Everyone an Innovator

One of the things that the United States Marine Corps is best known for, is creating professional rifleman. As a whole, the Marine Corps carries out the most effective riffle training, creating some of the most effective shooters. The biggest reason that Marines are so good with their riffle, is not only because they shoot accurately. It is because they are safe. Why are Marines so safe? It is because the Marine Corps has adopted the principle that everyone is a safety officer and can stop any exercise when they notice a potentially unsafe condition, without any fear of punishment or embarrassment. If that Marine saw something in error, no harm no foul. It is better to stop something potentially dangerous, just in case, rather than let something bad happen because you were to afraid to speak up.



Similar to the Marine Corps Riffle Range philosophy of "Every Marine a Safety Officer", Leadbeater discusses how users are the driving force in many innovations.  Businesses are all about sales, and sales are all about the consumer. By having a product that consumers want, sales will be made. In Leadbeater's (2005) Ted Talk, he explains how many things that are being sold successfully were created by the consumer, or user.


Instead of everyone collaborating and coming together for increased safety, Leadbeater explains many success stories where users collaborated to create innovative new products.

Leadbeater states that "Payoffs for innovations is the greatest where uncertainty is the highest" (2005). In his examples, is is described how something is invented, the inventor doesn't necessarily know what the invention can be used for... consumers get their hands on it, and it becomes very successful. For example, text messaging and mobile telephones. These technologies were invented and it was because of consumers using these products in unique ways. This also explains how phone  evolved into what they are now.

The more the uncertainty, the more innovation and use is needed. For this reason it is important for inventors and users to collaborate. Most creativity is cumulative and collaborative, and develops over a period of time. Leadbeater explains that "Big corporations have an in-built tendency of an reinforce past success", and find it difficult to find expanding new markets. (Leadbeater, 2005).

With this Ted Talk in mind, it is important to give everyone a voice and not have dedicated special people in charge of all innovation. It is important to provide a platform that allows not only employees, but also consumers to collaborate together with new ideas and solutions to problems. By adopting a philosophy of "everyone an innovator" you have greatly multiplied your productive resources, much like having everyone on a Marine Corp Rifle range looking out for safety.

In my Workplace, we pilots should collaborate more with customers in order to get new ideas. By offering a suggestion box, or having open meetings encouraging "off the wall ideas" can take the company in new directions.

Relating to an article referencing workplace health management, to relation to innovative climates, it is stated that "Innovative climates are vital for a company's economic success" and that "executives should focus more on improving the social processes in their organizations by having a positive influent on internal communication and social capital" (Kohler et al, 2010) Therefore not only does boosting creativity amongst  an organization help drive future sales and create potentially high grossing products, it also creates a better work place environment and more satisfied employees. By empowering employees to be creative and have the ability to collaborate with consumers, great things will happen.



Köhler, T., Janßen, C., Plath, S., Reese, J., Lay, J., & Steinhausen, S. et al. (2010). Communication, social capital and workplace health management as determinants of the innovative climate in German banks. International Journal Of Public Health, 55(6), 561-570. doi: 10.1007/s00038-010-0195-7

Leadbeater, C. (2005). The era of open innovation. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/charles_leadbeater_on_innovation?language=en