Committed to Innovation

Bryan Yager in his article Time Management is NOT the Problem at cmoe.com suggests that a lack of focus ('strategic targets') is what keeps people from accomplishing what they want, not a lack of time.

Although strategic focus is certainly required there is another equally important aspect of commitment. We cannot try to fully address everything that comes into our lives and expect the most important things to get the attention they deserve.

For individuals with clear strategic focus this may mean giving up time with friends or 'relaxing' to hone a skill or complete a project. Or it may mean giving up time doing something they are passionate about to spend more time with friends and family. It all depends on where their focus is.

The same idea can be applied to business. Assuming there are a finite amount of resources available, any business truly committed to innovation must make a sacrifice of some sort in another area. At a bear minimum someone in the business is going to have to spend a little less time working 'in' the business and a little more time working 'on' the business. A larger sacrifice may mean parting ways with certain clients or projects to leave more time for innovation.

Most businesses will find success by committing a small amount of time each day to innovation and making it a priority. One successful strategy is to make sure you spend one hour a day, first thing in the morning, on developing and applying your strategic vision to your business. Let the normal barrage of calls, emails, and paperwork that pull at your attention take a back seat until your innovation time for the day is done. Over time the incremental changes you can bring about will have a huge impact on your business.

The bottom line goes back to the old saying - 'If you try to be all things to everyone you will be nothing to anyone.'