The term innovation is in fashion. But is it because we see so little innovation out there?
Based on the assumption that innovation is the transformation of ideas into actions that generate value, it is easy to understand why there are so many "legal" ideas that do not unfold into effective actions, much less generate or add some kind of value.
A good idea is one that solves a problem, generates income or offers some convenience. Otherwise it's just a daydream, a rambling, a hipótese - é just an idea.
The different scientific disciplines have not yet entered into an "agreement" to define concepts such as innovation, creativity and imagination. In fact, few have been able to create permanent boundaries between these fields.
One great trap is to confuse these three worlds, for then you may think you are working efficiently on one thing, when in reality you are acting on another. This confusion can reduce your chances of accomplishment.
The imagination that precedes the realization is crucial because it makes possible the creation of elements that have not been captured by the senses.
We can define creativity as the possibility of employing imagination to find the solution to a problem.
The creativity of the idea is therefore proportional to the originality of the solution found. Do not forget this essential point either: the idea must necessarily be viable.
Innovation, in turn, requires the application of creativity, putting the solution into practice. That is, it refers to the effective resolution of a problem and the act of generating value to what was only an abstraction exercise.
Be careful not to be mistaken: although imagination is indispensable for creativity, it is the innovators who change reality and, with it, shake the world as we know it.
Innovation does not necessarily have to be something new or invented. It just has to be a "re-combination" of what already exists.
The smartphone is the classic example of the recombination of existing solutions (telephone, clock, agenda, video, audio, calculator, map, etc.) that worked separately in other contexts and that, in a new context became part of an innovation process that, by recombining ideas, generated new values, brought new conveniences and solved new problems.
So always innovate. Get your ideas out of your head and make them solve the new problems of today's world. After all, innovating is creating value.
