The term innovation is everywhere these days. Seems like no one can write a business article without including at least one reference to innovation. My experience, over a good number of years, is making me a little dubious of all this innovation talk. I can’t help asking some questions like:
> What does innovation really mean for most businesses, and is that what they really need? Is innovation the holy grail-path to success in business?
It seems that I am not the only one questioning this unwavering belief in the power of innovation. This Fast Company article talks about innovation as business driver, yet it starts to raise questions like where innovation comes from and if innovation is an outcome or a process.
I actually think this author is getting at a deeper idea; an idea that I have been considering quite a bit lately – that inspiration is in fact more important than innovation. The article doesn’t quite come out and make this statement, but it’s certainly a takeaway.
For me, the real question is not whether or not business needs more innovation, but rather, what is essential to make innovation happen? Innovation is an outcome of a process rather than a process itself.
I liken it to the idea of creating a viral video. You can’t set out to do that. It is an outcome of another process altogether. I wonder, can there be any innovation without inspiration? If the answer is “of course not,” then doesn’t business today need to focus on bringing in more inspiration versus trying to create innovation processes?
It’s a theory that happens to fit perfectly with our internal culture at Intrinzic. We make sure inspiration is part of every project we take on as an agency. We believe that inspiration is the path to more impactful communication ideas that drive our clients’ businesses.
Businesses today need inspiration, not innovation, because there can be no innovation without inspiration. So how do businesses get inspired?
What do you think? Is inspiration more important than innovation? Are these concepts intrinsically intertwined? Can a business really get inspired?
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter via @IntrinzicSays.
