Innovation is all about turning opportunities into ideas and then forming those ideas into a plan can disrupt the industry or market you’re in. Coming up with an idea isn’t the hard part, coming up with an idea that can challenge the boundaries that most people are working under is and there are a few big obstacles that like to get in the way of making those ideas happen.
1. A lack of focus and an abundance of stress – You can’t really think about what you need to think about when you can’t stop thinking about everything else. That may sound redundant, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. You need to be calm and collected enough to see the light at the end of the idea tunnel so you know exactly what to do to get there. Otherwise you end up thinking yourself into a labyrinth with no exit.
2. Tunnel vision on one product or service can limit your potential – You really need to look at your business, your industry, and the world from a holistic perspective. If you are only focussed on your new widget you won’t be able to think about how your widget can make a bigger dent in the bigger picture.
3. Assuming that your idea isn’t good enough or isn’t needed is a great way to waste your brilliance – If you ever hear a company say, “We don’t need any more ideas,” you are talking to a company with a dimly lit future that’s fading fast. You really do need to take the time to remove the ideas from your head and figure out what potential they really have. If you aren’t going to dedicate the time and energy it takes to do that, you mine as well stop trying.
