Imagine a solitary genius toiling away in a lab or workshop, repeatedly performing experiments. They shout “Eureka!” and a new idea is born.

Innovation rarely works this way in reality. Most discoveries are the cumulative work of many people all inching toward a conclusion, known or otherwise.

I figure, that the cumulation of knowledge is best served by people who solve the problems of their job. Let me explain…

When I pause and reflect on the problems I’ve attempted to solve that have gotten some traction, they have almost nothing to do with the ‘roles and responsibilities’ or ‘expectations’ of my job. Rather, they are ancillary problems persistent in an organization, ecosystem or field.

For instance; How do you account for 2nd or even 3rd order consequences in choosing specific items for development over others?

This is a large ecosystem problem. A problem of the job – not a responsibility in the job. Most would just do as they’ve always done with the tools given to them, it’s almost a defeatist ‘best we got’ approach. A resignation into complacency, the corporate gold-standard.

Boooooring.

This series is about the journey I’ve made in a corporate & personal environment re-investing my knowledge and the innovations I’ve attempted.

Don’t be misled, It’s a story of fallen flat innovations and missed opportunities of little recognition.

… my innovations have repeatedly missed their mark. To me, it’s irrelevant because, if I were to stop re-investing my knowledge, stop challenging myself, stop compounding my learning, a palpable staleness overcomes me. There’s a fear of twenty years of living becoming the same year repeated 20 times.

This series is a reminder to myself to continue innovating and to inspire others to do the same. I will attempt to catalogue my innovations and help highlight the difference in the way people show-up; There are those who solve the problems of their job and individuals that ‘do their best job’.

In this series, I will post a problem statement (of personal or professional nature), what was done to solve the problem, the potential benefits and the actual outcomes.

Stay Tuned!