{"id":7366,"date":"2015-10-13T12:44:38","date_gmt":"2015-10-13T12:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/?p=7366"},"modified":"2021-01-15T09:10:22","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T09:10:22","slug":"an-innovation-cheat-sheet-what-where-how-and-why-we-do-new","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/an-innovation-cheat-sheet-what-where-how-and-why-we-do-new\/","title":{"rendered":"An Innovation Cheat Sheet: What, Where, How, and Why we do &#8220;new&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If innovation is doing something \u201cnew\u201d, how do you know which \u201cnew\u201d you should do?<\/p>\n<p>I was speaking with a business leader about <a href=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/a-simple-definition-and-measure-for-innovation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">my recent thoughts on a simple definition of innovation<\/a>, which is: \u00a0\u201c<strong><em>Something new that has value for a group of people<\/em><\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Her response was:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI agree, but everything we do is new! We don\u2019t seem to be getting anywhere. How do we know which \u2018new\u2019 we should do?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The leader raised a good point. Disruptions are forcing change across all industry sectors. Like an anthill being poked by a stick, organisations can reactively respond to change by doing new things in predictable yet frantic ways.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7367\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Ants-on-a-stick-710x473.jpg\" alt=\"Ants on a stick\" width=\"710\" height=\"473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Ants-on-a-stick-710x473.jpg 710w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Ants-on-a-stick-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Ants-on-a-stick-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Ants-on-a-stick.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Typical reactions to the stick of commercial pressure includes <strong>cost reductions<\/strong> through efficiencies or removing benefits, products, services, or staff; or <strong>increasing revenue<\/strong> through more sales, discounts or promotions. Activities such as these can give the sense of innovating, but can just as often be doing the same thing without adding value.<\/p>\n<p>Having an awareness of what we mean by different types of innovation, where the innovation impact is applied, how the innovation process works, and why we are innovating in the first place can add value when doing \u201cnew\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>WHAT: Innovation application<\/h2>\n<p>One of the definitive bodies of work to define innovation type is the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.oecd-ilibrary.org\/science-and-technology\/oslo-manual_9789264013100-en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OSLO Manual: Guidelines for Collecting and Interpreting Innovation Data<\/a>, which the OECD uses as a reference when comparing innovation globally. The OSLO Manual identifies four \u201ctypes\u201d of innovation:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Product innovations,<\/li>\n<li>Process innovations,<\/li>\n<li>Organisational innovations, and<\/li>\n<li>Marketing innovations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These four broad categories are useful to communicate to those starting the innovation process. When more detail is needed, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Ten-Types-Innovation-Discipline-Breakthroughs\/dp\/1118504240\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Doblin\u2019s Ten Types of Innovation<\/a>\u00a0provide a useful categorisation on different ways organisations can do \u201cnew\u201d:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Network, Process, Profit model, Structure;<\/li>\n<li>Product system, Product performance; and<\/li>\n<li>Channel, Customer engagement, Service, Brand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7369\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/TenTypesOfInnovation-710x429.jpg\" alt=\"TenTypesOfInnovation\" width=\"710\" height=\"429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/TenTypesOfInnovation-710x429.jpg 710w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/TenTypesOfInnovation-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/TenTypesOfInnovation.jpg 901w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Doblin expands the model above to describe <a href=\"http:\/\/www.psfk.com\/2013\/06\/building-brand-innovation.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">over 100 examples of tactics against the ten types<\/a>. I have listed these tactics in the diagram below, colour coding each of the ten types of innovation against the four OSLO Manual categories:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationApplication.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7377 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationApplication-710x520.jpg\" alt=\"InnovationApplication\" width=\"710\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationApplication-710x520.jpg 710w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationApplication-1024x750.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationApplication-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationApplication.jpg 1836w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Do we really need to focus on different types of innovation? A 2014 study posed a similar question when it asked \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldscientific.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1142\/S1363919614400015\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Do innovative organisations compete on single or multiple operational capabilities?<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Using data from 1,438 manufacturing plants across the globe, the researchers considered how high-performing companies developed different capabilities for innovation. Did the organisations trade one capability for another, or were capabilities approached as integrated and cumulative, developing multiple capabilities at the same time?<\/p>\n<p>Their findings should not be surprising:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Developing multiple capabilities is possible and necessary for innovation performance. The trade-off model is not significantly related to innovativeness of organisations because of a narrow focus which makes the model too risky and considered damaging to an organisations&#8217; general well-being and overall competitiveness. Linked capabilities by comparison performed remarkably well.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Organisations that compete using different capabilities or innovations in different areas are more competitive. While this might help you improve performance in your current context, another approach may be required to be resilient to large-scale disruptions.<\/p>\n<h2>WHERE: Innovation impact<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7370 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntNewt.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"612\" height=\"312\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntNewt.jpg 612w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntNewt-300x153.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Large-scale disruptions are consuming organisations that were only recently innovative and successful. Companies that are identified as going from Good to Great are described a short time later as \u201cHow the Mighty Fall\u201d, or as one article put it, <a href=\"http:\/\/&quot;http:\/\/www.economist.com\/node\/13980976\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Good to Great to Gone<\/a>. This has led to the awareness that innovation happens in different places along a continuum of two perspectives.<\/p>\n<p>Examples of <a href=\"https:\/\/experiencinginformation.wordpress.com\/2012\/06\/03\/clarifying-innovation-four-zones-of-innovation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">researchers who outline this dichotomy<\/a>\u00a0include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Michael Porter\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/42485\/michael-porters-big-ideas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201ccontinuous\u201d and \u201cdiscontinuous change<\/a>,<\/li>\n<li>Tushman and Anderson\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www-management.wharton.upenn.edu\/pennings\/documents\/Tusman_and_Anderson_ASQ86.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cincremental\u201d and \u201cbreakthrough\u201d innovation<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Abernathy and Clark\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scribd.com\/doc\/55407927\/ABERNATHY-amp-CLARK-1985-Innovation-Mapping-the-Winds-of-Creative-Destruction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cconservative\u201d vs. \u201cradical\u201d innovation<\/a>, and<\/li>\n<li>Clayton Christensen\u2019s notion of &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.claytonchristensen.com\/key-concepts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sustaining&#8221; and &#8220;disruptive&#8221; innovation<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Christensen\u2019s concept of disruption has pervaded business language due in part to the many examples of disruption we see around us in the market.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sustaining innovations<\/strong> are advances that sustain established markets and often involve technology improvements. Examples include better ways to print on paper, fit more people on planes, or create smaller or faster smart phones. Sustaining innovation could be considered doing \u201cnew\u201d things in familiar ways.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Disruptive innovations<\/strong> by comparison have the potential to make existing markets unnecessary. Common examples of disruptive innovations and the markets they disrupt include Uber (taxis), eCommerce (local physical stores), social media news feeds (newspaper), and on-demand music or movie services (theatres, video rentals, music stores). Disruptive innovation may not involve new technology, but is likely to use existing technology in new ways.<\/p>\n<p>These two approaches are outlined in Christensen\u2019s \u201cThe Innovator\u2019s Dilemma\u201d, which explains a situation similar to the natural tension for organisations to be \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/2014\/09\/organisational-ambidexterity-how-to-exploit-and-explore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ambidextrous<\/a>\u201d. \u00a0Established markets are rewarded for exploiting core strengths for low-risk, short-term returns. Customers demand ever-increasing quality and service at lower prices. This drives standardisation of structure and supply chains, making change more and more difficult. Initiatives that seek to explore speculative, higher-risk directions must compete for that organisation\u2019s scarce resources that are committed to maintaining existing momentum.<\/p>\n<p>This \u201cdilemma\u201d of change resistance creates space for smaller, more agile competition to try new approaches on less-demanding customer segments who are willing to try something new. The established market is likely to respond by fighting the new competition with current strengths (like Kodak making more efficient Polaroids to fight digital cameras) or undermining the new entrant\u2019s advantage (such as taxis demanding regulations on Uber or combining together to monopolise the market).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7374\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationImpact-710x450.jpg\" alt=\"InnovationImpact\" width=\"710\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationImpact-710x450.jpg 710w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationImpact-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationImpact.jpg 935w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The diagram above does not represent a static situation. The disruptive innovations of today become the sustaining innovations of tomorrow.\u00a0 Corporations such as Facebook, Apple, Google, Amazon, and IBM that at one point were the nimble disruptors now risk being disrupted.<\/p>\n<p>The market is also self-learning. Progressive companies are already disrupting their own market. The Uber taxi service may be <a href=\"http:\/\/www.slate.com\/articles\/business\/moneybox\/2015\/04\/uber_says_it_ll_generate_1_million_jobs_this_year_depends_how_you_define.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">creating over 1 million jobs per year<\/a>, but the company is also investing in driverless cars which will likely see a loss of those same positions in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com.au\/ubers-autonomous-cars-destroy-10-million-jobs-reshape-economy-2015-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a cull of over 10 million jobs in a few decades<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>HOW: The process of innovation<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7371\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntFruit-710x474.jpg\" alt=\"AntFruit\" width=\"710\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntFruit-710x474.jpg 710w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntFruit.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntFruit-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Like fruit from heaven, innovation is a gift sitting in all organisations. However, there is a process that can be followed so the gift\u00a0can be unlocked. Innovation does not happen by itself.<\/p>\n<p>Innovation is often referred to as a \u201clight bulb moment\u201d, but even the light bulb required electrical distribution systems and supply chains to get into every home. Successful innovation is not just a great idea, but also involves effective execution and distribution.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7372\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess-710x653.jpg\" alt=\"InnovationProcess\" width=\"710\" height=\"653\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess-710x653.jpg 710w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess-1024x942.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess-300x276.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess.jpg 1203w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The process stages are commonly described as:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Ideation<\/strong><br \/>\nNew ideas come from exposure to new ways of thinking and new experiences. Simply directing people to come up with new ideas through a suggestion box is unlikely to work if that is the entirety of your innovation program. Want a new idea? Talk to new people, experience a new culture, travel a different way to work, take on a new task, or start a new hobby. Get the brain working in new ways to get new ideas.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Refinement<\/strong><br \/>\nRefinement determines which ideas are plausible. New ideas can be wild, untested, irrational, and not practical. This is a necessary part of the creative process. Just ask a 10 year old to design a perfect car. You get some crazy ideas. A challenge we face as adults is that we start to refine new ideas with current constraints almost as soon as they pop up.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Design<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter ideas are refined and short-listed, they are designed in more detail. We create a picture of what the innovation could look like. This allows people to better envision the innovation \u201cas if\u201d it already existed. If you can\u2019t see yourself in the idea or you can\u2019t design a way for the idea to be executed, then the idea may hit the cutting room floor.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Development<\/strong><br \/>\nIdeas that make it\u00a0through design stage have resources committed to build and test.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release<br \/>\n<\/strong>Developed ideas are released to end customers for use and validation of the value received.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Diffusion<\/strong><br \/>\nAs customers realise value, the idea is shared and diffused across additional customers, new customers segments, and possibly other industries. New ideas are generated as the innovation is normalised into a standard product lifecycle.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The process above rarely occurs in such a linear manner. Many people describe innovation where ideas are thought of, designed, developed, and tested in an iterative, fast-paced, collaborative process. Having had exposure to a wide range of organisations, I can attest that this approach can vary significantly depending on the culture in which it is applied.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7373\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess2-710x528.jpg\" alt=\"InnovationProcess2\" width=\"710\" height=\"528\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess2-710x528.jpg 710w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess2-1024x761.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess2-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationProcess2.jpg 1681w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The process is typically applied with considerations outlined below:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Directive vs. Collaborative<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Does one person <strong>direct<\/strong> how innovation will be applied and what ideas will be accepted? Or is the process <strong>collaborative<\/strong>, including multiple employees, leadership levels, suppliers, and customers to generate, develop, and test ideas?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Linear vs. Iterative <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Do each of the stages occur in a <strong>linear<\/strong> progression, with the idea fully designed before development and fully developed before being shown to the customer? Or is the process <strong>iterative<\/strong>, with ideation, design, development, and release occurring in rapid succession for immediate feedback and refinement?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Isolated vs. Integrated<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Is the process <strong>isolated<\/strong> to one department, individual, or time period? Or is innovation <strong>integrated<\/strong> with business as usual to leverage the collective wisdom of the organisation applicable to practical real-world examples?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Ad hoc vs. Intentional<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Is the process <strong>ad hoc<\/strong>, dependent on having time available or an engaged employee applying effort outside of normal work hours? Or is innovation an <strong>intentional<\/strong> part of your strategy, with resources allocated and leadership support?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Problem-focused vs. Future-focused<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Does innovation focus on <strong>problems<\/strong> that need to be fixed, reactively identifying new ways to fix issues as they arrive? Or is the focus on the <strong>future<\/strong>, defining the best possible outcome and creating a path to that future state?<\/p>\n<h2>WHY: Innovation outcomes<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7375\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntsRolling-710x598.jpg\" alt=\"AntsRolling\" width=\"710\" height=\"598\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntsRolling-710x598.jpg 710w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntsRolling.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/AntsRolling-300x253.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The complex challenges facing our organisations and our species requires new thinking.\u00a0 Our underlying motivation will determine whether our actions will address these challenges or create new challenges that will result in our eventual demise.<\/p>\n<p>Innovation is outcome neutral. \u201cInnovative\u201d could describe a more effective sub-machine gun as much as a cure for cancer. The same technology that facilitates payment transfers between small business owners in developing countries also allows <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hacker10.com\/internet-anonymity\/top-anonymous-digital-currencies-for-untraceable-payments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">untraceable payments that facilitate corruption and complex scams<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There is a lot of hype around innovation that allows short-term effort to return disproportionate gains, particularly in the technology start-up space. The rich are getting <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2015\/06\/24\/how-many-millionaires-in-the-world-it-depends.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">richer, more numerous, and more centralised<\/a>. The wealth inequality gap remains <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/datablog\/2015\/mar\/27\/income-inequality-rising-falling-worlds-richest-poorest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">systemic and pervasive<\/a>, even as governments and corporations strive to remain competitive in a global market. Being wealthy is not an automatic cure for someone else being poor, as explained in <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/bad-words\/the-myth-of-trickle-down-innovation-a7df229908db\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the myth of trickle down innovation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I say all this to frame my response to my leader friend who asked:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201c<em>What is the new we should do?<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7382\" src=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationWhy-976x1024.jpg\" alt=\"InnovationWhy\" width=\"710\" height=\"745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationWhy-976x1024.jpg 976w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationWhy-677x710.jpg 677w, https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/InnovationWhy-300x315.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Definitely look at <strong>what<\/strong> type of innovation we\u00a0apply \u2013 to our processes, products, organisations and markets. We\u00a0should consider <strong>where<\/strong>\u00a0we\u00a0are innovating, whether we\u00a0are sustaining our current market or have opportunity to disrupt our market in new ways. And <strong>how<\/strong>\u00a0we\u00a0apply innovation is critical to understand the process, and culture that drives the process.<\/p>\n<p>Within this framework, please consider <strong>why<\/strong>\u00a0we\u00a0innovate. Where can we\u00a0make the world a better place as a result of our actions? What will make the most impact on the well-being of those we\u00a0influence by our actions?<\/p>\n<p>If we can answer this, then perhaps that is the \u201cnew\u201d we should do.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>Image Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>Ants on a stick &#8211; Attack! by PipeStone: <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/2fCva\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/2fCva<br \/>\n<\/a>Ant Newt &#8211; Got Snack by ap: <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/DeHQJ\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/DeHQJ<br \/>\n<\/a>Ants Apple &#8211; Ants and Apple by Alexander Saprykin: <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/9HYV5y\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/9HYV5y<br \/>\n<\/a>Ants Seed &#8211; Panic in the anthill by fdecomite: <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/4UTrk4\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/4UTrk4<\/a><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If innovation is doing something \u201cnew\u201d, how do you know which \u201cnew\u201d you should do? I was speaking with a business leader about my recent&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/an-innovation-cheat-sheet-what-where-how-and-why-we-do-new\/\" class=\"bwp-excerpt-more-link\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[193,184,186],"tags":[71],"ecosystem_role":[],"class_list":["post-7366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-innovation-ecosystems","category-about-organisations","category-about-society","tag-innovation","bwp-masonry-item","bwp-col-3"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7366"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7591,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7366\/revisions\/7591"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7366"},{"taxonomy":"ecosystem_role","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ecosystem_role?post=7366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}