Did You Know? 3 Myths of Innovation and The Reality of It

Most people working in the field of innovation know that it's quite intriguing to discuss about what innovation really is. Many of them feel that innovation is identical with invention and thus out of reach for the average individual.

According to a recent survey, 68% of business leaders feel that innovators are 'born, not made'

Although, it's not as difficult as you may assume. You don't have to think of something absolutely original, such as a mobile phone or an internet connection. As there are many assumptions about innovation, in result, there are numerous popular myths and misconceptions about it.

Let's breakdown the myths and how the reality of innovation is!

Myth 1: Innovation can't be learnt or taught

Innovation is a part of science and art. Most people struggle with this combination of rational thinking, problem solving, creativity, empathy, and practical abilities. Teaching innovative thinking isn't the same as teaching Math or English; it's more about teaching people how to use their inherent curiosity to unlock their innate talent for invention.

"Great innovators must persevere. They were able to do so not because they had better ideas, but rather because they were persuaded that the problem they were working on had to be solved"

While some people are more naturally inclined to innovate than others, this does not rule out the possibility of learning it. Once you understand the key principles, you only need to figure out what areas you lack in, and then try to make innovation happen by putting into practice.

Myth 2: Only geniuses can innovate

Media play that always come up with stories and ideas of geniuses who invent a game-changing ideas, makes people tend to misunderstand and have this misconception about innovation. There's a lot more to innovation than those great discoveries, as we discussed in the first myth.

Innovation is for everyone.

Our remarkable ability to share knowledge and ideas equals our capacity to innovate to be increased.

Without being a genius-or even being a widely regarded as a great innovator, you can produce a lot of innovative work that adds a lot of value to your company. Teams, not lone investors, are now responsible for the most significant innovations.

Myth 3: Innovation is a solo activity

Most people still assume that innovation occurs because of the efforts of great innovators who work in secret in laboratories and come up with revolutionary ideas. It's true that some people are more creative than others when it comes to coming up with new ideas.

Even scientists require other people to put their ideas into action, and those people usually end up incrementally improving their discoveries in some way

However, in this evolving and complex world, it’s extremely rare for someone to have all the abilities necessary to execute ideas, as well as the time and money to do so. It’s ideation that is best for solo activity, while innovation require teamwork.

Conclusion

When we connect the dots and look at the rationale behind almost all of these myths and misconceptions, the common factor is that they are all generalization. They are logical conclusions drawn from a certain point of view, designed to make life easier or to better communicate a topic.

To innovate, you have to be agile. Preparation is more crucial than adaptation. You don't need to be that fast when you're developing capacity in your business decades ahead of time.

Curious more about Innovation? Multimatics proud to serve you information about Digital Innovation Strategy!

Reference:

Nieminen, J. (2021, May 25). 21 common innovation myths & misconceptions debunked. Viima. Retrieved December 30, 2021, from https://www.viima.com/blog/innovation-myths#1

Satell, G. (2017, July 1). 4 myths about innovation that "Gurus" love to tell. Inc.com. Retrieved December 30, 2021, from https://www.inc.com/greg-satell/4-myths-about-innovation-that-gurus-love-to-tell.html

The 7 myths of Innovation. Farnam Street. (2018, June 25). Retrieved December 30, 2021, from https://fs.blog/7-innovation-myths/