Submitted by: Kip Wetzel, Principal, Navigate
In my home, I’m the guy who can never find anything. Be it the hot sauce in the refrigerator, the shirt that I need for work that day, or a book that I need to reference for some research – I can never find it. The common theme? All of these items are exactly where they are supposed to be, but I can’t find them even when they are staring me in the face.
The same scenario plays out in organizations across industries as they seek innovation. They search but aren’t quite sure where to find it, and this effort comes at a cost. Resources are spent building labs, hiring new leaders, and developing widgets, and when these investments don’t end up driving true value, innovation seems elusive.
However, just like my hot sauce, innovation is quite often hiding in plain sight and readily accessible to these organizations.
To find it, you need to start by defining what innovation means for your company. You won’t be able to derive value from your investments until you understand how a targeted innovation agenda can transform your business.
The next step is to focus on the “why” behind your innovation. Most organizations focus on the “how” or “what”: “How will we use technology to innovate?,” “What will we create that is innovative?” The real question to consider is “Why are we innovating?”
At Navigate, we partner with our clients to tackle their most challenging issues and critical imperatives using Design Thinking and an empathy-led, customer-centric delivery model. This systematic approach exposes and redefines the needs, challenges, and drivers of the most powerful part of any organization – people.
Rather than starting with innovation, we strongly believe that transformation, disruption, innovation (or whatever term is circulating around your office this week) will come as the result of starting with your people. The answer to your innovation strategy is right in front of you, in plain sight, within the customers, employees, and constituents that you strive to reach and engage every day.
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can apply the Design Thinking process as a flexible framework to deliver innovation and drive value, I’d be happy to explore your company’s unique situation or answer any questions that you may have. Reach out via email (kwetzel@navigatecorp.com) or phone (484.383.0606).
