Drucker P F
Claremont Graduate University, CA, USA.
Harv Bus Rev. 1998 Nov-Dec;76(6):149-57.
Some innovations spring from a flash of genius. But as Peter Drucker points out in this HBR Classic, most result from a conscious, purposeful search for opportunities. For managers seeking innovation, engaging in disciplined work is more important than having an entrepreneurial personality. Writing originally in the May-June 1985 issue, Drucker describes the major sources of opportunities for innovation. Within a company or industry, opportunities can be found in unexpected occurrences, incongruities of various kinds, process needs, or changes in an industry or market. Outside a company, opportunities arise from demographic changes, changes in perception, or new knowledge. These seven sources overlap, and the potential for innovation may well lie in more than one area at a time. Innovations based on new knowledge, of course, tend to have the greatest effect on the marketplace. But it often takes decades before the ideas are translated into actual products, processes, or services. The other sources of innovation are easier and simpler to handle, yet they still require managers to look beyond established practices. Drucker emphasizes that in seeking opportunities, innovators need to look for simple, focused solutions to real problems. The greatest praise an innovation can receive is for people to say, "This is obvious!" Grandiose ideas designed to revolutionize an industry rarely work. Innovation, like any other endeavor, takes talent, ingenuity, and knowledge. But Drucker cautions that if diligence, persistence, and commitment are lacking, companies are unlikely to succeed at the business of innovation.
有些创新源于灵光一闪。但正如彼得·德鲁克在这篇《哈佛商业评论》经典文章中所指出的，大多数创新源于对机会的有意识、有目的的探索。对于寻求创新的管理者来说，进行有条不紊的工作比拥有企业家特质更为重要。德鲁克最初在1985年5 - 6月号上发表的文章中，描述了创新机会的主要来源。在公司或行业内部，机会可能存在于意外事件、各类不协调之处、流程需求，或行业或市场的变化之中。在公司外部，机会则源于人口结构的变化、认知的改变或新知识。这七个来源相互重叠，创新潜力可能同时存在于多个领域。当然，基于新知识的创新往往对市场产生最大影响。但通常要过几十年，这些想法才会转化为实际的产品、流程或服务。其他创新来源更容易处理，但仍要求管理者超越既定的做法。德鲁克强调，在寻找机会时，创新者需要寻找针对实际问题的简单、专注的解决方案。一项创新能获得的最大赞誉是人们说：“这很明显！”旨在彻底改变一个行业的宏伟想法很少能成功。创新和其他任何努力一样，需要天赋、创造力和知识。但德鲁克告诫说，如果缺乏勤奋、坚持和投入，公司在创新业务上不太可能取得成功。
