Disruptive Innovation is everywhere
Articles and case studies on disruptive innovation seem to be everywhere.
Every second consultant seems to be advocating the idea of disrupt or else.
Disruptive Innovation was made popular by Clayton Christensen and since then it has been applied to seemingly every category and industry.
To be sure big, game-changing new products and services are important.
Who wouldn’t want the next ipad in their category.
It is also absolutely vital to be aware and to either develop or counter disruptive technologies or changing business models.
No question.
But.
Is this the only game in town?
What they don’t tell you
Disruptive innovation in my conversations with leaders and managers offers the promise of a step-jump change in performance and/or continued survival but it is also:
– Expensive
– Risky
– Infrequent
– Slow
– Intimidating
– Involves only a relatively small number of people
– Can involve large-scale failure and is
– Exhausting
As a result many leaders, managers and small business owners become paralysed and follow a business-as-usual approach hoping the problem of innovation simply goes away.
Another approach — small wins innovation
It is for these reasons that I have developed a new approach called small wins innovation.
The idea is to develop and test new and potentially better solutions to everyday problems and challenges.
And to challenge the existing processes, products, practices and procedures.
In short, the aim is to make small changes that over time can have a potentially big impact.
Using this approach helps leaders to get started.
Just like embarking on a fitness campaign involves a small walk — today. Then another slightly longer one tomorrow and so on.
Small wins innovation is faster, involves more frequent change and is a continuous journey.
It can also have a positive impact on culture.
There is another reason why small wins innovation is valuable.
Nearly all the big, disruptive innovations started from a small change, idea or insight then through iteration developed into something bigger.
Sometimes all we look at is the final product not the starting point.
Small can be beautiful.