Imagination - The Lifeblood of Innovation

So much has been written about innovation in recent years that it's become the key buzzword in business circles, like TMQ was several years ago. Of course, management "guru" Peter Drucker also once said, "Because its purpose is to find and keep customers, the business enterprise has two - and only two - basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are 'costs.'"

If innovation is so important to the success of any business (or any organization for that matter), where does it begin? Does it begin with a Mission Statement? Perhaps. But go back further. We could say innovation starts with an idea. Someone has an idea and then he or she (or a group of people) act on that idea and bring it to fruition.

But going back even further - all innovation begins with imagination - the same kind of imagination we all experienced as kids. The cardboard box that became a fort. The imaginary friend that shared tea time with us. Imagination is the lifeblood of all innovation. It is the spring with which ideas (good or bad) flow.

And yet, how often in our current jobs do we take time to use our imagination? How often do managers either allow time for imagination or even encourage its use? Chances are the answer is -- never. How ironic. Every business or organization talks about developing innovative products or services to beat the competition. And yet, when it comes time to provide an atmosphere that fosters such innovation -- it just doesn't happen.

The truth is -- most organizations are afraid or resentful of imagination. Often equated with daydreaming, imaginative thinking is seen as a waste of time and therefore not something that people should do in the workplace. Of course, the work environment is not the first place where this suppression occurs. As one moves through the educational process, imaginative thinking slowly fades away like the end of an old movie.

Imagination can make or break your business. It is the lifeblood of any organization, whether they know it or not. Chances are the really successful companies, such as Google and Apple, are not just making things happen. They are imagining them as well. For them, imagination is not a chore, but a differentiating characteristic -- a competition beater.

How imaginative are you or your organization? It could tell you whether or not you are achieving the level of success you desire.

Gene Pinder is the Assistant Director of the Executive Master's Program in Department of Health Policy and Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Public Health. In addition to teaching an innovation and applied creativity workshop, he also teaches marketing strategies and tactics to public health and health care administration students.