What does innovation mean as a core value?
Innovation as a core value means looking for better ways of doing things and seeing them through until the new way actually replaces the old one.
“We’ve always done it this way” is, to you, a reason to look closer. You’re drawn to the better route: the quicker process, the new tool, the product that fixes an irritation everyone has learned to live with. The real satisfaction comes later than the first idea, when it actually changes how things work. Organisations, and sometimes families, that hang on to a familiar challenge when a better way is right there can test your patience.
What does innovation look like in practice?
- You try the new software before it’s rolled out and write the guide for everyone else.
- You run a small experiment to test whether a change works before arguing for it.
- You ask customers what annoys them, then go after that.
- You redesign a household routine because there’s obviously a smarter way.
- You watch how other industries solve problems similar to yours.
When is innovation overplayed?
Change for its own sake is tiring for everyone else. When innovation takes over, you may replace systems people had only just learned, undervalue what already works well, or chase a new tool when the real issue is people or priorities. Teams can end up living in permanent beta. At its best, this value respects stability and asks whether better is worth the disruption. Before the next improvement, you could list who has to relearn something, and check the gain is worth it to them too.
Often confused with
Innovation vs Creativity
Creativity generates new ideas, whether or not they’re used. Innovation is satisfied only when a better way actually replaces the old one.
Innovation vs Originality
Originality wants the approach to be your own. Innovation will happily copy a solution from another industry if it works better.
Innovation vs Effectiveness
Effectiveness gets good results with whatever works, including old methods. Innovation keeps asking whether there’s a better method.
Questions to sit with
- What have you changed in the last year that people would quietly prefer you’d left alone?
- Which old way of doing things turned out to be better than you assumed?
- What challenge around you has everyone accepted, and what’s stopped you tackling it?
More values in Creation
Making things that didn’t exist before.
About the author
Matt Rutherford is a Career and Leadership Coach. The Values Finder is the same exercise he uses with his coaching clients. He also writes Stuff that MattRs, a weekly newsletter with practical ideas to help you think clearer and work better.
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