Creating Differentiated Advantages Through MAINNOVATION®
Source: ICT Singapore | Author: James Chin | Date: June 28, 2017
When we talk about "innovation", it is often an abstract, intangible concept. Many companies list "innovation" as one of their core values or slogans. Yet, leadership teams in numerous organizations still struggle to find ways to translate innovation into practice. The key question is: How do we implement change and innovation to deliver tangible benefits?
Innovation Means Crafting Valuable Solutions for New Challenges
This is a widely discussed issue. Translating innovation into practice involves four key stages—the Innovation System: Mindset → Skills → Implementation → On-site Practice. Like the four legs of a table, none can be missing.
To illustrate the fourth stage—On-site Practice—I would like to share an example. After an innovation training session, a senior executive participant told me: "I have attended many similar innovation courses. The trainers were excellent and shared numerous case studies, but when it came to application, the methods felt disconnected from our real-world challenges. Learning remained at the conceptual level, and problems persisted. However, your course is like a 'thinking gym'. From the moment we enter the classroom, we use your taught methods to examine ourselves, identify core areas needing 'exercise', and within just two days of training, we can truly learn to complete practical 'assignments'."
Knowledge and skills must therefore be integrated with on-site practice. Just as physical fitness requires personal effort—watching others exercise (cases) cannot make you strong—innovation demands serious commitment. You must master and practice every innovation thinking tool until you arrive at solutions.
In an interview with Shanghai Vision magazine in June 2012, reporters raised several incisive questions that I wish to share in this book. They explored specific topics such as: "What are the prerequisites for embracing change and innovation?"
My response was: "Let me use an analogy. For innovation to grow from a 'seed of idea' to 'harvested fruit', it requires constant watering and fertilizing—a process we call 'change'. Innovation is thus inseparable from change. Their relationship is as indivisible as waves and water. Innovation and change are interdependent and indispensable."
We have observed a rising demand for change and innovation training and consulting among companies in China and across Asia in recent years. Further analysis of client segments reveals that most needs revolve around mergers & acquisitions, internal restructuring, rapid growth, addressing new challenges, market expansion, and revitalizing competitive advantages.
These reflect four distinct stages of innovation development needs:
1. Innovation Breakthrough: Enterprises seek innovative solutions (strategic-level needs).
2. Innovation Implementation: Supporting leaders in preparing to execute innovative concepts (focused on leading change).
3. Embracing Change: Maintaining stability and harmony while ensuring execution effectiveness and teamwork during innovation rollout (requiring tactical change capabilities and change management).
4. Innovation Culture: Cultivating innovative thinking as an organization-wide habit and culture.
Training objectives fall into three categories:
(a) Creating unique, value-added new products and services.
(b) Optimizing the status quo by building more efficient, resource-saving processes or achieving competitive advantages in products and services.
(c) Developing new solutions to address unprecedented challenges.
There is also a common misconception: that innovation must be technology-driven, confined to technical roles or industries, or limited to product R&D. However, over decades of training diverse enterprises with varied change and innovation needs—and teams across all levels, functions, and roles—we have proven that innovation is a systematic thinking model applicable to all fields.
It enhances efficiency and effectiveness for organizations and individuals alike, including:
1. Empowering listed company management teams to refine business strategies, optimize models, and strengthen strategic positioning through innovative thinking.
2. Enabling state-owned enterprises to deliver substantial economic benefits in the short term.
3. Assisting key leaders of foreign-invested enterprises to align with industrial policies, adapt to market shifts, and establish clear market positioning.
4. Supporting R&D engineers in private enterprises to develop low-cost, high-quality products with simple, scalable features—capturing market share and achieving "impossible" goals rapidly.
5. Revitalizing competitive advantages, fostering innovation culture, and driving sustainable development for legacy state-owned service organizations.
Change disrupts organizations' existing "comfort zones," triggering fear of the unknown and heightened skepticism. While normal, these negative emotions severely impair team execution and creativity, erode trust between employees and the company, and lead to low morale and talent loss. To minimize losses and negative impacts, top leadership must communicate effectively before implementing change. Teams and employees must recognize: "Innovation is essential, and change is the only way forward." This guides positive mindsets toward change and equips employees with critical innovation skills. Many companies also engage external trainers to facilitate neutral change guidance.
Furthermore, leaders must understand the reality of innovation: it is not a destination, but a continuous process. Thus, while driving innovation, leaders must adopt a long-term vision. For example, a foreign-invested enterprise aiming to solidify market leadership and prepare for an IPO recognized innovation as an ongoing necessity. With our innovation training, the company implemented phased innovation plans over 6–12 months, embedding innovation into organizational habits.
From top executives to frontline staff, all employees participated in skills training to build an innovation culture. An innovation committee was established to monitor, measure, and drive innovation across six key areas: marketing, operations, HR, product development, customer service, and strategy. Ultimately, innovation became integral to every employee’s work and life, gradually forming the company’s unique innovation culture.
Therefore, during innovation or rapid growth, enterprises must address corresponding shifts in team capabilities, mindsets, and psychology—supporting steady, agile progress and sustained behavioral transformation.
MAINNOVATION® Collective Innovation System
Below is a concise six-step innovation framework to help you translate ideas into actionable plans that deliver tangible value. Most importantly, secure comprehensive buy-in from the CEO and all shareholders—their support is critical for successful change and innovation.
The MAINNOVATION® Collective Innovation System, which converts innovation into tangible benefits, includes:
1. MINDFULNESS: Self-Awareness
a. Contextual Analysis
Complex realities create seemingly contradictory conclusions from different perspectives. What you see or hear may not reflect the truth. Contextual analysis enables objective assessment and avoids JBEG (Judgment Before Evidence Gathering). Problems cannot be solved at the level they occur. Comprehensive analysis is critical to identifying root causes, rather than judging issues based on symptoms.
b. Inspire Readiness for Change
Cultivating a positive, proactive mindset is key to unlocking mindsets and aligning personal motivations (WIIFM: What’s In It For Me). By understanding the two dimensions and four quadrants of Change Quotient (CQ), individuals assess their current state and learn to work "wisely."
2. AIM: Focus on Goals
a. Identify Core Breakthroughs
On a personal level, what do we seek in life? Happiness! The greatest value lies in bringing happiness to others—whether by saving time/effort, simplifying tasks, improving outcomes, accelerating work, boosting productivity, or inspiring positive change. These define innovation goals to solve customer problems or meet their needs.
3. INNOVATE: Drive Innovation
a. Develop New Ideas & Incubate Plans
Drawing on personal growth cases shared earlier, we introduce innovation thinking models—including three levels of innovation thinking (Figure 11) and the SMACER® Innovation Model & Thinking Tools. These apply to teams developing new concepts, strategies, markets, products, and services—enhancing competitive advantages, performance, productivity, revenue streams, cost efficiency, distribution channels, and market positioning.
4. NEXT STEPS ACTION: Execute Action Plans
a. Achieve Innovation Breakthroughs
Three critical steps to turn innovation into reality:
1. Blueprint development and phased execution.
2. Communicate your "innovation vision" to drive change.
3. Build support systems and advocacy networks.
b. Cultivate a "Continuous Improvement" Innovation Culture
Sustained growth requires embedding innovation culture into the organization. Beyond fostering mindsets and capabilities, create an environment that nurtures innovation—like growing an "innovation tree." The tree needs constant watering, fertilizing, and sunlight to thrive; so too does innovation.