Innovation Factory

Meeting up with Robert Tucker in Manila was a pleasure. Comparing notes, getting insights and drawing sensible conclusions about creativity and innovation has usually been a slippery process. Every single individual and every single industry have ideas of their. Robert shared the concept of his Innovation Factory and I walked away with three major conclusions.

One: One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Idea generation, capturing possibilities and executing that flux may all be logged in and read as that we must think out of the box and we must stretch our minds but how far individual ideas can be stretched is totally made to order and custom designed. You got to come up with a process that works for you. What worked for Google, Starbuck, 3M, Evian and even Mang Inasal may not work for you. You will have to mix your own.

Two: Execution is Key
None of the names mentioned would have known how wonderful their ideas were had they not taken them to market. Out in that nebulous territory called the “market” roam beasts and beauties of undefined shape and size. You may research, reason, position, plan and strategize but it will only be the results that will give you a true reflection and a report.

Three: Make your Approach Methodical
In essence, when you mix your own, make sure you keep track of the ingredients you use, the measures you use and how long each individual process stays on the burner of intention and focus.

I like to think in terms of preparing, persisting, percolating and performing towards creating something out of nothing. Towards making new what doesn’t work well and even what may be working perfectly well at this time.

I had the opportunity to peek into how Kraft comes up with new products, process and promotions for their products. They partner, they purchase, they persist but way before they do all that they prepare to come up with something new. Their work areas are colourful, spacious and laid out to trigger ideas and teamwork. They nurture their research and development teams with volumes of select information; they are exposed to new theories and methods of thinking and action.

All this leads to products that are yummy, a presence in the market-place that is unshaken-able and a perch where Kraft, always, gets a glimpse of the curves ahead.