talent rich, innovation poor...

A couple of days ago I started this post, and due to my relocation and getting all settled in, I had far too many distractions, good ones no doubt, to really dig into this... AND THIS is important.

There are a LOT of companies out there that are talent rich, and innovation poor. A few days ago, I made this same statement on Facebook ( http://facebook.com/vincenthunt ) and I got quite a few "amens" and "high fives" to this simple observation... Here is the deal, in my opinion, maybe I am wrong... MAYBE not...

Most companies, young and old, are optimized for "doing" and not "thinking". Most businesses have an iron clad approach, system, PLAN to churn out widgets, but very few have a iron clad plan for making NEW WIDGETS... Once the original game plan has been put in place, and that plan starts generating revenue, it's seldom revisited for optimization - UNLESS of course the plan stops making money...

"Many companies are revenue centered, not many are possibility, and game changing centered..."

Every business, I don't care how big, or how small, needs not only a business plan but it also needs a innovation plan. Period. In fact, I would challenge to say that the smart business would have a clear and focused innovation plan BEFORE a business plan is drafted. A plan for adding NEW value to the marketplace, a plan for invention and ingenuity, a solid contribution to the arts. Each company should have a lust for the "next", the "change"....

These ideas are bought about by building clever organizations, ones that are thinking just as much as they are doing, and the level of urgency is placed in both dimensions of the business, equally.