Jatin DeSai, CEO of the DeSai Group recently answered 5 thought-provoking questions on the role of innovation for individuals and organizations. The answers to these questions will stimulate your understanding of Innovation and its positive impact on you personally and professionally.

The first question and answer is posted below.The remaining four Q & A's will be posted over the week...

Q&A on Role of Innovation for Individuals and Organizations

By: Mr. Jatin DeSai, CEO, The DeSai Group

“Innovation Execution” Consulting Firm

http://www.desai.com 

Q1: What is the game of innovation? Is innovation a game?

Answer: "Yes, innovation is a game. It is a game because it requires knowledge and skills to compete and win in the ever changing markets. Innovation is a game that every business today needs to play today to avoid becoming useless or even extinct.

Also part of the game of innovation is global competition, the energy crises, economic system failure, poverty, population expansion, and many other mega trends that are here to stay. All of these are converging upon every business sector simultaneously. They are like huge rivers all merging in to one. The turbulence, the waves, and the force created by these mega trends have never been seen by humanity before.

That is why running a business the ‘same old way’ will only guarantee that its management will end up on a commodity island – where everything is price competitive and customers don’t see much difference between that business and the competition. From my perspective as an innovation consultant, I believe that every business must figure out a way to meet every challenge directly or indirectly, with a focus on winning the game of innovation. This means, businesses must learn to experiment, fail, learn from failure, and try something else – until they develop new business acumen skills to sustain and grow.

The rules of the innovation game have also changed - primarily due to two “major” forces: the information revolution and globalization. There is plenty of evidence that shows how these two major trends are shifting consumer buying patterns, local and regional economies, access to education, environmental issues, and the pace of life for every human being. This has created more urgent need to invent new ways of doing business – faster then ever before. Average life span of a company is shortening and more businesses are failing faster due to these two major trends.

Innovation comes from the act of being creative. Creativity comes from people. So, to play this game correctly and compete in this new age, CEO’s must find a way to tap in to the hearts and minds of employees, customers, suppliers, and partners. Our latest research shows that the most critical new competencies that must be developed and managed in your company culture will be: discovery, creativity, influence, implementation, and mindful action. These skills cannot be outsourced and will play more a important role when creating and keeping customers for life."

Feel free to comment and express your thoughts on this blog..

Thanks,

Jatin DeSai

Recently, I was asked: "What is the chief quality that we have lost as human beings today? What qualities do we NOT have in abundance right now, that we truly, desperately NEED right now to excel as a species?

It was asked because the person was very concerned about employees, their engagement, and their growing stress levels.

The history of ‘work places' for the past 100+ years has plenty of examples of a disengaged workforce. So, this feeling of uncertainty and fear, is not new. The intensity at which this has happened is alarming.

In my observation, the only ‘chief quality' we are deprived of, and is the ONLY thing humanity lacks - is the poverty of Love.

To Love, without attachments, To Love, others without selfish motives, To Love with care, To Love others as our own brothers and sisters , To Love the divine spark in all living things - especially human beings, irrespective of their past actions, language, color, or faith.

This will occur someday. How? In my strong belief, it has to. We as humans are a form of Love. It is our nature to Love and be Loved. Once each one of us realize who we truly are and discover our inherent divinity as Love, we WILL change ourselves and therefore the world will be changed - one person at a time.

Another way to look at this is to accept that nothing is lacking. Everything is perfect. What we have is what needs to be had - for each one of us. It is what we need right now to help us evolve our own consciousness. We have what we deserve. What we have, good or bad, is result of what we did in the past - the law of Karma. Some of us are only evolved to chase money and materialistic comforts. Some of us are ready to challenge every system around us to make it better, some of us are ‘designed' to win and beat the competition, some of us can only ‘see' the wrong in the world and nothing good. Through all such experiences, each one of us will have to learn the ultimate lesson (someday) that the external world (vs. the inner world), has nothing permanent to offer to us - to make us happy or find peace and bliss. We will have to, someday, accept that such virtues only lie in the depth of our very own heart and soul - not outside in the physical world. That might take a few lifetimes,if not few hundred life times for some of us.

After such a long journey, someday, each one of us will arrive to the conclusion that nothing is lacking, and everything is perfect - for each person, each society, each government, and each world. For each, what they have now, is what is needed for them to evolve to the next stage in their consciousness towards permanent peace - enlightenment, heaven, Moksha, etc.

For more information on this wonderful virture:

- Click here for the health benefits of Love

- Click here for reading about how loving your employees makes good business sense

Recommended books:

- The Six Secrets of Change which includes 'Loving your employees' as a key secret for success.

- Leadership and the Force of Love - Six keys to Motivating with Love

Best wishes,

-Jatin

Did you see the movie Incoveniant Truth by Al Gore?

How do you 'power' the business and still fight the global warming (corporate intangible assets) inside of your business?

Does your business have the 'energy' to create peak performance?

What are you going to do when your 'internal natural resources(people)' run out (the door) caused by X-Gen middle management shortage and the Boomers leave for retirement?

Looking at the X-Gen and Y-Gen value systems, what "alternative resources" are you experimenting with to keep the G&A expenses low?

Most businesses have a huge 'climate' problem in their culture. Global Warming in a business culture is reality. Innovations to create Living Organizations fueled by creative energy from with-in, strong leadership at the top, and holistic corporate policy are sorely needed if we are to cope and compete in the new(but getting old fast) flat-world.

Here is brief Mega Story and my Purple Cow (Seth Godin expression-my American-Marketing Idol) solution. Ready? Here it goes:

Mega Story on Global Warming(GW):

1) A prerequisite for life on Earth, the greenhouse effect occurs when infrared radiation (heat) is retained within Earth's atmosphere.

2) Most of Sun's solar energy reaching the Earth is absorbed at the Earth's surface.

3) The warmed surface emits infrared radiation back up into the atmosphere and keeps us warm.

4) Like a blanket, atmospheric green house gases absorb and reradiate the heat in all directions, including back to earth.

5) Human activity has increased the green house gas in the atmosphere and thus at the amount of heat returned to the surface. In consequence, global temperatures have risen.

Mega Story on Global Warming Organizations(GWO):

1) A prerequisite for sustainable life of a company, the 'living' effect occurs when the cultural fabric of any organization, explicitly, integrates human values(the heat energy) into all processes and products.

2) Most of company business (solar energy) reaching company turns into extraordinary compensation for the top, and unequal regard to the rest of the organization.

3) The over cost-cutting and focus on rear-view mirror items, such as process automation, continuous improvement, etc., has created workforces without a clear alignment to the purpose, vision, values, and the brand of the company (the warmed surface).

4) This warm surface, creates unwritten rules and misunderstanding with unplanned constant change initiatives in the climate. This climate emits infrared radiation(unclear, unwritten communication) back up into the atmosphere(culture) and heats up the environment, causing stress, anxiety, and lack of accountability.

5) Like a spiral downwards, atmospheric 'black' cloud of negativity in the air, reradiates and begins to impact your top talent back into other parts of the organization.

6) Human activity in the workplace, in form of pride, jealously, attachment to personal gains, lust, anger, and selfish acts has increased the 'black' house gas in the atmosphere and thus the amount of innovation and creativity is reduced. In consequence, organizational temperatures have risen.

Are you feeling the heat? You may not be. But just like Global Warming, its real and its there in your company.

What is your plan to keep your Organizational Carbon(negative culture) in check?