Time plays a surprisingly important role in innovation, both as an enabler and as a shaper of the process and its outcomes. For example, the early development of reliable timepieces allowed accurate navigation which opened up the possibilities of global trade; without that the whole Industrial Revolution might have been a much smaller affair because the 'workshop of the world' would only have been able to trade in local markets.
Or the role played by time-and-motion studies which underpinned the development and spread of mass production as a model for manufacturing and service organizations during the early 20th century. The focus on saving wasted time also provided a key input to the development of 'lean thinking' which has had a huge impact on productivity.
But we shouldn't be too preoccupied with saving time; sometimes we need to spend a little more of it to enable good ideas to emerge and flourish. That's a lesson which organizations like 3M and Google have learned to their advantage - giving people time and space is a key innovation enabler.
This podcast explores the key role which time plays in thinking about and working with innovation.
You can find a transcript here
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