Questions and Answers about Innovation

Have you noticed that many of the publicly funded organization like schools, hospitals, and civic governments have not come up with more innovative ways to serve their clients?

It is almost the end of the second year of this COVID situation, and I’ve noticed that many of the above types of organization have literally sat on their hands, business as usual.

This blog is being prepared due to a recent comment of a person I’ve met a few months ago. He stated to me; “We were doing so well before COVID started.” I offered him and some other people in this industry a 3-session workshop on becoming more innovative. The response I got was surprising. It was like they were all singing from the same music, when another person stated; ‘We are doing all we can, but the government is causing us the problems.’ What good does this attitude help them in the long-term?

Talk about a sad attitude! Sad in that they have given up. Sad that they did not want to try anything in order to become more innovative. Sad in that they did not want to look at their business in a different way due to our different circumstances. Sad in that what I offered was going to be for a small charitable donation to a favorite charity.

This made me think about how many business owners or organizational managers have fallen into a deep rut thinking that if they blame others they are ‘off the hook’ for the future of their organization’s future growth or existence.

Let’s look at innovation and define it.

• Innovation is the process of uncovering new ways to do the things you are doing with your business or organization.
• Innovation is represented by new ideas or methods which pertains to service models, better products and improved areas of services.
• Innovation must end up by creating something that is meaningfully unique.

Never mind the COVID situation, innovation is absolutely vital in all aspects of life. This is because it gives an edge in their market or the public’s perception. It gives public organizations a better return on the tax-payers dollars. And on the whole, it provides the people that they are serving a better feeling about how they spend their money.

What does innovation do for the organization or business culture?

• For the owner or manager innovation boosts their attitude. Work becomes one of excitement and enthusiasm to see what the future entails.
• With the excitement and enthusiasm in the owner/manager the ‘good’ staff want to help this organization even more. The ‘good’ staff become alive in knowing that the organization is progressing. That meaning that it is not stagnating or deteriorating. Yes, if your organization is not innovating, you are idling. Which means to you that the organization is on hold, and any organization or industry that is on hold is dying. So, without innovation the staff will always be looking for a better opportunity.

Isn’t that the type of organization or business you’d want to be part of?

For more information how you can bring more innovation to your place of work, give me a call at 519-539-2267.