Here is an interesting video featuring Innovation Strategist and Consultant Larry Keeley. He challenges conventional wisdom on innovation and proclaims that what we think and know about it is “wrong.” This is mainly due to the fact that innovation is riddled with failure (95% of the time) and cliches (eg. “think outside the box”) and that “thinking inside the box” is the key. He insists that focusing on what you do best will improve your success rate three fold.
I take Larry’s advice with a grain of salt as he is mainly focused on large corporations (most of which are not suited for true innovators who adhore hierarchy, bureaucracy and politics). I think he has some good insights (e.g. customer experience), but like most people collapses innovation with evolution/optimization and focuses much more on process as opposed to who are the right people to innovate and the power of adhocracies. He even blasts “brainstorming” as a carcinogen that “the Sergeon General has not gotten around to regulating.” (LOL) Enjoy the video.