There are many processes innovators go through to get to that moment of inspiration. It does; however, come down to two major categories; Trial and Error, and what I call Intellectual Innovation.
I will share my actual process of innovation
that is called The Three C’s later in this book, but here’s the foundational information.
Trial and Error is when an innovator just keeps trying things. He tries and tries until he has exhausted all possibilities.
Thomas Edison once said, “ I haven’t failed, I just found 10,000 NOT to create a light bulb.”
Then there is Intellectual Innovation. This is when an innovator arrives at that moment of inspiration through a methodical process, similar to a mathematician or a physicist. They study the concept, run some numbers, list what they know and what they don’t know (Convergent & Divergent Thinking (more on that later too).
Then they arrive at a solution and go test their hypothesis. If it works, the solved the problem. If it doesn’t work, well… It’s back to the drawing board.
Lon Safko
Serial Innovator, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Innovative Thinking
Tags: innovative thinking, creative, creative thinking, Innovation, critical thinking definition, innovation definition, critical thinking skills, creative process
