THREE TYPES OF
PERSONAL INNOVATION Tara Chloe Dusanj Innovation is change, but it is a special kind of change that brings you to a new level in life. To have truly innovated, one must upgrade their current situation into something better. Innovation is personal evolvement. One equation for innovation is: ideas + transformation = innovation. It’s an intentional form of evolution and a positive progressive personal shift. Innovation can be described in several contexts, three of which are incremental, radical, and architectural. Incremental innovation is on-going and continuous. Think of this as the life-long barometer of your existence that keeps track of each progression you make in your life. This is like your life’s timeline of innovation, and it builds off what you’ve already accomplished and who you already are. Incremental improvement is calculated over time. Think of this like learning a sport or being part of a school play. A sport may teach you to have more control over your movements so you are less clumsy, while the school play may improve your public speaking and make you more confident. Radical innovation is the opposite of incremental innovation; it requires that you directly do something different in your life to see a real change. Something new or a big leap of faith could put you in a better position. Radical innovation could be seen in one’s decision to go to BCIT. By making a big scholastic move, the individual is hoping for a promotion, or to move to an exciting new career.
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Architectural innovation is redesigning the situation while working with what you currently have. Think of this like mapping out your desires and outcomes and working to build them differently so that you reach success, or reorganiz-
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ing your thoughts so that they serve your needs. For example, many of us struggle with getting our assignments done in a way that does not result in stress. Applying architectural innovation might look like designing your study schedule at the beginning of the semester in a way that allows you to always be prepared for each class and assignment, as well as allow you to take care of yourself whether that means more sleep sleep, more time for a personal life, or better care of your health. We can grow and develop in a number of ways. Some people prefer to grow in small ways, iterating over time. Other people seek out radical and disruptive growth, and want to see immediate results. Either way, innovation is something people do in their own way on their own terms. In the words of Einstein: “we can not solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Innovation enables us to change the course of something that is not working. It is the journey of mastering your strengths, resources, and weaknesses and applying that information to devise an idea that will measurably improve our lives. Becoming a champion of this process gives anyone the power to change themselves and change the world.
