Introduction

The innovation management course journey has been surreal, a deep insight into how innovation can help or deliver an organization, team, or individual. With every tool, theory, and framework I learned through the course, I came to a better understanding of how to disrupt stagnancy and promote innovation. Looking back, I feel that this course has added more perspective to the discipline of innovation management and helped me understand a bit better about myself as well as my professional aspirations.

Discussion

Learning about Innovation in Organisations

The multi-dimensional nature of innovation was one of the key themes that I picked up on. In the early parts of the course, I took a look at how innovation works at large scales from team dynamics and the individual to the organization and how it operates. This would be important as it implied that innovation does not necessarily occur within the high strategy levels, it can occur, step by step in small amounts. It was through the activities related to innovation at the individual and team level that I gained some insight into how a culture of openness and collaboration can create a spark for creative solutions. I learned about different types of innovation, or more precisely disruptive and incremental innovation through the lens of innovation processes and typologies. This was valuable content because it made me rethink of innovation as the grand idea versus the spectrum of possibilities. More specifically, disruptive innovation intrigued me as I learned that disruptive ideas come from simple solutions (Allal-Chrif, Climent & Berenguer 2022).

Learning and Applying Design Thinking Tools/Approaches

One of the experiences that was impactful during the course was the engagement with design thinking tools. Midway through the course, I began to use this approach as a large step in my learning. The problem-solving process described by design thinking is empathy, ideation, prototyping and testing, iteratively. I think this framework was really practical, especially in team-based scenarios. In a group, we then went and prototyped an idea to solve a real-world problem, at that point I realized the value of rapid experimentation and feedback. Design thinking gave me the hands-on approach that helped make me more comfortable with failing and realise that it does not have to be a setback or deter your idea but instead, a necessary part of the process to refine what you want to create. Being able to know all that was so empowering, and I have used this approach to problem-solving ever since the course. I am using this iterative process for example in my current work when I am brainstorming to solve projects, to involve group/team members as much as possible and being able to get some insights.

Insights on Contemporary Trends in Innovation

Another key theme was how to make sense of contemporary trends in innovation. We looked at how modern businesses are changing, especially due to the increase in digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and globalization. I admit this portion of the course helped me understand innovation as less of a reactionary swing and more of a proactive practice that could propel an organization forward of the curve. In addition, it highlighted how contemporary trends are also increasing focus on how ethics and sustainability are factored into innovation decisions. For this reason, this was very relevant to my career goals because I want to work in environments where innovation and sustainability intersect. The case studies discussed in the course shed light on the need to find the right balance between an incessant drive for innovation and an ethical responsibility.

Learning about Prototyping and Pitching Ideas

An innovation can be pitched only if you have the valuable skill to be able to present the concept to a variety of stakeholders. I also found the course useful, in that it gave me opportunities to hone these skills by doing mock pitches where I got feedback on my pitch and practising how to make my pitch better. On the other hand, prototyping was about testing and iterating ideas, a new line of thought for me. The main takeaway from all of this has been that prototyping is not all about perfection, it's about proving concepts in a practical, low-risk manner (Paust, Korsgaard and Thrane 2024). This learning outcome helped shift the way I approach new projects, since now rather than mere inspiration, I aim to make rough versions of ideas and get feedback early. I later applied this too in my work: to introduce new ideas in team meetings, thus creating a culture of continuous improvement.

Overall Learning Outcomes from the Course

Reflecting on this course, I can say that the lessons learned have impacted me both personally, and will impact me professionally as well. Ive also picked up a toolkit of frameworks and methodologies that I intend to learn about more in the future and apply in my career roles. The design thinking process and innovation management frameworks help me keenly solve complex problems and maintain teams towards innovative solutions. From a personal perspective, the course has made me see challenges differently now. I transform from problems being obstacles, to being opportunities for creativity and innovation. Prototyping and the idea of testing, failing, testing and failing has become a central part of how I will approach personal projects. However, ethical considerations discussed in this course have been motivating me to think more critically about how my decisions and actions can affect people.

Conclusion

The innovation management course broadens my understanding of innovation both as a discipline and as a mindset. Having straddled both sides of the divide, I feel that I have gained considerable insights through both practical activities and theoretical frameworks and case studies into how innovation operates at different levels, from individual creativity to organisational strategy. This experience gave me a stick to beat the problem with, and now I can tackle it with anew perspective: experimentation, collaboration, and sustainability. I am excited to continue on the path of innovation and in my career, even more, as I learn, apply and create through innovation to positively impact the world.

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