Innovation Resistance
When it comes to nurturing innovation, how important is it that a new idea encounters resistance? I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.
Wisnioski: Innovation is how one person convinces another person to do something.
Matt Wisnioski is an associate professor in the department of science, technology and society at Virginia Tech.
Wisnioski: Innovation is how a person convinces an investor to provide them with the money to spread their product or their idea. I think if that dialog does not include as many voices as possible, and in particular, doesn’t include the voices that are often not taken into account, then it will be less effective as a consequence.
When a new idea comes about, it’s going to encounter resistance. Either people will say, “I don’t need to use that because I have an existing solution that is better than that.” Or, “I don’t want to change.” If an innovation is fundamentally about change at its core, then asking people to change can be difficult.
Does resistance help an idea become better? Not always, but I think it’s an important aspect of how ideas come into the world. If you think something is just going to work straight away, you’re sorrily mistaken. Through that critical feedback, you can start to understand why people don’t like something, or why they do something the way that they do. Why a particular innovation is needed or not needed. innovation is about kind of constant reflection and adaptation. If you’re not taking that feedback from people who are resistant to an idea, then you’re likely to fail, and your product, your idea – whatever.
We’ll hear more on innovation in future programs. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.