What is Innovation

Innovation takes time and at its core, being innovative or innovative is a process that requires systems thinking and solutions-orientated thinking. Furthermore, the process of innovation is not linear as it requires information and feedback that you use to make decisions about your innovation.

Innovation tends to happen in small incremental steps, moving forward in your thinking. This is because as you develop something you get feedback through observations or by reading further etc. Therefore, part of innovation is using this feedback to make decisions. It is also important to note that innovation does not happen in a vacuum, innovation is built on the ideas of others and what you know about the world. Therefore, in order to be creative you need information to help you make decisions. We often implicitly use it in relation to physical objects or products and it can refer to the processes by which that is automated. Outcomes of innovation can be physical objects, but what are new services or business models?

Innovation is concerned with the creation and pursuit of new ideas. Innovation does not come from nowhere. Many innovations are actually imitations and replications. The scope of innovation is not just limited to technological products or services. New ideologies are also a form of innovation, such as freedom. Innovation is sought after because it is believed to bring positive change. However, sometimes innovation has negative consequences. For example, Artificial Intelligence has led to massive job cuts in the tech industry and the rising popularity of Airbnb has had a negative impact on the affordability of housing for many people.

While it may take on different forms than originally thought, there are some constants about innovation. Firstly, it requires one to perceive the world differently, to have a creative mindset. Creativity arises through knowledge, critical thinking and motivation. Effective innovation also requires creativity, knowing the context, the problem, and all the possible approaches to create a solution.