How are innovations created?

Without problems there are no ideas – without ideas there is no innovation – without innovation there is no development – without development there is no success! But the term “problem” is misleading and has negative connotations. It is therefore not without reason that many entrepreneurs speak in a motivating way of “challenges”, “chances of success” or even of “goals” which can mean “problems”. The Latin origin of the word “problem” means nothing more than: “the things that are accused, the things that have been presented, the things that have been presented [for solution]”, i.e. a situation that requires a solution and calls for action. This can be a task without a solution, a process that does not work as expected or a wish that cannot yet be fulfilled.

The problem as an opportunity? Of course! Because almost all great inventions were created because people thought about problems and did everything possible to solve them. Be it Gutenberg, who wanted to reproduce written texts in an optimised process in order to make them accessible to many people, or Edison, who tried to find a light source that not only the rich could afford. Sometimes inventions even come about because people like Steve Jobs are already working on solutions to problems that customers do not yet have at the time. This also shows the interplay between a recognised opportunity, a challenge, targeted action and an appropriate solution.

Anyone looking for solutions to problems and creative ways of thinking must therefore always first work out as precise a definition of a problem as possible to better describe the goal. This question can be formulated as a simple question or a wish:

How can I achieve xy?
I would like to achieve xy.

Creative people in particular can regularly produce such open questions and enjoy doing so. They also discover the questions there – and look for alternatives – where other people have not yet seen a need for optimisation. With a little practice, you too will learn to put questions into concrete terms and thus approach your goal successfully and creatively:

How do I formulate a good goal?

 

  • As concrete as possible, instead of: “I want to increase the sales of my business” better: “I would like to sell more flowers to people under 30”.
  • As often as possible: The more questions are formulated, the more answers are possible.
  • As challenging as possible: The goals should not be too easy to solve, but they should also not be too big.

Develop a sense of opportunity for yourself by going through the world with open eyes, constantly searching for new questions. Try not to see problems as a burden, but as a stimulating exercise. That’s why it’s your turn now:

Take a piece of paper and write down as many open questions as possible that come to your mind about your work, your daily routine or the processes in your job. It is not important that you find an answer immediately; the first step is to formulate as many concrete questions as possible.

This exercise can also be implemented well in a team, but make sure that there is no “nagging mood”, but that the questions are formulated constructively. Or use the Innovation Digging method directly. Like treasure hunters, the team members go on a search for new questions and thus make idea generation plannable (more on this in one of the next Verrocchio Notes).

The list now serves as food for the next creative meetings. How you then come up with new ideas – you will learn more about this in the next Verrocchio Notes.

With inspiring greetings,
Christian Buchholz