I've discovered a great way to learn more about innovation and I thought I'd share it. It doesn't matter what line of work you're in, if you Google search for software related to your field, you'll undoubtedly find an ample supply of products to choose from.
I've been thinking a lot lately about ways to create the "surface" for innovation at my company. I've been brainstorming in my own head about the various roadblocks and challenges to implementing an innovation program. I thought up a few roadblocks and how I might handle them but I still had a gut feeling that there were some pretty big unknowns that would lie ahead.
So, I decided to go shopping at the hardware store. Well, sort of.
I made some calls into a couple of the leading software solution providers in the area of idea process management. I made my intentions pretty clear to them when I called. I told them I was just doing research and wasn't ready to buy but I did want to know, "What problems has your software solved?" The people I spoke to at these companies were very helpful. I took good notes as they explained their products and what problems they were solving for companies. After a few follow up calls and online demonstrations, I had a great picture of several problems I knew I'd encounter in my own journey to implement a bonafide program at my company. I compiled my notes and started formulating solutions to the problems I thought I might encounter at my own organization.
I liken this experience to walking through a hardware store ... especially the paint supply aisle - because I despise painting. I'll bet if you think about the last time you walked through a hardware store, you'll remember a time when you saw a product and said to yourself, "Man, I wish I had known about this product 3 months ago when I did that one project! It would've made my life a lot easier!"
That's kind of what I wanted to do when I called these software solution providers. I thought it worked pretty well.
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