This resonated quite well with me. I have experienced people using words like this, as though they had some magical property that meant they didn’t have to fully explain how they will achieve their idea. Obviously I also couldn’t resist putting this on our blog.
I think point 4 is a very good reminder that we don’t necessarily have to try and create something really at the bleeding edge in order to get good results.
"From all my travels and speaking gigs in 2007, I’m most confident about the following advice: Stop using the word innovation in 2008. Just stop. Right now. Commit to never saying the word again. Einstein, Ford, Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, and Edison rarely said the word and neither should you. Every crowd I’ve said this to laughed and agreed. The I-word is killing us.
Here’s why: it doesn’t mean anything anymore. Or more specifically, it means many different things. Unless you are taking the time to make sure everyone is using the word the same way, good communication about ideas and creativity is unlikely to happen.
Four tips:
1. Ask people who use the word what they mean. This is easy. If ever anyone says the word in a meeting, ask “Can you give an example of what you mean by innovative?” If they can’t, you’ve just saved the room a ton of time. Often they don’t know: they’re using the I-word as a cop-out for clear thinking.
2. Use better words instead. Often people mean one of 1) we want new ideas 2) we want better ideas, 3) we want big changes 4) we need to place big bets on new ideas. Great. Any of those short phrases are more powerful and specific than the I-word. Use them instead.
3. Ban the I-word from e-mails and internal documents. It’s one thing for marketers to use innovation in press releases. It’s another to let that word cloud up how people making things think about what they’re making. Force your team to be precise and give up the crutch of the innovation word. Reward people who use the word sparingly and find better ways to communicate.
4. Just be good. That’s hard enough. Most things made in the world suck. They really do. If you work somewhere that struggles to make a half-decent product, with the morale of a prison, why are you talking about innovation? You have to get the training wheels off before entering the Daytona 500. If you can making something good, that solves real problems, works reliably, is affordable, and is built by a happy, motivated and well rewarded staff, you’ll kick your competitor’s asses. Focus on solving those real problems. If you succeed on those innovation, in all its forms, will likely take care of itself."
Scott Berkun
