Creativity and Innovation are topics that many of you may have come across in literature, business seminars, and in working through tough problems every other day. Some attribute creativity to designers and artists, others regard innovation as the sole preserve of inventors and engineers. These are certainly not new concepts. And yet, very few people actually realize the importance these concepts have in the age we are living in.
Thousands of years ago, man learnt to use fire, tools, metals and other resources to help him meet the challenges of physical existence. New ideas were the basis of new civilizations - at Harappa, in Rome, and elsewhere. Empires were created through use of innovative strategies that relied on creative use of resources. Trade and commerce ushered in a new era for mankind. And a little over two hundred years ago, the ‘industrial revolution’ replaced manual labor with large scale factories that used machines. As the revolution spread from Britain to the rest of the world, competition took a new meaning. Sociologists and thinkers looked at all the change going on around them and came up with what we now know as ‘management’ to allow organizations to compete effectively. The accelerating pace of new discoveries and inventions made it imperative to keep pace with the change. And when the world wide web made Internet the pervasive force it is today, competition, partnerships and relationships quickly became global. This forced almost every organization to either keep up with the change, or risk losing the market presence to new competitors.
If you reflect on these events, or the history in general, you’ll notice a common thread running through time - that thread is of change, and of mankind’s continuing quest to find innovative solutions to the toughest problems. And more often than not, we have succeeded against all odds. Who would have thought a hundred years ago that man would set foot on moon, or that heart could be transplanted, or that machines would process information, satellites would help us communicate, or that we would have ‘eye in the sky’ telescopes like the Hubble. Today, we live in an age where we have to accept change as a part of everyday life. For instance, look at how quickly technology is changing in the mobile world - cellphones that are current today are almost ‘outdated’ in 6 months. Computers that are the fastest and the best today are nowhere in 2-3 years time. Five years ago, broadband was but a distant dream, and today, working at 2 or 4Mbps is considered normal. Skills that are current today will most certainly be outdated in 18-24 months with the way things are going. We have to adapt quickly, build new competencies and mould our thinking to compete effectively as individuals and as an organization.
Contrary to popular belief, creativity is not a divine gift and it is possible to develop these skills and qualities with rigorous training, self-discipline and developing processes to support creative problem solving and breakthrough thinking. Just a few years ago Apple Computer was almost written off as a ‘failed’ company by Michael Dell. Today, Apple’s market capitalization matches Dell inspite of a smaller revenue base. The only thing that made this almost unachievable feat possible was the healthy dose of creativity infused into the organization by Steve Jobs. The sleek new Macs, iPods and a revamped business model was all possible because the people at Apple - every single one of them - believed they could achieve the extraordinary. And they did. The result was a smaller, more nimble and fleet-footed organization that could respond to changing consumer trends especially in an area like personal entertainment electronics with its iPod range. In contrast, a huge organization like Sony with pioneering position in the last few decades with its ‘Walkman’ product line has been a miserable failure in this segment.
If there’s one mantra that powers winning ideas, it is this - stay well, change, innovate, adapt! I wish this, and more, for your life ahead!
