This article continues our discussion of creativity and innovation. In Part One, we talked about the creative process. In part two, we are going to talk about turning creativity into innovations.
Creativity is coming up with novel, useful ideas
Innovation is creativity for commercial ideas
I need to start this section on innovation with a word of caution. Fear (of an uncertain outcome) is often the reason people don’t implement their ideas. You have to accept some risk with something new.
Start By Asking Good Questions
Ask lots of questions starting by rethinking your market, products, and services and the value customers get from your products and services. Also, how you frame the question matters, even flip the question around, for example, positively to negatively. For example:
Where are you in the process of going from selling to innovators and early adopters to the late Mainstreet market? Each of these steps has different problems and opportunities.
In the early stages of marketing, is your market niche too broad-based? Does your niche include people who talk to each other, so they tell others about your unique product or service?
What “value” are your customers looking for when they buy your product.? Do they all have the same “value”? BMW is a luxury car, and its customers are looking for “the ultimate driving machine.” Rolls-Royce, made by BMW, is also a luxury car, but its value is “super luxury” and prestige.
The questions you ask are related to the problem or opportunity but don’t limit your overall perspective.
Some Paths To Creativity And Innovation
- An intuitive approach (based on what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning) is recommended by Stephen Schwartz, a futurist.
- You need to master the craft you are to get the perceptions and judgment you will need.
- Continue to believe there is a solution to your problem
- Be willing to surrender your biases so that you can look at new ideas.
- Have a technique to look inward (meditation, relaxing) to get an instant picture.
- Focus and concentrate on your question, problem, or opportunity.
- Explain your insight and repeat the process for additional ideas.
Dr. Travis Bradberry, a co-author of “Emotional Intelligence,” offers advice on the habits of exceptionally creative people.
- Give yourself time to produce junk. Every idea will not be a breakthrough.
- Don’t take failure seriously. Commit to a process. You want to see things that others don’t see. New ideas are bringing together two old ideas. Connect and combine.
- Force yourself to create consistently. Don’t wait for the idea to come to you. Creativity is a process.
- Create for yourself, not just for money. You are more creative when it’s for yourself.
- Be Productive. You are never more than one great idea away from a breakthrough
- Focus and concentrate on your issue or opportunity.
- Explain your idea, and then start the process over again.
Here are a few more that I believe are important:
- Creative people don’t make decisions quickly; they delay and defer
- Attitude more important than intelligence
- Stay with the problem until you get a solution.
- Look for alternatives rather than an answer
- Create a hypothesis so you can test your idea
- You find the answer you are seeking, or you learn.
Turning Creative Thinking Into Innovation
Following are some critical points of Guy Kowalski, Silicon-Valley based author, speaker, and entrepreneur, which are essential to turn ideas into innovations.
- You need the desire to change things, not just make money. Create value for your customers.
- Have a core story or Mantra about why you are doing this “project,” not a fluffy mission statement.
- Make sure you have a clear perspective about what you are doing. Your goal is to change the curve (make a big jump, not an incremental jump) and then keep improving your product or service over time so you can lead the market forward.
- Roll The dice. New products are risky, but you have to take risks if you make significant changes.
- Don’t worry, be crappy. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Ship things.
- Let customers use your product the way they want to and learn from it, Apple introduced the Mac computer as a spreadsheet machine, but customers used it as a page maker.
- Make your product for a specific audience. You only care about the ones who like the product.
- Churn (keep innovating: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, etc.)
- Strive to keep your product or service unique and valuable.
- Perfect your pitch. Customize it for every audience.
Conclusion
This information and Part One will hopefully give you some background on creativity to begin using some of the creative tools in the strategy and innovation section. Go there and pick a technique and try it. I think you will be surprised at the number of results you get.
See also Part One, “Why Everyone Has The Capability To Be Creative.”
Next, try to use some creative techniques on a problem or opportunity you have.
