Are You an Innovator?
People are often confused about whether they are innovators or not. They might think of Steve Jobs and say to themselves, “That’s not me, I have never done anything remotely that significant.” They question whether they are, or can be, innovators. When asked, most academics say they are definitely not innovators. But they are, or should be. This confusion is destructive because it limits what people believe they can do, and because it discourages the use of processes that would allow them to achieve more.
David Nordfors, who runs the i4j Innovation for Jobs Summit, and I were discussing this. David succinctly defines innovation as “the introduction of a new narrative”, i.e. a new type of story. He is developing this important idea on his blog and in a book he is writing. If a product does not come with a compelling new narrative it will likely struggle in the marketplace. That is, developing a compelling narrative is an essential element of the value creation process. (more…)