Joy is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. Many things can prevent us from enjoying our lives and our work. Finding ways to deal with these challenges is crucial, so they don't take away our happiness. Innovation is all about creating new things and solving problems.

Being a part of successful innovation adds joy to your life. That joy has motivated me for 40 years of my career in innovation. It can be gratifying if you're able to make a difference in the world through innovation. 

 What Brought Me Joy of Innovation

 In 1986, I led the development of one of the first biometric security devices, a fingerprint reader for a company called ThumbScan. Eventually, a company out of Stockholm acquired ThumbScan. Delivering something nobody thought could ever invent excited me and made me want to repeat it.

Next, I worked on a supercomputer project at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. There was a researcher that had developed the concept of massively parallel supercomputers. The processing architecture was called MISC, which drove a lot of interest when we developed it. Ultimately, it got acquired by Atmel. It was exciting to see something we'd worked on for so long and so hard become real. The excitement gave others also brought me joy. Again, this joy motivated me to continue the process.  

 Finding Joy of Innovation At Work

Many things can take the joy out of innovation. While finding joy in your work is hard, making a few changes in your mindset is possible. Here are a few tips that I've applied over my career:

1. Make a list of things you love at your job

A list can help you remember why you chose this career in the first place

2. Set small goals for yourself and celebrate when you reach them

Goals can help give you a sense of accomplishment rather than waiting for the big win. I believe in utilizing Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).

3. Find a mentor or role model who loves their work

A mentor can give you a different perspective and encourage you

4. Take a break when you're feeling overwhelmed

Breaks can help you clear your head and come back to your work refreshed

5. Talk to your friends and family about your work.

Get those close friends and families who will tell you the truth and have your back when you need them. 

Innovating with Nanobots - What You Need to Know S18 Ep21

Process innovation is the implementation of new or significantly improved processes to achieve tangible outcomes. There are two types of processes: operational and managerial. Operational processes seek to improve efficiency through streamlining activities and eliminating production waste. Managerial processes strive to enhance the effectiveness of a process by improving coordination and decision-making. Redesigning the process’s structure or improving its activities can help in both process types.

Increasing departmental collaboration, creating a culture of experimentation, and utilizing data analytics help improve it. Constantly monitoring and refining an innovation process ensures businesses are always at the forefront of market trends and can create successful products.

Why is Process Innovation Challenging?

Process innovation involves change, which people don’t typically like. It also requires a clear understanding of the process and areas of improvement. To achieve this, try breaking down the process into small parts, diagraming it, reordering it, or seeking help from an expert such as Techtrend. An implementation plan is needed to implement a business process innovation successfully.

5 Benefits of Process Innovation

1.     Reduced waste and costs

Businesses can reduce waste by developing new methods or technologies to carry out activities more effectively.

2.     Improved efficiency

Process innovation allows organizations to carry out activities more effectively, which reduces the time required to complete those activities.

3.     Increased production capacity

The creation of more efficient processes can result in higher work handling. 

4.     More affordable products or services

Increasing efficiency can lead to lower costs and passed on to consumers at lower prices.

5.     Greater customer satisfaction

When products or services meet the customer’s needs, customer satisfaction and loyalty also increase.

Example: The Ford Assembly Line

The Ford assembly line increased efficiency and allowed for mass production. It also helped to reduce the cost of manufacturing cars, making them more affordable for consumers. Some call this a product and process innovation in a highly competitive business environment.

Chunka is passionate about changing the world by thinking through future problems. He loves to ponder what is possible in the future, given the exponential growth we are experiencing now. As innovators, we forget to consider our innovations' unintended consequences.   

Chunka says innovators also don't think enough about the intended consequences. His latest book, A Brief History of a Perfect Future, asks what would be crazy not to have, given the current capabilities. It goes on to share how society can work to design a better future intentionally. It's a different way to look at how we innovate, not just for social good but for business good as well. 

A Brief History of a Perfect Future

Much of Chunka's new book is helping people think outside of the box. The book does a great job of actively motivating people to think differently to make a better future. We have incredible tools that act as amplifiers to our choices. Advanced solar and renewable energy, transportation, etc., act as building blocks. We can use these capabilities to help with problems such as healthcare and poverty. So much more can be done, but it all starts with a long-term mindset. 

Pressing Problems

According to Chunka, the climate is one of the most pressing issues. With the available capabilities, it would be crazy if we didn't mitigate the worst effects of climate change by 2050. To do this will require a combination of individual, corporate, and government action. 

How You Can Make a Difference

Leaders can look for business opportunities that address long-term problems. Consumers can make an impact through what they buy and don't buy. Investors can enable companies to make significant impacts. Employees can bring their talent to impactful organizations. We can all play an active role in designing a perfect future where real change happens. Aim for the future and treat it as an opportunity. 

About our Guest: Chunka Mui

Chunka Mui is a popular guest speaker, futurist, and innovation advisor. He is the author of 5 books on strategy and innovation, including, most recently, "A Brief History of a Perfect Future: Inventing the World We Can Proudly Leave Our Kids by 2050."

Check out Chunka's Linkedin here and his website here.