In a geo-political and socio-economic environment such as ours, in which the industrial and business environment requires liquid managers with the ability to make decisions that adapt to the environment like water to the container that holds it, in which unlearning and relearning is worth more than the knowledge acquired so far, in which action plans must consider exploitation and exploration activities at the same level of importance. In this fast-paced world, the rest of agents in the innovation ecosystem -technology centres and research agents, public administrations, and society-, need to introduce routine actions that balance the objective risk-return ratio for each entity. Routine actions repeated by each one of them, reinforcing the role of each one of them. The role of each agent is a subject I dealt with in the post “Every stick hold its own”
We need routines that reduce the level of uncertainty in the environment in which we move, routines that allow us to make quick decisions with the addequate risk to the rentability we want to achieve, routines that respond to how, what, who, where and why of each value proposition.
These routines begin in the formation of universities, where the seed must be sown so that the routines begin to take root and the ecosystem allows it to grow in fertile soil and reproduce itself and leave a legacy.
These routines, although they may seem antonyms of innovation because of their repetitive and predictable nature, are in in fact the pillars that support the possibility of exploring the unknown. In a dynamic innovation ecosystem, routines are not simply inert habits; they are the scaffolding that allows us to experiment, learn and evolve with purpose. Like the musician who rehearses the same scales day after day to improvise masterfully in concert, routines in innovation are the disciplined rehearsal that precedes disruptive genius.
“Routines in innovation are the disciplined rehearsal that precedes disruptive genius”
In this context, routines should not be confused with rigidity. Rather, they are organisational patterns that provide stability without sacrificing the flexibility needed to adapt to change. For example, design thinking processes or agile methodologies, while structured, leave room for creativity and iteration. These practices demonstrate that innovation doesn´t emerge from absolute chaos, but from a balance between order and freedom.
In addition, routines play a crucial role in knowledge transfer. Universities and technology centres, especially, can structure training programmes for individuals and companies, as well as collaborative projects as the request of CIOS (Chief Information Officer) that turn exploration activity into practical and scalable aplications in a systematic way. In this sense, the routine becomes the mechanism that facilitates the cross-fertilisation of ideas and the market.
On the other hand, in a world that demands quick responses and effecetive solutions, routines help to reduce the friction between creativity and implementation. These routines not only clarify the steps needed to execute an idea by answering to how, what, who, where and why, but also align all actors involved, from companies and public administrations to researchers and technologists, in a common direction.
The key lies in designing routines that encourage continuous learning and systematic experimentation. This means unlearning what no longer works and developing new habits that incorporate diversity, technology and sustainability as core principles. In this way, the innovation ecosystem will be consistent with its purpose and will not only be able to adapt to the challenges of the present, but also to anticipate the opportunities of the future.
Ultimately, routines in innovation are not an end in themselves, but the means to generate sustainable impact. Routines reinforce the role of each agent, balance the risk-return trade-off and promote the establishment of a culture of collaboration and growth. These repetitive practices become the engine that drives transformational change. Because, paradoxically, true innovation is born of constancy: the constancy to do, to try, to fail and to try again.
Innovate for you, innovate for me, innovate for all of us.
- Routines - 17 January 2025
- Every stick hold its own - 22 November 2024
- Lotus flower - 20 September 2024