Just graduated in engineering I was lucky enough to start working for a small company in the electronics industry. Those were the times when the first microprocessor (the legendary Z80) peeking tabs of professional electronic equipment and the company with whom I contacted wanted to move in that direction (with my modest contribution and enthusiasm) and take the first steps to the world of microprocessor systems and programming firmware.
was my first taste of what it means to “innovate“, rethink traditional approaches trying to use the technologies of the future to remain competitive on the market. Yes, because trying along unknown territories is inevitable make a mistake path, go back and try again until you find the right path.
The engineer I worked for about a year at the beginning of my professional career, now more than twenty-five years ago, I was inse-nated to follow these territories, to analyze the defeats, to rethink the problems differently and original to find new solutions. He taught me to find the right roads and many other things that then I served in other areas and at other times. And I appreciated his advice, perhaps the most important, when he told me: “it is time that you see the world, that of large companies, major projects.”
Why, to innovate, you have to know the world, to know what others are doing and build on continuously improve and innovate!
that’s when I started my work as a consultant, and I have traveled the world as it was recommended, I learned so much, I met people from very different cultures and varied in international environments of all kinds.
Of course I talk about innovation in a large company is different.
The first thing that I think I learned in a large international company like Accenture is the “design methodology“, unique and rather rigid, precise in every detail, but it helps you find your way to be productive with high standards of quality in a short time .
A methodology based on two axioms: “Do It Right” and “Do It Right the First Time“, that’ll teach you to do things, to do them well, but is not allowed to make mistakes and, if it happens, is a serious problem. I enjoyed the methodology and find it indispensable in contexts of large companies, especially if they have to work with people with different cultures and training the most diverse, but I also believe that innovation is the opposite of this, is to have the opportunity to make a mistake, try again, try and find new ways and, unfortunately, not to be so productive and efficient at the present.
that is why, perhaps, that I decided to make innovation with Emilio and his Management Innovation, which to explore new roads is allowed and appreciated, sometimes you’re wrong and you try again, but always with a clear idea as to which is the ultimate goal and the goal to reach.
Obviously “innovate” is not simple nor trivial, you are likely to get lost in a thousand streams of innovative ideas that fouls-scono why do not reach the objec-tive that is most important to mile-rare our lives everyday. And now returns useful the possibility to use a “methodology” to innovate, not so rigid and restrictive as that required to conduct a traditional project (I think of the great projects of computer systems for example) but that addresses the efforts and errors to achieve an innovative product or service accepted by the market.
Looking at the many projects completed in recent years from MAIN and talking with Emilio I persuaded by his enthusiasm in tackling new problems and turn them into opportunities to do new things and appreciated by the “business community“.
I think this is the right way to overcome the difficult times in which we find ourselves: innovation built on a foundation of solid management experience and openness to the world of Research and University.
Thanks Emilio and we hope to continue to grow over the winding streets MAIN innovation.
