Idea or Innovation to Idea or Innovation Management

Innovation management or should we call it Idea Management is focused on the systematic processes that organizations uses for various verticals name it service or manufacturing. It involves channelizing the creative ideas using it efficiently and effectively for people, process, products (3Ps). It helps you to create best practice for today and tomorrow for growth and sustenance. Seniors constantly strives for same (new idea), implement, deliver and sustain. It’s a goal for every employee to get opportunity from problem through innovation.

Kinko's copy-machine operator is a major chain of outlets providing copying and document services, noticed that customer demand for copying dropped off in December. People were too pre-occupied with Christmas presents. So they came up with a creative idea. Why not allow customers to use Kinko's color copying and binding facilities to create their own customized calendars using their personal photos for each of the months? He prototyped the idea in the store and it proved popular -- people could create personalized gifts of calendars featuring favorite family photos.

Each organization with its employee should therefore work for creatives; for keep motivating and energizing people to see problem not as barrier to success but opportunity for innovation.

 In my opinion key bullets for becoming creative / innovation could be:

-       To be a visionary

-       Strong culture

-       Empower people

-       Imagine and Use creativity every moment

-       Analyze problems

-       Analyze alternatives

-       Implementation of ideas

Work of art in vision: Take a brush / pencil / paper / colors, paint / sketch your vision after imagining it. Helps you to gain; act as reminder / path / goal and sustenance. After you have Imagined, Sketched … Share Share Share ie share your ideas.

Strong Culture: Culture is reflection of true you. Build your culture which showers yours creativity. Culture is an amalgamation of your trust, belief and attitude influences the growth of you and your organization.

Empower people: To empower is to allowing your people to use their power and give them power for using their own power.  The purpose is to enable them to achieve change through their own effort and hard work. Give them clear objectives and tell them what is expected out of them. Build their capability through collaboration. Give them freedom, freedom of success, freedom to fail and see change.

Imagine and Use creativity every moment: Be an “innovation catalyst”. Brainstorm, create affinity for ideas, find relationship, and work on team, involve people, department, and verticals, around you. Keep imagining and keep sharing and keep using. Very important give credits for great idea.

Analyze problems and alternatives: Can creativity be taught or is talent possessed or gifted? If can be taught than train people, if No than make them help to identify problems and alternative solution through various tools and techniques. But, it has been observed and researched that every one of us can be creative, if we encourage and show how to do it. With proper training people can develop skills in questioning, brainstorming, adapting, combining, analyzing, creating alternatives and selecting ideas for any problems.

Implementation: Execution is key word after Ideation i.e change effort into action. Use all 4Ms (Men, Machine, Method, Material) or 4P (People, Policy, Procedure, Practice) for being result oriented and reward for change. Make things happen is key to success.

Conclusion: Idea / Innovation management systems don't replace traditional management but serves as adjunct to them, also helps in creating broader for new growth & opportunities. It provides a framework that can help you and your organization to transform and drives to touch pinnacle.