Characteristics of Innovation: Identifying and Prioritizing What You Value Most

Innovation means many things to many industries, yet research shows us there are common qualities that pervade true innovation. Compiling those characteristics helps us acknowledge what we’re looking for so we can focus on and measure what matters most to our organization or to a specific project.

As stated in my earlier post, The “What’s Innovative?” Debate: Try Using First, Best, and Only, defining innovation is nearly impossible. It’s something so conceptual that it’s hard to make it tangible, aside from products or space designs, which are easier to comprehend.

I create frameworks and tools to build common understanding because it alleviates disagreements around what is and what isn’t innovative. By way of these tools, teams and individuals are better able to identify and agree upon innovation when they see it or perform it.

Why I created this tool

The following tool is a list I compiled called Characteristics of Innovation. I designed it to help people:

• build a common vocabulary around universal traits of innovation
• have a quick reference guide of innovation characteristics
• determine the qualities of innovation that resonate with them compared to their team or department
• prioritize which aspects of innovation really matter or need to be measured for outcomes

Using this Tool

While you can use this resource any way you like, I recommend using it to: a) find personal core values around innovation, and b) drive critical discussions on teams around core values of innovation.

(FYI: This is a great team building and icebreaker activity).

TIME TO COMPLETE: 10–15 minutes

Step One: Print one copy per person. Silently, have each person read through the list and circle the top 15 characteristics that they value most in innovation. Don’t tell people the next step until they have completed choosing.

Step Two: From the 15 they circled, ask them to eliminate 8 so that they are now left with 7 characteristics that they value most. Again, wait for them to finish this step.

Step Three: From the 7, ask them to narrow it down to the final 3 characteristics that they value most.

Step Four: Open the activity to conversation. Perhaps, go around the room and have each person share their top three and why they chose them. Or, have people list them on one chart paper and place stars next to the ones that get repeated. The goal is to compare and contrast, looking for areas of overlap and areas of divide.

If there is a wide range of characteristics selected, discuss why that might be, and if there is a lot of agreement, also discuss why that might be. Regardless of the conversation, you will gain insights in terms of your common values. This can also aid prioritizing which characteristics are the most important or most necessary for you or your team to focus on.