RECENT POST
24 August 2018
29 April 2018
16 March 2018
SUBSCRIBE
FEATURED MEDIA
24 August 2018
Media
22 May 2018
It has been said that we are entering the decade of the female entrepreneur with one in ten women now wanting to start their own business.
Yet, we all know that having an idea is often the easy part, in fact, those that are good at having new ideas can effortlessly generate thirty or forty before breakfast. The harder part is how do we move from idea land into creating something that has a tangible and sustainable value and outcome?
From my research, I have found that there are six types of innovators, all critical to the success of generating ideas and practically making them work. What I call the 6 ‘I’s® of Innovation. These 6 ‘I’s® are both a process, albeit a circular one, that help to give a framework for the journey that an idea takes, and a set of distinct skills. Whilst people have an innovation style – or a mixture and combination of capabilities – one or two of the 6 ‘I’s® are likely to be more dominant.
So what kind of innovator are you?
The starting point is to know your innovation strengths. Are you an IGNITER or IMPLEMENTER, or an IMPROVER or INVESTOR and how can you use your skills to create value out of new ideas? Understanding this will help you to realise that innovating requires not only great ideas, but access to a diverse set of skills that can be harnessed towards achieving a common PURPOSE. Why are you doing what you are doing and what do you hope to achieve?
Secondly, what are the gaps, between what is important to you in achieving success with the idea you are working on and you your current set of capabilities? Thirdly, do you personally need to develop these skills, or are there people or organisations that you can collaborate with to help address the gaps?
Whilst one in ten women want to start a business, we also know that that only one in ten new businesses survive. It is hard work. Broadening out the concept of what it means to be innovative is important as it will liberate you to play to your strengths whilst being fully aware of what else you need to do to improve your likelihood of success. The IGNITER, with a CREATIVE mindset – the profile that we often consider as the innovative one – is just one of six profiles needed to make innovation happen. It takes diversity of skills, background and experience to make it work.
Published in We Are the City on May 23, 2018.
Yes, You Can Innovate is a brand of The Entheo Network. Registered Address 75, High Street, Singapore, 179435. Company No: 201016398E