WHAT IS INNOVATION?

The first thing we need to do is recognize that “innovation” is not the same as “invention”.  Yes, at times it seems that the two are the same, and while similar in some respects, they are indeed different in many others.

I love history and throughout recorded time my favorite example of innovation is firearms and ammunition.

A brief timeline shows guns were invented a really long time ago.  They started showing up on the medieval battlefields of Europe in the mid-1300’s in the form of a rudimentary “hand cannon”, but it still took several hundred years before firearms began replacing other weapons that armies fought with.

After the invention of the gun, innovation began taking place.  The basic concept of guns hasn’t changed, but some aspects of them have.  Prior to the American Revolution it was determined that rifling the barrel greatly improved the accuracy of the weapon.  Keeping withU.S. history as a guide we still see that up to around the time of the Civil War guns were all muzzleloaders, meaning that the powder, wadding, and shot were all rammed down the muzzle end of the barrel.  By changing the shot to a conical shape (the famous “Mini Ball”) even greater accuracy was achieved.  The next great innovation was the self contained cartridge – muzzle loading was now a thing of the past.  Yet, even with all these innovations, the invention of the gun needed to happen first.  All the improvements to firearms from rifling the barrel to the improvements in ammunition are innovations to the initial product.

THERE’S A PROCESS!

Yes it’s true that all of the innovations didn’t just happen.  There was a lot of work involved and even some new technologies were developed along the way.  But that’s the neat part about innovation; thinking outside the box.  For instance, one problem set before early manufacturers was to achieve reliable rifles that could be easily repaired, in a shop or on the battlefield.  To meet this goal, interchangeable parts were developed.  Further innovation came quickly.

The idea is just that – using ideas that involve thinking processes we normally wouldn’t entertain.  Ever watch those old TV shows about the wilderness, or the nature documentaries?  How about “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” with Marlin Perkins?  It was always hysterical when Marlin would send his “assistant” Jim into the water to grab the alligator!  Anyway, these shows were great but they all required an entire film crew to go out into the world.  A few years ago, Les Stroud. a survival expert and filmmaker, thought outside the box and pitched his show, “Survivorman”.  All alone, carrying his own filming equipment and being his own cameraman, he would take his audience along for a five day survival test in various parts of the world.  Les took the current product of the nature show and through innovation was able to produce a newer, and in my mind, more fascinating version.

Forms of technology which have been around for centuries could be improved on or used in as yet un-thought of ways to help get us out of the energy crunch that we’re in.

For instance, you’ve seen windmills around somewhere.  No, not the picturesque windmill that Don Quixote fought, but the sleek wind turbines of today.  These machines are all based on the same principle as Quixote’s nemesis, but innovations found in aerodynamics and building materials have made them much more efficient at catching the wind and using that renewable resource of natural energy to create electricity.

NOT JUST E=MC² MENTALITY

The Industrial Revolution was achieved by innovative uses for technology like the steam engine.  Used to power factories, locomotives, and ships; we still use steam today to generate power.  It is innovative thinking that will lead the next revolution, of course, the question is, what technology are we going to build on?  What ideas will we come up with?  Remember, Apple didn’t invent the computer, but they certainly had innovative ideas to put it in the hands regular people. 

What innovative thinking are you promoting in your business?  Are you cultivating an environment that welcomes ideas, even if the ideas are a bit “out there”?  I had plenty of ideas back in the day and they were not what you would call ingenious, but the atmosphere in our department was such that all ideas were welcome on the chance that some of them would turn out to be viable – and some actually did.

SO, WHERE’S THE REVOLUTION?

There’s this whole “Go Green” and save fuel push going on everywhere.  This is isn’t some fad; it’s the bugler calling us to rise to the occasion and take on environmental and energy challenges.  How about the economic situation?  If that’s not a wake up call telling us to rethink things I don’t know what is.

The revolution is around us and all around the world – what can we do to get in on the fray?  Innovate!