"Thinking out of the box" is one of those magic expressions managers and consultants like to use. Thinking out of the box is hard, getting out of the box even harder...
Change is popular. But why? Is the old and conservative way no longer good enough? Often, the answer is NO. Innovation is needed to survive in highly competitive environments. If you're not the one to convince customers with a new and better offering, your competitor will! In that case you'll most probably end up with losses of market shares and decreasing cash-flows. That is why people and organizations want to improve, and improvement implies change. Successful changes and improvements are called innovations.
Innovation is one of the keys to success in society and business. It refers to new methods, processes and products which become an economic or a social success and therefore create new value. Inventing a new product or service is not enough, it should get accepted by consumers and create benefits before it can be called an innovation (otherwise it simply remains an invention!). The line between invention and innovation can be thin, but the difference in value is big!
Therefore inventions, "thinking out of the box" and changes should not become goals themselves. The creation of value should be the goal. Innovation-processes could help to create new value. Therefore, each organization should invest in and focus on innovation. A clear strategy, accurate portfolio management and focussed investments are needed to remain competitive or out-compete your competition.
The main topic of this site is innovation, a multi-sided and complicated subject. Some of the sections contain theory, others contain more practical materials.
