Innovating in a way that benefits everyone and preserves the planet is possible. To innovate is to innovate by placing oneself at the service of humanity, and not just the market. The principle ? Bringing businesses into a (new) era of “holistic progress” before the planet runs out of steam. Refreshing – and cross – reflection of an entrepreneur and a philosopher.
Why rethink the way you perceive innovation? “Real innovation consists of mobilizing collective intelligence around a project, which brings more to the company than the realization of the project itself,” write the authors of this work. Beyond innovating by moving status quo, the act of “disnovating” focuses (in addition) on the process as an end in itself. It is a desire to move away from the obsession with obtaining innovative results, whether these relate more to the product, the process, the organization or marketing.
The authors invite us to adopt a state of mind which allows us to mobilize the collective and which has a purpose other than “classic” innovation. “To the values of use, exchange and esteem, we must add a new one which takes precedence over all others: social and environmental utility, which contributes to the improvement of the structural conditions of life. »
A heritage vision
If innovation disrupts the established order, it does not erase the past or the short term. A key principle of this thinking is to prioritize sustainable development over rapid growth. The relationship with time is essential here. According to the authors, growth does not materialize over time, but is based on a succession of moments and decisions. Nature and human creations are therefore treasures to be protected. While capital aims for its sole growth, heritage is evaluated according to the environmental and human impact of innovation. This amounts to preferring the logic of transmission to that of replacing one product by another.
Frugality
To counter a certain short-term vision, we must start by getting rid of consumerism fueled by innovations that only serve to regenerate it. The solution ? Redirect production towards other purposes: the durability of products by thinking about preservation, maintenance, upkeep of existing products; the economy of resources in a world where they are limited; resilience by strengthening the capacity of systems to weather crises.
The “permabusiness”
In this logic of sustainability, companies are at the heart of system change. The authors highlight the characteristics of a “permaenterprise”. Organizations that put themselves in “perma” mode work to make ecosystems resilient, put themselves in a state of monitoring to identify field initiatives and improve things in place, put the user back at the center of the web environment, authorize version low tech of their activities rather than putting themselves at the service of high tech, learn to overcome crises by knowing how to take advantage of them and migrate towards activities better suited to the current global context. Ultimately, these companies are thinking about the future today!
*This article is published thanks to a partnership with the magazine Management HEC Montrealwhere it first appeared.
Innovate differently, disnovate! Collective intelligence at the service of real innovation
Mardaga Editions
205 pages