September 2003

January 2007

Innovation Tips

…ideas for building collaborative innovation

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Slow Cook the Big Innovations

We were delighted to see that January has been designated “International Creativity Month.” Why? “To remind individuals and organizations around the globe to capitalize on the power of creativity. Unleashing creativity and innovation is vital for personal and business success in this age of accelerating change.”

Wait a minute. Someone must have been visiting our web site. We might as well end this month’s essay right there. That is the whole point of everything we do.

Unleash creativity and innovation because it is vital for personal and organizational success in this age of accelerating change.

The end.

But wait.

Did you know that January is also “National Slow Cooking Month?” Neither did we. It took over thirty years, since the slow cooker was introduced in 1970, to finally give that culinary innovation its own designated month of the year. They slow cooked it.

Innovation and slow cooking; there must be a connection there that transcends the month of the year they share. We have been slow cooking that possible connection all month. Then it hit us, like a flash fire:

Slow cook your big innovations.

What are the major innovations that you are contemplating for your organization—the ones that will impact everyone in the organization? Not the little ones that will only impact a few, the big ones that will effect everybody.

Slow cook them.

Big change needs some time to simmer. Through big changes, you will either build the social capital of the organization or deplete it. Creativity and social capital are directly correlated. If you deplete social capital, you deplete creativity.

Build social capital by enlisting the perspectives of many for the big innovations. Blend and simmer those perspectives until they congeal as a flavorful dish that people are eager to implement.

Then serve up a sample; don’t serve the whole dish. Let people taste test it with some experience. Then simmer it some more.

Little creative initiatives can and should happen quickly. Heat them in the microwave and go. But big changes need time. Slow cook them and you will serve up stronger social capital and creativity for a long time to come.

What Else?

Partners for Innovation is in the business of helping you create organizations that thrive on creativity and social capital. We write these articles to support your work in building vital and resilient organizations. Please tell us what else you would like to learn. We depend on you for our subject matter, and as the subject of our work, you matter!

Please send the editor an email to let us know what you would like to learn in these essays: jgjohnston@partnersfi.com

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