Innovation has become a buzzword, and, not surprisingly, there are many innovation myths. Scott Berkun has debunked some of these false stories, from the myth of the epiphany to the myth that your boss knows more about innovation than you do.
His book is an easy and informative read, and I can highly recommend it. You can also watch a one-hour lecture about the myths he presents in his book. In this video Scott Berkun shows that he is not only a great writer, but also an excellent presenter.
Innovation method as a myth?
However, I would like to dispute Scott Berkun’s statement that the existence of an innovation method is another myth. In my opinion there are several methods, albeit none that guarantees success 100% of the time.
Scott Berkun is spot-on with this list of challenges that confront innovators:
- Finding an idea
- Developing a solution
- Sponsorship and funding
- Reproduction
- Reaching potential customers
- Beating competitors
- Timing
- Keeping the lights on
What he fails to mention is that more than three decades of management research have shown that there are better and worse ways of dealing with these challenges. The Product Development and Management Association has made a lot of this knowledge accessible to practitioners, providing a solid foundation of innovation methodology for manufacturing firms. The Lean Start-up approach has also proven to be very useful to entrepreneurs who are developing new businesses.
What has been missing until recently is a proven innovation method for professional service organizations, such as law firms and hospitals. That is what Organizing4Innovation aims to change.
Interested in learning more? Please visit us at www.organizing4innovation.com or contact us at info “at” organzing4innovation “dot” com.
References:
Scott Berkun, Myths of Innovation 2011
Scott Berkun video on Myth of innovation
Steve Blank, Lean Start up 2013