One of the most complex things about innovation is the ability to bring a single idea through the maze and intricacies of today’s corporate environments. I recon there are many amazing ideas out there, that at first inspire people to be involved. Over time and with a multitude of people being involved, corporate procedures and politics, the end result turns out nowhere near that original idea, making everyone look back and think: “Hey, what happened to the fun idea?”. It is not that most companies cannot come up with new ideas or put a new product out in the market, it is the fact that they cannot bring the idea to product introduction phase. The corporate swamp is just too deep. It is about navigating corporate hallways and boardrooms, about keeping your idea concise and sparkling and making it intact to the endzone.  In the end, people will buy you, your story, your conviction that you can make this idea happen.

I would argue innovation goes beyond product, service and business development. It all starts with an innovative mindset. Being innovative for example in HR does not require creating an offshore entity to protect the innovation from all kinds of corporate standards as described in many books on innovation. It must be developed within the organization, making it possibly even more difficult. It starts with one person with an idea, a vision to inspire others. Next, it takes enormous amounts of enthusiasm and perseverance to deliver the argument 1000 times. Most likely, you will encounter hordes of waverers, nests of unwilling people harassing you for your idea. Kicking you down, coming up with no’s a hundred times. But you persevere. As it all starts with you.

Being innovative takes you to introduce new brand campaigns that have an edge like Burger King advertising to go order at McDonalds and KFC recently. It brings about new products and services for sure, new HR approaches to employer branding during COVID times, but also PR ideas like developing a draught system to pour perfect beers on board of an airplane at 30.000 Ft in the air. When I was busy developing this, I had people come up to me telling me to stop working on it, as it could not be done. Draught beer was not possible on board of a plane, because of the air pressure difference, it had been tried before and people had failed. So, stop it. Didn’t it get through my thick skull? It would not work. Stop it.

We got it working the first time we tried it onboard a Boeing 747. It has flown multiple times around the world, transforming 350 passenger planes into very lively bars. Creating excitement all over and adding a new dimension to onboard flight service. Why? Because we did not stop when we were told. Because we did not believe it would not work, just because in the past others had tried and failed at it.

When I would walk into the lobby of the Heineken International building, there would be a wall size picture of mr. Heineken. He would look sharply at you, ready to take on the world, that kind of attitude. A quote was readable on the side of the picture, paraphrasing: “A lot of times people will tell me not to do something, cause it isn’t sensible. I’ll reply: Yes, you’re probably right, but we’re going to do it anyways.”

Recognize the above? Ready to get going or want to inspire your team with adopting a new mindset? Give me a ring. Let’s take off.