It’s not about how you grow a great orange. In business schools, we really teach people how to squeeze oranges – how to manage for greater efficiency and economies of scale – not how to grow new and better oranges, which requires a different kind of thinking. Business schools may offer a few selective courses in innovation, but they foster a mind-set that promotes way more obsession with how to make money than how to create a truly great, innovative product, and that obsession will suck the life out of the organizational pursuit of innovation.
From the book – Creating Innovators – Tony Wagner
I haven’t finished reading this book yet, typically I dog ear sections as I go through them that have some ideas and insights I want to revisit later and remember more of. But this line from the book spelled out everything that goes wrong with creating and/or starting something new. Where the focus shifts from innovating towards economy.
Do you need money to start something? Yes, although what you use it for can vary.
Do you need money to innovate? No.
And that’s the distinction – innovation doesn’t have cost
Read that quote again – Does it say manufacturing? Does it say cost to build goods? Does it say loaded labour cost?
Replace Oranges with Innovation – instead of trying to squeeze the most out of your people – focus on growing them into great innovators and bringing on great innovators to your team.
Build the team, not the product.
