The Chaos factor

In a good way. Tornado's can be destructive, but from that destruction comes potential. Breaking something isn't bad as long as you rebuild something better. AND, better is always better than not better.

So here are five tips on how to be better by being innovative.



1. Source your inspiration from your consumers. Why would an executive know more about what the customer wants than the customer him/herself?

2. Allow for constant, spontaneous consumer involvement. Judge not your consumer by the thickness of their wallet, but by the content of their contribution and desire for that contribution to be completely on their terms.

3. Let your key innovation driver be a deep understanding of your consumer needs. The more you deliver on those consumer needs, the more the consumer needs you. It’s not that hard really, is it?
4. Your toolbox should be packed full of dialogue tools to reach out to your consumer. Email. forums, blogs, smart POS and other forms of dialogue media are the new combine tractors harvesting the fields of innovation.

5. Your process to innovation should be controlled chaos. Straight and narrow process will deliver straight and narrow innovation. Open up your process to a little structured chaos, and a universe of potential is unleashed

And what type of activities can get you in trouble and make an uninnovative enviornment? Funny you should ask, I will tell you.


1. Is the executive team the main source of inspiration for your company’s innovation?
2. Is customer involvement in innovation structured?
3. Are your key innovation drivers your products and current assets?
4. Does your innovation toolbox primarily contain surveys, storyboards and focus groups?
5. Is your process to innovation a linear structured one?

Be better.