Innovation requires questions.
Photo by stringberd

Complacency can mean death for a company in today’s aggressive marketplace. Companies cannot accept a design or a process “because that is the way it’s always beenâ€?. It is no mystery that technology and innovation are Canada’s ticket to prolonged prosperity, but all too often, Canadian businesses often have difficulty in transforming their culture into one that fosters innovation. Often it is because management doesn’t know where to start.

A simple suggestion: begin by asking “why-s� questions. WHY does our company manufacture products the way we do? WHY is our design the way it is? WHY do we use the materials we do? WHY do we use the processes that we do? WHY is our plant organized the way it is? WHY do our clients buy our product/service?

It seems simple, but many of these questions are difficult to answer. If your only response is “because that is the way it’s always been,â€? or “I don’t know,â€? then you’re on to something! Innovation is knocking at your door! Seize the opportunity and start thinking of different and innovative ways of doing what you do. Changing a design to make it easier to manufacture, using less expensive materials, modifying your product for a new market, are all small in-house innovations that can show amazing returns and begin to transform a complacent environment into a dynamic one.

Asking the “why-s� questions should become part of your corporate image and attitude. Innovation does not require a room full of Ph. D. grads. It requires people who are not willing to accept the status quo and refuse to become complacent.

Give this simple process a try and see how this change in mindset can transform your company’s culture into one that fosters innovation — a “why-sâ€? investment indeed.

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