I’ve always been fascinated by the terms “Innovation” and “Transformational experiences” as they pertain to technology. But I’m a tough sell. To me, true innovation comes only when you introduce an entirely new product or service to an entirely new group of users, effectively changing their behaviors. Based on that definition, what products in your lifetime have been truly innovative?
I’d start out with the iPod but it doesn’t quite break out. It’s evolutionary…music lovers and portable music devices have existed for a long time. I remember the $100 Sony Walkman that weighed like, 4 pounds. So you can’t really say it’s a truly transformational device, unless you look at the impact it had on the music industry itself. New behaviors for new users. Pretty novel. So then it fits.
The iPhone? I’ve found that my behavior has been transformed as a result of this miracle device. I’m never lost. I always have a map and a phone number. And my kids are entertained while we sit in traffic. But is it truly innovative? I’ve used maps before. I remembered phone numbers in my head (gasp!) before. And I used to sing to my kids and play games in the car while stuck in traffic. Hmmm.
This is a barometer I’ve used for a multitude of projects and tasks. It’s particularly handy when you look at the impact a technology might have on an organization (see comment about the music industry, above). When planning organizational change management initiatives, for example, it’s very common for organizations to have a “one size fits all” approach to impact assessment, when in fact, different functionalities will impact different groups in different ways, so looking at it holistically in terms of granual impact is actually much more effective. Sure it’s hard to do innovation and transformation right, but isn’t that the point?
Just a thought. How do you define innovation?
Entry filed under: Enterprise 2.0, Innovation, Work.