Can innovation be cultivated in an employee? We believe it can and innovation-as-a-skill makes it possible. Let’s define what we mean by this concept. First, a skill is the learned ability to carry out a task with pre-determined results often within a given amount of time, energy or both.[1] Second, innovation is a new idea, a more effective device or process. It can be viewed as the application of better solutions.[2] When you break it down to its simplest form, innovation-as-a-skill is a learned ability to apply better solutions.

Here are 7 fundamentals of Innovation-as-a-Skill:

1. Co-creation – bringing different parties together in order to jointly produce a mutually valued outcome
2. Continuous Engagement through Iterative Prototyping – working with customers or stakeholders to advance solutions by creating, testing, analyzing, learning and continuously evolving
3. Confidence – trusting in oneself and abilities
4. Empathy — the ability to understand and share the feelings of another
5. Acceptance of Impermanence – consenting that nothing is permanent and things are constantly changing
6. Fear Management — a process to control one’s reaction to uncertainty
7. Solutions-oriented Attitude – Belief that there are possible solutions to a problem

48 Innovate cultivates these fundamentals within employees and helps them create successful value-generating plans for organizations in less than 48 hours. We have brought $280M in impact to our clients, which provides quantifiable proof that this platform develops innovation-as-a-skill that delivers REAL value for organizations.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skill

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation

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K. Melissa Kennedy

Chief Innovation Officer, Founder, Intrapreneur. Entrepreneur. Enthusiastic leader and speaker. Teller of truths at 48 Innovate

I spent many years working for and building successful companies. I parlayed that experience into a unique process for harnessing hidden assets inside organizations and turning them into big-idea-generating, $1-billion-revenue-producing resources. (Spoiler alert: it’s the people.) I'm an internationally acclaimed expert, happy to share the not-so-secrets that have led to impressive outcomes for Fortune 100 corporations, major educational institutions, start-up companies and entrepreneurs. Working with companies like Cisco, Lancope, Arby's, Capitol Broadcasting Company New Media - WRAL, PRSONAS, Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog, REVO Communications, Erno Group, Focus Carolina, Madan Global, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, INZONE Brands, Albright Digital, Spring Metrics and NC State Kenan Fellows.

Latest posts by K. Melissa Kennedy (see all)

• Speak Up or Quiet Down – Your Innovation Challenge – Best of The Weekly Zing - December 28, 2018
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