Innovation Defined

by Bill McHenry, President and CEO of Widgeteer, Inc.

in.no.va.tion (ine'vaSHen) noun: the action or process of innovating.

Synonyms: change, alteration, revolution, upheaval, transformation, metamorphosis, breakthrough. 

Everything that exists came from an idea. A seed that blossomed. A vision in the mind brought to life by will and determination in the heart to make that dream come true. From the simplest Widget to the Taj Mahal, it tak es INNOVATION to create it…to see ways of improving upon that which already exists.

Innovation seems to be the buzz word of our generation…and there's a good reason why. Read the definition. If we are not changing, altering, revolutionizing, up heaving, transforming, creating metamorphoses, and making breakthroughs, then we are stagnant and growth becomes stifled. We need to be innovating in order to be evolving.


Innovation doesn't require "reinventing the wheel." Improving, expanding and revising use innovative skills as well. Many of our everyday items are improved versions of products already in existence. A perfect example is the iPhone. All it takes is a shift in thinking. Practice this exercise...stand in front of almost anything (a wall of tools at the hardware store, a row of laptops at the electronic store, sit in your car and look around at everything, you get the point). Ask [...]