Innovation, as opposed to the popular belief, is not a product of great intellect. It is the result of constant observation of events and processes and finding creative ways of simplifying them. But of course, the prerequisite of achieving innovation is to have a vision.
Take the story of two people for example. The duo walked up to a river bank to find several people drowning. One of the men, without thinking for his life, plunged into the water and started saving the people drowning. To his horror, he found more and more people thrashing about in the water, carried towards him by the current of the river. In spite of getting bone-tired, the man kept making attempts to save the people. However, the other person, watching all this from the safety of the riverbank, suddenly started running away. His friend, quite incredulous and angry, yelled at him to ask why was he deserting when he could save a few lives?
The man answered, still running, that he is going upstream to check who or what is pushing these people in the river.
Observing keenly, and logically finding efficient ways to do something is akin to innovating. Anyone can innovate if s/he sincerely thinks of ways to perform the task at hand with enhanced efficiency or with better results, or both.
I often tell my team that while a careless mistake in your work can reflect badly upon the whole team, simple innovations can delight clients to stick to your organization, in turn doing wonders for your career.
“Innovation is possible in the most mundane of jobs. All it requires is someone doing it better than it has always been done.”
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