Why “Innovation” is an Initiative & Work of a Team

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”   This wonderful quote of Leon C. Megginson is still so relevant.

Every business organization that we know desires an improved structure, better work environment, outstanding staff and generally a very successful business. The actual journey towards that goal can be a burdensome one. Not everyone in the organization may even share the plans and goals which are being considered. Actually not everyone wants change and no one person on their own, can be successful in implementing change.

Several barriers are faced when you want to get an organization to be more innovative and subsequently more successful. Some of the common ones are:

• The majority of the people in the company are not yet aware of the need for innovation.
• Colleagues don’t think beyond and don’t take ownership of the company.
• Staff members fear failure.
• There is no process and structure for innovation: it’s disorganized and unclear.
• There are poor management structures, low staff participation in decisions and little incentives to motivate staff in many businesses.

The fact is a person can have resources and ideas to start off a company on their own but when it comes to implementing something innovative this requires a team effort. One person cannot achieve this alone. You need many colleagues to get your vision transformed into a new product or service, to execute all processes involved, add new marketing strategies, get other staff and stakeholders to buy into it and eventually have it out there on the market. Sometimes this will require the very top executives or a board of directors to say yes and ensure that this initiative really gets out and makes it mark for all to see and know. This process to realize innovation and success applies to every business and it is important to motivate staff and develop a team-oriented culture to achieve this.