Automation makes the machine run smoother. Innovation changes where the machine is going.
Automation hunts for efficiency. It tries to do what we did yesterday, but faster and cheaper. It targets the transactional and trims overhead. It removes steps and reduces friction. When done well, it buys back time.
Automation is valuable work and the price of admission for any organization.
But efficiency alone won’t differentiate.
Innovation asks different questions. Harder questions. Where are we trying to take our customers next? What experience would make them rethink what’s possible with us?
Innovation seeks to create new value.
Innovation needs space, a space that promotes bold and creative thinking.
It might mean dedicating 20% of a team’s work to exploring customer problems without predetermined solutions.
Or creating quarterly “innovation days” where normal metrics don’t apply.
Or creating time in leadership meetings for “what if” conversations instead of only “what’s broken” discussions.
Leaders set the tone. They can focus solely on efficiency, or they can ask questions that point their organization toward innovation.
If your new system creates fewer clicks, fewer steps, and lower costs, you automated.
If you created a new customer journey or opened a new market category, you innovated.
Do both well and you reshape the game.
Automation keeps us strong today. Innovation makes us irreplaceable tomorrow.
Photo by Ben Soyka on Unsplash
Grandpa Bob Encouraging Leadership 