3 phrases that Kill innovation

Here are three phrases that tend to kill innovation in the workplace

1. “BEST PRACTICES”

When it’s time to figure out the next right move or a first action, it’s natural to want to follow best practices, but this can send a signal that challenges should be avoided... “you can’t go wrong with hiring IBM syndrome”

Best  practices are usually two, three, or four years old. They probably aren’t even best practices anymore.”

Using best practices don’t enable you to tie innovative, creative thinking to evolving your work.

While following the blueprints of others can inhibit innovation....  Best practices can also encourage innovation - especially  when they’re inspired by industries other than your own.

 “A hospital in the U.K. had struggled with bringing patients from the surgical unit to ICU,” he says. “Instead of looking at how other hospitals do it, they gained inspiration from a racing pit crew. They dropped their error rate by using another industry as a take-off point. It’s more interesting to take an established idea in a new creative direction.”

2. “RETURN ON INVESTMENT”

Trying to predict a return on investment (ROI) can be smart business, but when it’s tied to innovation, there’s no way of knowing what it will be. “

After 9 months, the founders of Google tried to sell Google to Yahoo for a million dollars. Yahoo ran their numbers and determined the Roo wasn’t there . 

 Neither the founders nor the leading search engine of the time had a clue of Google’s ROI. You can’t bring up ROI when an idea is developing. 

Discussing ROI is a weapon that shuts down innovation,  Ratger look at developing an idea like this/-

 ‘If this fails, what is the cost and are we okay if it doesn’t work out?'”

3. “WHEN I WORKED FOR . . . “

Another way to shut down ideas is trying to tie your past experience when discussing something new. “When I worked for”drives me  insane! 

However, using experience from another firm may encourage ideas and new ways of thinking!