Innovation is often associated with major breakthroughs or revolutionary ideas. But true innovation is not only found in the big, world-changing inventions, but also in the small and unspectacular things. With this blog post, I would like to encourage you to feel creative and innovative and to recognize that even small things that you improve in everyday life are innovations.
Sometimes people tell me: "Our company is too small for innovation management, that's too ambitious!" or "We don't have the resources for real innovation! We just want our business to run well!".
My reply is:
Innovation is everywhere! It also (or even mainly) takes place in the small improvements that continuously improve our everyday lives.
A good example of unexpected innovation is the story of the Post-it note . Originally a misdevelopment of an adhesive, this simple idea simplified everyday life by offering a practical solution for marking documents and reminders. This shows that innovation can also come about through chance and simple adjustments, without striving for the "big solution". A simple change of view point can turn a failure into a success.
(For reading: Who Invented Post It Notes? Unveiling the Inventors of the Iconic Sticky Notes | History Cooperative )
Or have you ever thought about the evolution of the screw cap on drinks bottles? Basically, that doesn't sound like a big game changer, does it? But a simple adjustment has made the transport and storage of liquids much easier. A small step that had a big impact globally. This shows how even small optimizations have the potential to positively influence the everyday lives of millions of people.
(Read more: NIHF Inductee William Painter Invented the Bottle Cap )
Another example of continuous improvement in small things is the ongoing development of smartphone apps , which are optimized through regular updates. These are often small adjustments, such as improved user interfaces, but they noticeably improve the user experience. This shows that even very small steps can lead to progress.
Other examples that improved my everyday life as small innovations are:
a tool for to-do list management (instead of lists on paper)
the colleague's beautiful poster about the project status (invites me to stop for a little while)
the always new and surprising check-in question which the colleague asks at the beginning of every meeting (invites me to smile and think about little sthings I might forget otherwise)
a suggestion for easier document storage within the team (relieves me)
the question of the week, posted by someone in the coffee corner (makes me talk to people I haven´t talked to before)
...
All in all, it is clear that innovation does not have to be a one-off, major act. It also takes place in small, everyday improvements. There it also contributes to the overall "innovation mission": Make our lives easier, more beautiful, or more lovable little by little. Those who only look for innovation in major inventions may overlook the many small advances that change our world every day. They do not have to be major breakthroughs or revolutionary ideas.
True spirit of innovation lies in constantly improving our lives with small ideas and actions.
In my opinion, innovative power in companies and a culture of improvement have a good basis when everyone has fun finding ways to, for example:
Laughing more together
Have more fun solving problems
Find ways to make their jobs easier and smoother
Do you want to establish a culture / a spirit of innovation in your company? Start with small steps. Innovation is everywhere!
Every company and every employee, colleague, friend,..., is innovative!
What little ideas come to your mind that make everyday life better?
What is innovation in your point of view?
Read more about related topics in my other blog posts:
...How to support the growth of innovation culture: Innovation: A booster for corporate culture and employee retention (dieinnonautin.de)
...Why you should avoid being perfect: The right maturity balance for successfull idea management (dieinnonautin.de)
...How an innovation tool can help in life: Life is a pitch... (dieinnonautin.de)
Please note: This text is translated into English by using Google Translate - I apologize for any mistakes in this text I may have overlooked.
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