Get Back in the Box to Innovate?
Douglas Rushkoff in an interview giving details about his new book:
[the book] is about how to innovate from the inside out rather than the outside in. It’s aimed at business people and anyone engaged in an enterprise. Too many of them tend to think they need to get “outside the box” in order to make new strides, when in more cases than we might suspect, real innovation comes from developing a true core competency and then working out from there. No one seems to have faith in what it is they’re doing, and they are scared to learn the codes underlying the processes they’re using. As if everything will fall apart.
Well, yes, that’s an impression that is likely, given the current dynamics of change in the workplace … and yes too there’s value in starting from the inside, e.g. optimizing (innovation) processes and progressing steadily.
He has some valid points there … focussing on collaboration, communities and a new understanding of consumers as partners … and noting that
[corporations] are compensating for a lack of innovation by creating new efficiencies. But every process they throw off-shore is another competency removed from their own arsenal. They become management companies, capable of nothing. Then they lose their ‘competitive’ advantage, as well.
However i don’t think that his advice is a benchmark for all – outside in innovation can be valuable, e.g. when integrating customer driven innovations … managing the boundaries of the organization is key then, keep in mind that innovation management is never easy and easy solutions are most likely no solutions …
read the interview at Kris Krug …
