Week 1 Down - Innovation Now That's New, is it?
A 'Frank' look at how we got here!
Evening All,
After the first few days of DCU's Ryan Academy course on Innovation it is inherently apparent that even after years of work and study, my perceptions of Project Management, Innovation and after today even Evolution have been shattered. It has been revealed today by Frank Munnelly's distinct view and enlightening outlook on Innovation that in fact nothing can be considered new anymore it is but a reincarnation of that which already exists. Confused? I am! But then we should be or so we have been told.
I have a feeling already that perceptions will be destroyed and that the 'fundamentalists' will be rooted out by Frank's powerful views on Innovation and the practicalities of Innovative thinking. While our effervescent Academic Director Geraldine Lavin provided an 'Apprentice' feel to her inaugural proceedings where teams were created, managed and observed for their creative brilliance on a project more vague than that of the E-Voting machines (although I feel we may have accomplished more in less time and spending but a minute fraction of the cash), and like the E-Voting debacle in the end no one was wrong and certainly nobody was fired!
And that is where the early confusion, frustration and attempts at understanding have come unstuck by the (plus 35 - Thanks Frank) class of 2012/13 in the Business Innovation Programme, Innovation in and of itself is quite vague & up for interpretation! Despite David Staunton's excellent personally preferred definition of the concept of Innovation in Tuesday afternoons session it is inherently apparent that the brilliant minds of our day and that of the recent past have failed (somewhat) to come together on an overarching, all encompassing definition of 'What Is Innovation?', that they all can agree on! It's creativity - no it's not, sort of! It's invention, not really but kinda! It's Change - Yes & No! It's being New, but not!
It's early days and this immature student is far from getting weary of the debate, interaction and questions posed by the course. In fact I would come back Thursday to continue to digest opinion and shatter perceptions but I fear the flame doth burn too brightly and thus too quick and I must temper my enthusiasm and hunger for my innovation fix until Monday hence!
I share the above musings with you all as a way to review my first few days experience. As most of us returned to the classroom for the the first time in quite some time, it was obvious the nerves, trepidation and anxiousness throughout the class, which is of no surprise. Our BIP team however led by the beaming smile of Anne Marie Scott made sure that everyone was welcome and settled in neatly, it reminded me of my time in Junior Infants in primary school. All we have to make sure now is that we all play nice, for my part I will post intermittent musings and observations here weekly and also through my Twitter Account throughout the course or until I am silenced by the powers that be for the careless, sarcastic and sometimes caustic spin put on events over the term.
Until my next bout of verbal diarrhea,
A BLIPPING STUDENT
