Setting a Pace for Innovation

One way is to look at how much "newness" is involved - from incremental small steps to radical leaps forward.

In order to manage the process of making innovations happen, it is important to understand the different ways in which change can be categorized. In this field it is not a case of "one size fits all" -- you need to tailor your approach. One way is to look at how much "newness" is involved - from incremental small steps to radical leaps forward.

The French company Bic introduced the Crystal ballpoint pen in 1951, and it is still going strong today. It's gone through all kinds of incremental improvement -- in the ink formulation, in the ball point, in the plastic used, in the ways in which it is manufactured -- but it is still the same old design. And it still does very well -- sales are around 14 million pens per day. In 2002, Bic sold its 100 billionth pen -- enough to cover 40 times the distance from Earth to the Moon, lined up end to end.

ACTION POINT: Look for incremental ways to begin the innovation process.