Innovation as a Habit
By Sanjay Gupta
 In the hallowed corridors of business strategy, the term “innovation” is often put on a pedestal. So high a pedestal, in fact, that many CIOs begin to think of it as “inaccessible” or “not for us.” Now that we have attended a fantabulous talk on innovation, let’s get back to work: Where are those new LCDs that need to be installed? Or, what are we doing about the down WAN link? Anyone come across this Trojan before? And the laundry list goes on.
Don’t get me wrong. The laundry list is what each of us must keep tending to – in order to keep the washing machine in working condition. But the point I wish to make is, it doesn’t always have to be an either/or situation: both innovations and exigencies can be a part of our daily To-Do lists. Provided we look at innovation as our daily bread-and-butter rather than as an annual icing on the cake.
Of course, you can’t deny the significance of “revolutionary” innovations like a Model T or an iPod. But in the everyday course of things, many smaller – but effective – innovations can help an enterprise become more organized, nimble, and competitive.
Such constant innovation keeps companies alive and kicking in today’s hyper-competitive world. According to consultant Max Mckeown: “An organization that can deliberately, methodically, even joyously renew itself has a “killer” culture…Simply by shortening the cycles of renewal or innovation through experimentation, such a culture will naturally replace its own products and services by finding better alternatives.”
Unfortunately, most IT managers are tied down to doing routine things. In a recent poll we conducted on our website, more than 82% respondents agreed that CIOs usually spend more time on fire-fighting than on strategy and innovation. So, how does one make innovation as ‘natural’ as, say, checking the e-mail?
For one, IT heads must delegate some of their managerial duties to be able to spend more quality time on planning and thinking. Second, they must create an environment of challenges and rewards that allows all team members to think on their feet. What’s more, for innovation to get woven into the culture fabric, even junior execs down the line should look beyond their core coding or config deliverables and approach work with a better understanding of its impact on business.
I would love to hear about your innovation ideas and experiences at the workplace. In the mean time, keep the wash cycle to Normal.
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