Innovation for the Fatigued

“What do you gain if your ‘innovations’ are all fluff? Aim for depth – your ideas can save the world, not just sell the next update.”

1. Innovation Fatigue and the Problem with Buzzwords

Corporate leaders are exhausted by the overuse of innovation jargon. The once thrilling word "innovation" now incites sighs as it often refers to underwhelming products like slightly different versions of what already exists. During an experiment, Alf Rehn delivered a nonsensical innovation speech filled with meaningless buzzwords to a leading tech company. It was met with interest and note-taking, exposing how organizations often mistake jargon for value.

The problem stems from the overuse and misuse of terms like "revolutionary" or "ground-breaking," which are applied to minor updates or underwhelming tweaks. Such language has dulled audiences, turning bold ideas into mechanical exercises in branding. With around 100 books on innovation published monthly, their formulas for success have become so predictable that even AI could write them.

This lack of real dialogue about innovation leaves companies like Rehn’s audience trapped in shallow thinking, rewarding meaningless performances over meaningful action. Leaders need to wake up to how these habits hinder true progress.

Examples

• Rehn's presentation used nonsense like “be the box you think outside of,” yet it impressed a tech audience.
• The term "revolutionary" is frequently used for minor changes in industries like food or tech (e.g., flavor tweaks or app updates).
• Corporate employees are losing interest in endless innovation talks as they fail to deliver substance.

2. Shallow Innovation vs. Deep Innovation

Most companies focus on shallow innovation, neglecting the deep, world-changing variety. Shallow innovation is about surface-level tweaks, like app add-ons or introducing new packaging, while deep innovation tackles systemic change, such as creating sustainable solutions.

Rehn observed this when asked to brainstorm ideas for a med-tech company. Their focus on flashy “disruptive” ideas, like in-app purchases for medical devices, missed their true purpose—saving lives. Their reliance on buzzwords produced superficial ideas without real-life impact.

Deep innovation prioritizes solving significant problems or creating something truly transformative. For example, tackling ocean waste or developing biodegradable products reflects deeper thinking – this is where the magic happens, not in the next minor gimmick.

Examples

• Shallow ideas for med-tech included in-app purchases for pacemakers.
• Deep innovation addresses urgent problems like cleaning plastic waste or making sustainable beauty products.
• A fixation on shallow branding blinds organizations to impactful possibilities.

3. Wasted Talent in Corporations

Many organizations squander their best creative assets by confining employees to meaningless roles and tasks. Talented workers often spend their time on trivial details instead of being encouraged to think or brainstorm big ideas.

The book "The Innovation Illusion" captures this reality: large teams routinely underperform because wasted human potential is directed toward small, dull tasks. Alf Rehn witnessed individuals at every paygrade with incredible untapped abilities, operating under models focused on bureaucracy rather than creativity.

By giving employees freedom to think deeply and solve real problems, companies can nurture smarter operations – but most fail. The tragedy here is that corporations invest in gifted workers only to trap them in stifling roles.

Examples

• Rehn found untapped creativity across company teams when consulting struggling businesses.
• Routine work like tweaking social media apps keeps workers from innovation.
• Jeffrey Hammerbacher lamented talented data scientists analyzing ad clicks rather than solving bigger issues.

4. AI Won’t Replace Human Innovation

AI improves efficiency in data-driven tasks but doesn’t replace human creativity. Machines follow programmed patterns and can’t take imaginative leaps. Real innovation often involves illogical ideas that break norms, a uniquely human strength.

Rehn shows us why relying on AI for innovation misses the point. Algorithms analyze and optimize existing systems but can’t dream of impossible concepts, like starting Airbnb without property holdings or imagining supersonic jets from scratch. This leap of imagination remains outside machine capability.

Yet too many corporate leaders prioritize streamlining current systems, running organizations as if they were algorithms rather than empowering human creative processes.

Examples

• AI uses existing data to make improvements but cannot originate concepts like space colonization.
• Algorithms can’t "think outside the box” like humans do when linking disparate ideas.
• Companies focused solely on optimization miss the spark of ground-breaking breakthroughs.

5. Psychological Safety Enables Innovation

Innovation thrives in workplaces where people feel psychologically safe to share ideas without judgment. Toxic company cultures of competitiveness or inter-departmental rivalries stifle progress.

Google’s "Project Aristotle" revealed that psychological safety, not strong leadership, is the core driver of high-performing teams. Workers need environments that encourage trust and honesty for ideas to emerge freely. Without it, employees stick to what's safe or stay silent.

Leaders must create nurturing workplaces where collaboration outweighs fear if they want their people to innovate boldly.

Examples

• Google discovered psychological safety improves team efficiency significantly.
• Friction in workplaces often blocks employees from expressing bold solutions.
• A culture of safety leads to open exchanges far more useful than "maverick" attitudes.

6. Diversity Fuels Better Problem-Solving

Without diversity, innovation is bound to reflect the same narrow outlooks. A concentrated demographic of "tech bros" leading the industry results in solutions aimed at their problems—like countless delivery apps or gaming accessories.

Rehn highlights forgotten innovators like Hedy Lamarr, who invented technology paving the way for WiFi, but was long overlooked. Marginalized voices, when included, expand the range of ideas and help industries confront broader societal challenges.

Diversity enhances problem-solving since different perspectives bring new lenses and solutions. Failure to incorporate varied voices narrows innovation’s reach.

Examples

• Tech calls for innovators like Hedy Lamarr, not just Elon Musk.
• Narrow demographics produce apps for pizza delivery but fail to address global inequalities.
• Expanded diversity within organizations raises unique problem-solving ideas.

7. Jargon Hides Meaninglessness

Meaning has been lost in corporate innovation conversations due to excessive jargon. Terms like "disruptive" and "maverick" seem important but often mask a lack of real strategy.

Rehn exposes examples, like a British consultant who preached contradictory ideas about destroying company foundations to drive innovation. These empty words don’t help organizations grow but drain employees' sense of purpose.

When companies fill their culture with meaningless buzzwords, productivity and job satisfaction suffer. Employees stuck in roles without higher meaning disengage, causing turnover and inefficiency.

Examples

• A consultant’s buzzwords wasted a retailer’s effort toward meaningful innovation.
• Gallup research shows only 15% of the global workforce feels engaged at work.
• Nonsensical concepts mask an absence of purposeful strategies.

8. Purpose Drives Real Progress

Organizations must base innovation on clear, actionable goals rather than trends or slogans. True purpose inspires both employees and customers, creating an environment that anticipates the unexpected.

Anti-Germ, for instance, went beyond its original food sanitation focus by developing Aquatabs – life-saving tablets for cleaning water in poor regions. This venture gave its mission unprecedented depth while motivating the workforce.

Purpose isn’t just morally enriching; it builds trust and unlocks opportunities previously inaccessible to aimless competitors.

Examples

• Anti-Germ’s investment in Aquatabs saved lives and enriched its mission.
• Clear goals give employees clarity and motivation, boosting creativity.
• Purposeful companies attract loyal customers who value mission-driven brands.

9. Innovation Requires Bold, World-Changing Goals

Superficial updates can't substitute for game-changing products that solve meaningful problems. Companies that aim higher attract better teams and create success stories.

Rehn emphasizes that corporate leaders should stop producing formulaic designs and think bigger—like finding ways to combat ocean pollution or eliminate global disease. Meaning springs from action and invention, not rhetoric.

Bold innovation transforms businesses from content manufacturers to active problem-solvers with lasting impacts.

Examples

• Start-ups cleaning plastic waste create lasting environmental change.
• Life-changing drugs prioritize health over market trends.
• Boldness redefines organizations as leaders, not followers.

Takeaways

1. Build workplace environments where everyone feels safe to express and explore ideas without fear of ridicule.
2. Shift focus from shallow, trendy updates to transformative projects that directly tackle pressing issues.
3. Strengthen diversity in innovation teams to harness a broader range of perspectives and targets.