Innovateur

Some people are just born naturally more innovative than the pack. They just are.

A small fraction of the genuinely innovative types get positive reinforcement around this aptitude when they are young.

An even smaller fraction of these bother to learn business, science or technology in a rigorous fashion.

Very few organizations have a place for people in this smallest of small fractions.

This is primarily because most organizations, despite what they might say to the contrary, don’t want or need innovation and can’t stand people that are unhappy unless it’s always happening (which is what an innovator is – take note, this is how to weed out the pretenders).

Rightly or wrongly, this is because the upside of executing any innovative plan is generally viewed as being outweighed by the risks.

The only time this paradigm breaks down is if the organization is under some sort of external threat, in which case they may be forced to innovate or die. Backs to the wall stuff.

This is when innovation occurs and when the most minor of minorities get to shine.

Generally though, as soon as the organization is over the hump of the threat it goes back to its staid old ways, and they execute the pesky innovators.

The only truly innovative organisations in the world are those that have the key innovator at the top, as the CEO or equivalent.

Failing this, in any organisation the innovator is either a pain in the arse or a nice mascot.

At the current moment ‘innovation’ is a business buzzword so everyone is paying lip service to it.

But its nearly done – the next buzzword is …..?