Mousetraps and Fields: Defictionalizing Innovation
“If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.”
“If you build it, they will come.”
These two sayings are often used in the context of encouraging innovation. The implied notion in each of them is that if you come up with an innovative solution, you will meet with success.
As motivating as these sayings might be, there is one big problem with them: They are fictional. No one is sure where the mousetrap words originated, though it appears that they are derived from a longer expression attributed to the philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson in the mid 1800’s. The field saying comes from a more contemporary source, though it is also not exactly as spoken, nor does its original context have anything at all to do with innovation.
Fictional sayings, taken out of context, used to motivate innovation are not very useful. Actually, there’s a lot about innovation that is fictional, and companies that seek authentic innovation would be wise to understand what’s real and what’s not.
What’s not real: Having a great solution for a challenge will have a positive impact on the company.
What’s real: Resistance to change is high in human beings. Often the first reaction to a great solution, individually and organizationally, is to enumerate and agree on all reasons why it won’t work. It takes understanding the value of changing things to fit the new solution for advocates to begin to spring up — and even then, it can take some time to reach a crucial mass of adopters.
What’s not real: Brainstorming is a necessary part of innovation.
What’s real: Brainstorming — or its trendier label “ideation” — does not lead to innovation, and innovating doesn’t require it. It’s an exercise in creativity, meant to get the brainstormers out of potential thinking ruts. The results of a brainstorm are often not worth the stickies they are written on.
What’s not real: Ideation software will foster and accelerate innovation.
What’s real: Ideation software is more “automated brainstorming” than catalyst for innovation. Too often, it simply piles more good ideas onto already overwhelmed managers.
What’s not real: There are already innovators in the company, we just need to give them a way to communicate their ideas.
What’s real: Like brainstorming, this equates “creativity” with “innovation.” Employees with creative ideas often don’t have a handle of the fiscal and strategic realities of the company. Their suggestions are often based only on the view of the organization that they have, and therefore quite wide of the mark. Managers who have a more accurate view of strategy and financial constraints often have “innovative myopia” because they are more focused on meeting current goals and objectives. Too many times, the call of innovative input ends up with a demoralized workforce.
To crack the code, companies must understand the realities of how innovation really works rather than buying into a fictional scenario that sounds attractive. When management gets that humans tend to be change-resistant, brainstorming is not the same as innovating, technology is not necessarily going to help, and putting out an APB for “innovation” is not likely to have a constructive outcome, it can focus on what really can work to innovate.
Let me know if we can be of any help in the innovation process.
Jim Lawnin, Managing Partner
jlawnin@bblventures.com
