Not all employees and people are and can be innovative and it’s best if they aren’t, atleast, not individually, without strategic management.

In order for a company to venture into Innovation, it must give its employees opportunities to be strategically innovative.  Innovation without planning and organization, leads to less than excellent project management and success.  Innovations are not simple ideas, but small changes can lead to a major innovation task or project.  This is why management of it is necessary, as well as a structured process to ensure its success.

It’s simple and easy for management to ask their employees to be innovative and explain what it is, but it’s better to provide a specific process.  There are two types:  Innovation that leads to new products or inventions, and innovative process or product changes which takes place during a specific timeframe of the product lifecycles.  For companies that have a list of products that are not considered products, such as client services deliverables or ‘outputs;’ the innovation is individual, leaving each preparer to be creative in their works.  Part of innovation is to consider standardization and where creativity should be allowed – this is the management of innovation.  If all products or outputs are non-standardized and different, allowing innovation and creativity, then each timeline for deliverables are different, the output is different, and so is the result.  First, it’s best to review the standardization, and seek to create a routine process, using automation, via forms and reports, writings, and communication styles in meetings, using standard timelines and schedules.  The innovation part is streamlining with a goal of either time savings, process improvement for better product quality, change in the design or ways of delivery, and creating a company ‘branding’ or obvious image that shows the company’s style.  Another form of innovation is assigning specific teams or individuals to spend time innovating; considering process improvement, changes, and other areas that makes a more valuable product or system.

Some call it “A Change that requires Change Management” while others view Change Management as an order to Change the Management professionals or an answer lifted off some lazy person’s test for problem solving in a non-complex simplistic approach. Change management is actually more complex, which is managing employee reactions and expectations during and innovation implementation. Not only does the ‘creation, or innovation process’ have to be managed, but so does its implementation. Innovation is a fancy word for change or improvement; its former words were “cutting edge” but that had a sharp reference that ended up as a name of hospital and violent act, so things had to change.

In the days of Tanya Harding, Lorena Bobbit, and the War business, it became clear that people compete violently for stardom, attention, and is their way of winning or being seen. Other non-violent activities are similar, which creates problems in the workplace, which is why companies must ensure they create opportunities for more than just one slot and purpose beyond promotion, and they must have an evaluation process, with the right leadership to train and ‘develop’ or improve employees on their journey to becoming better, not just at their jobs, processes, and skills, but also at their personal selves, and team successes. Controlling innovation is similar to controlling competition; it is there, it is allowed, it is monitored, it is rewarded, and it is healthy if managed correctly.

A person looked at terminology to see how, where, and why business became so ‘cut-throat’ using slang terminology to describe it’s competitive drive, finding internal competition made environments even worse, leading to workplace violence. Setting boundaries, using healthier wording changes things, as does improving language, communication, and the self. This is important, but intent and use is of the highest value.

Self improvement is not for competitive reasons; groups are competitive and individuals do compete, but the competition must be managed to make sure the results of the wins and losses are seen, otherwise, no real improvements or gains can be effectively made.