I was trained to think that a good Engineer could do for £1 what any fool could do for £5. The lower the cost, the less energy and resources are used to create the item.
The mindset of continually reducing waste, improving performance, and increasing value is very powerful.
If you look at the business scene in the UK, you will find great examples of success in continuous innovation. But how do they do it?
It is a simple process. You get a new idea and see if you can use it to good effect. It is that simple.
There are two types of improvement. The constant incremental kind which is evolutionary and the discontinuous type, or revolutionary change.
Both types of change need fresh new ideas to maintain momentum.
Research shows that innovation now comes from a variety of sources outside of the firm. Internally focused firms often miss opportunities.
But how do you square this research finding with my observation that people are too busy to look outside of their organisation for ideas?
They are too busy to go to conferences, read or talk to anyone that may have new ideas.
Of course, Nature has a way of dealing with aberrant behaviour.
Meanwhile, our American website visitors, month after month, look at eight times the content than our UK visitors! Perhaps Americans are eager to see new ideas? Is it something to do with seeking new frontiers?
Does this explain why the US is more dynamic than the UK?
Look for new ideas constantly.
Don’t leave that folder of articles unread on your desktop.
Go to conferences.
Take the sales calls and learn from their ideas.
Not every idea is worth following, but you must be aware of them before you decide!
A day when you haven’t learnt anything, is a day wasted.