10 Commandments of Innovation

10 Commandments of Innovation Have a dream, focus on your customer, and be entrepreneurial

By: Vadim Kotelnikov

Founder, Ten3 Business e-Coach – Inspiration and Innovation Unlimited!

Innovation is actually a very simple phenomenon. Innovation is about Love: do what you love to do, and love your customers.

1 Have a Dream Create an inspiring vision Focus on your core competencies and competitive advantage Develop a vision-focused innovation strategy 2 Inspire Your Team Communicate your strategic intent and launch a crusade Create an inspiring culture, make business fun Inspire, empower and energize people 3 Focus on Customers Strive to create innovative value for your customers Practice customer-driven innovation Involve customers in your process of new product development 4 Be Different Think outside the box Strive to change the name of the game – introduce radical innovations Differentiate yourself and your product 5 Question Everything Challenge assumptions, ask "Why?" and "What If?" questions constantly Ask a lot of searching questions, create a culture of questioning Question and reassess past decisions 6 Synergize Build your cross-functional expertise and systems thinking skills Build and lead a cross-functional team Cross-pollinate ideas, leverage diversity, create synergies 7 Establish the Process Provide strategic alignment Design a business model, rules, structure, and a measuring system Encourage jazz-like improvisation within a guiding structure 8 Take Risk Take entrepreneurial action – nothing venture, nothing win Experiment, learn from market feedback Learn from failures to start again smarter 9 Lead Change Create a mindset of creative dissatisfaction to reduce resistance to change Lead by example, demonstrate entrepreneurial leadership attributes Adapt to rapid internal and external change, create positive change 10 Be Entrepreneurial Develop and practice entrepreneurial creativity daily, learn continually Look for opportunities everywhere and pursue them – with speed Be persistent, overcome obstacles, solve problems creatively