In Project Management (and many other professions as well) there are so many things to follow it's hard to find time and innovate. We get inundated with information from colleagues, the internet, magazines, blogs, interest groups (e.g. Linkedin), meetings etc so that it is impossible to grab and digest all the information available. In addition we use Project Management Methodologies that have the size of "War & Peace" from Leo Tolstoy and it requires considerable time to understand them. I think it is great that we have all this information but see a challenge how to best manage our time to find and use the available information effectively. And even more important, how to use all that knowledge
and add something ourselves? I think we have to take a more active role on the innovation side. It's easy to get overwhelmed with information but there is lots of room for us to add real improvements.
After we acquired knowledge we want to use it. The delivery part is key here because otherwise it's just an academic exercise. To achieve real and lasting improvements we need big and small innovations and I'm confident EVERYONE can add some innovations. The question is
do you want to contribute? Do you want to innovate? Are you ready to get involved, take ownership and be accountable for results? It won't be easy but it is worth the effort because you can lead the way instead of just following others.
You have to break the pattern if you want to invent something new, something extraordinary. This also means you can't just follow the path others made for you. YOU have to find a path for others. Look at Google and Apple as corporate examples of innovation. They created markets out of nothing, they made the path that others follow. Do you want to do something, on a smaller scale obviously, as well? Yes? Then you have to get ready for it and that is not going to happen if you just follow and execute a Methodology. Don't get me wrong I don't suggest that methodologies are bad but I suggest that YOU have to fill them with life and you want to add your innovations to them.
Here is the Merriam Webster Definition of "Innovation"
- the introduction of something new
- a new idea, method or device
Instead of trying to digest and use only existing information why don't you rely more on yourself and put in some effort to come up with some improvements you think will work? There will be challenges but if you really want this I can't see what is stopping you. You have to set aside some time and be prepared for some setbacks but it will be worth the effort. It's up to you to innovate, so what's stopping you?
