No free lunch - it takes an effort

- Who would have believed in wireless communication across the Atlantic a hundred years ago? Today the challenge is the foresight of disruptive process and service improvements

Innovation doesn't triumph naturally, marketing professor at Insead, David Midgley claims in his book The Innovation Manual. To date, companies do not succeed in the development of ground-breaking innovations. One reason is that the need for technology innovations is being replaced by the need for service and process improvements. He argues that that innovation must start at top management level. But maybe most important of all - patience and time is necessary to reach positive end results. In addition to a proper balance between daily chores and the long-perspective planning for disruptive innovations to be carried through.

Dear David, you’ll love the our hospital’s perspective on innovation!  At present, our CEO is widely opening the doors – and corridors - for innovation. We have developed an innovation strategy that will presented in our first board meeting in 2011. Its vision and content would be a pleasure to read for the Insead professor – it actually contains the five steps his presents in his book The Innovation Manual:

1. An overall road map for innovation in our hospital
2. Attention to the significance of team selection
3. Innovation must be co-created with the end-users; our patients
4. Creating a culture for innovation – i.e. the necessity to adapt changes to improve services
5. Develop tools to reach out to employees, patients and decision-makers in health care with innovative changes. (We’ll tell you more about the innovation-gym we have in mind for our employees later..... )

Do you want to read more? See our main newpaper Aftenposten of today or the Danish journal Ledelse:  http://www.lederne.dk/ledelseidag/Artikler/Seogeftermndogaar/2011/nr1januar/femskridttilvellykketinnovation.htm  - Kari K