The kind of breakthrough innovation required for firms to survive and thrive is elusive.
In response, I am launching a series of brief, occasional essays addressed to senior executives, managers and technologists responsible for innovation in industry. Its purpose is to challenge readers to reflect broadly and deeply on the practice of innovation – in particular on how innovators come to know what to do today – in order to succeed commercially in the future. With this approach I hope, first, to help readers gain awareness of their own unarticulated embedded epistemology of innovation, as well as that of others. Second, I will challenge readers to consider new perspectives and views of what it means to innovate. Having engaged in this way, readers will be better able to develop a more explicit, intentional personal framework through which they can understand innovation.
The first essay, entitled “What do you know?” provides an introduction to the series and some initial thoughts.
I encourage you to download this essay without charge directly via the University of Illinois’ digital archive by clicking here.