“What’s innovative?”Anything that’s First, Best, or Only

Many things are called innovations, so how can we tell whether or not something actually is?

Innovation is a term that has become ubiquitous to the point where it oftentimes feels meaningless or inauthentic to both employees and customers. People are skeptical around the use of this word because best practice or mere improvements are routinely touted as “innovations” when we know they’re not.

To avoid this trap, I’ve started using a simple framework I call “First, Best, or Only” This rule of thumb quickly squelches claims and shines light on what is innovative versus what is good practice or a nice idea. I use it with groups to flip the “aha” switch on and drive more universal understanding of what is and what is not innovative.

Origin of First, Best, and Only

I discovered the First, Best, and Only strategy when I was sitting through a presentation by a consultant. I was in a room full of senior staff, and the consultant asked us to reflect upon what made our organization unique. “When you approach donors,” she asked, “what do you tell them makes this organization great?” People popcorned out standard facts and figures, things you see on websites and brochures, and she listed them on the whiteboard.

As we read the list, it was noticeable that we were struggling. Not only were we weak in calling out our greatest strengths, but the items we listed didn’t sound too different from those of our competitors. Our list was lackluster and obviously didn’t reflect our greatness.

The consultant prodded us to continue, “C’mon, where are you the first, best, or only at something?” and with that remark, the room lit up. People started calling out amazing discoveries, inventions, programs, and other accolades. Suddenly, our list had teeth.

Since then, I’ve noticed strong results from the First, Best, and Only strategy because it resonates. It’s easy to understand, and people quickly digest it.

How to use “First, Best, and Only” to Determine If Something is Innovative

Simply ask yourself or a group: “Is (thing X) the first, best, or only? How do I know?”

If something is the first, the best (or one of the top 10 or top 20), or the only, then there’s a high probability that it’s innovative since, by definition, innovations are novelties or one-(or a few)-of-a-kind. This protocol can be applied to both internal or external innovations, as well as to incremental through disruptive innovations.

NOTE: This framework does not take into account if a thing has value or really matters to the world. Innovation and impact are not synonymous in this tool.

As you use this framework, play around with the scope of comparison. For instance, are you comparing yourself to other departments, others in your industry, within a specific geographic region, or within a certain period of time? Define your filters to get clarity of scope. I recommend that you start wide (on a national or international scale), and then apply filters to find other kinds of innovation examples within your company.

Clarifying First, Best, and Only

Firsts: These are time-based. The most obvious are first to market, but it can also be when your first website went live or the release of your first newsletter. It’s easiest to track these down by looking at historical records, archives, institutional artifacts, or interviews with current or former employees.

Bests: These can be drawn from rankings or reports. It’s awesome to be number 1 or number 2, but what does “best” means to your organization? Maybe being in the top 10 is good enough, or even top 20 depending on how steep your competition is.

Onlys: These are where you’re one-of-a-kind. You are the only one creating, serving, or doing this thing. It could be the only one in your market or industry, or it could mean in the state, country, or world.