colleague. He suggested how a continuum he had culled from a Drucker perspective worked really well for differentiating work. At one end of the continuum was the knowledge worker at the other end was highly mechanized work. He shared how in a course exercise, students could readily place specific roles on the continuum. The example he gave was a UPS Driver. I challenged him. I suggested that this was only because they had a limited perspective of the potential of the UPS Driver to be a knowledge worker.

I asked him if he was aware that all FedEX truck drivers were owner/operators? I told him how they were free to optimize their own routes. I challenged him to rethink ‘mechanized’. If mechanized jobs are so simple, why use a human at all? Because they can manage variability. But are there not repetitive tasks that can be both process optimized and allow for variabilty? Consider the FedEX driver. He would love a system to take all of his deliveries and map them out in the most efficient route possible. Efficiency saves him costs. But does he also want to be free to decide to return to an important account to take care of a special ‘last minute’ large delivery to increase equity in that relationship? You bet!

Innovation is not about avoiding automatic processes, but about leveraging them to free us up to manage more and more variability. It’s a matter of both…yin and yang, chaos and order. The greatest potential is in the moving middle.

]]> By: Corey Smith http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2007/04/04/innovation-is-a-human-ability/comment-page-1/#comment-5061 Corey Smith Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:50:01 +0000 http://fastforwardblog.com/2007/04/04/innovation-is-a-human-ability/#comment-5061 Richard Luecke and Ralph Katz wrote a great book on innovation. Managing Creativity and Innovation (Harvard Business School Press. ISBN 1591391121.) discusses in length innovation in organizations. They wrote: “Innovation . . . is generally understood as the introduction of a new thing or method . . . Innovation is the embodiment, combination, or synthesis of knowledge in original, relevant, valued new products, processes, or services. (p. 2)” Among the most important things they discuss is that innovation, like all other things that we do, “is a management process that requires specific tools, rules, and discipline.” (p. xvii) If we ever hope to ensure that we are innovative, we can't rely on automatic processes to provide that innovation. We need to make sure that we always allow the creative juices flow. Richard Luecke and Ralph Katz wrote a great book on innovation. Managing Creativity and Innovation (Harvard Business School Press. ISBN 1591391121.) discusses in length innovation in organizations. They wrote:

“Innovation . . . is generally understood as the introduction of a new thing or method . . . Innovation is the embodiment, combination, or synthesis of knowledge in original, relevant, valued new products, processes, or services. (p. 2)”

Among the most important things they discuss is that innovation, like all other things that we do, “is a management process that requires specific tools, rules, and discipline.” (p. xvii)

If we ever hope to ensure that we are innovative, we can’t rely on automatic processes to provide that innovation. We need to make sure that we always allow the creative juices flow.

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