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General implications for a systems innovator

7 九月, 2015 - 12:02

So what does this mean for you as a future systems innovator? It means you should be mindful of the increasingly complex environment of our global world. You should seek out the connections and layers among systems. If you spot new connections or uncover a new layer, you may also identify radical innovations. Sometimes the most important part of being an innovator is having the wisdom to know when to form partnerships and with whom to make friends.

It also means you should seek to identify what are the rules of a human system. You should be open to asking “why” a certain rule is in place and allow yourself to consider what would happen if that rule was changed. What would improve the current rules? Are there rules that no longer help as they previously did? You should also recognize that the ability for organizations to command others is decreasing. As an innovator, this trend is helpful, since it increases the chances for you to “market” and spread innovative ideas. This also means you need to consider how to influence and encourage others to adopt your innovations.

Specifically, as a systems innovator, you will need to “market” your innovation. Simply because you have thought of an innovation does not mean it will succeed. If you are not skillful at influencing others to consider and adopt your innovation, your innovation may not succeed. Further, you may need to be smarter or stronger than other innovators – and you may need to consider what rewards would encourage individuals to adopt your innovation. Sometimes an innovation itself can encourage individuals to adopt it, but this often is not immediate. By their nature, humans are not prone to change if they are relatively happy. Even if your innovation provides new benefits, you may need to consider wants to encourage individuals to shift from their old “ways” to your innovation.

Finally, it means you should recognize that innovation is necessary to deal with change. Change is constant in our world, so innovation also needs to be constant. Yes, innovation can be risky as sometimes an idea might not be incomplete, not right for the current environment, or not aligned with the needs of an organization. However, there is a greater, more certain risk that any system will become outdated without innovations. As a systems innovator, you should search, dream, and reach for the future.