The innovation process of idea generation, idea evaluation, and idea implementation is critical to create momentum. However, sometimes teams or leaders slip into idea evaluation too quickly, quenching idea generation. Other times, a leader generates too many ideas but fails to implement them. The following quotes are worth discussing with your team when considering the strategies, benefits, and challenges involved in the innovation process.
“To WOW, you must differentiate yourself, which means do something a little unconventional and innovative.” Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, in Delivering Happiness
“Original thinkers will come up with many ideas that are strange mutations, dead ends, and utter failures. The cost is worthwhile because they also generate a larger pool of ideas – especially novel ideas.” Stanford professor Robert Sutton
“A great company is more likely to die of indigestion from too much opportunity than from starvation from too little.” Packard’s Law
“We spend a lot of time thinking about the ways that prestige and resources and belonging to elite institutions make us better off. We don’t spend enough time thinking about the ways in which those kinds of material advantages limit our options.” Malcolm Gladwell in David and Goliath
“The pruning moment is that clarity of enlightenment when we become responsible for making the decision to either own the vision or not. If we own it, we have to prune. If we don’t, we have decided to own the other vision, the one we called average. It is a moment of truth we encounter almost every day in many, many decisions.” Dr. Henry Cloud in Necessary Endings
Our experienced consultants can walk you through the process of planning for your organization's future and then implementing those changes and ideas.
For more learning on creating momentum and navigating the planning process, order our book GUIDE: Building the Team. Setting the Direction. Fulfilling the Mission.
Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.
