The innovation focus of the past decade has been on disruptive innovations and on the “big ticket” items. Most big corporates have not been interested in anything less than multi-million dollar bottom-line guaranteed innovations. Yet, it is probably easier, certainly more exciting, and absolutely more inclusive to also consider incremental innovations. A hundred of these innovations, made by people at every level of an organisation, over an extended period of time, could actually produce the same bottom line results, with much more residiual, internal value created along the way.

An advert that flighted on South African TV a few years ago illustrates the point. It told of the true story of how NASA spent millions of dollars trying to develop a pen that would write in the zero gravity conditions experienced in orbit by their astronauts. The Russians, however, had a solution that saved them all that R&D and money - they used pencils!

As simple as this stiry might be, I really do believe that some companies have lost the plot on innovation. And, lets be honest - for all their efforts, energy and resources, they haven’t really come out with anything to impress their customers in a long time now. Yet, they pursue the “big hit wonder” with mystic fervour. It smacks of desperation at times.