Bruce Nussbaum, Business Week's "Innovation Guru," once again shows his lack of true understanding for the core concepts of innovation and innovation management with his article, "Innovation" Is Dead. Herald the Birth of "Transformation" as the Key Concept for 2009.

In the article he writes:

"“Innovation” died in 2008, killed off by overuse, misuse, narrowness, incrementalism and failure to evolve. It was done in by CEOs, consultants, marketeers, advertisers and business journalists who degraded and devalued the idea by conflating it with change, technology, design, globalization, trendiness, and anything “new.” It was done it by an obsession with measurement, metrics and math and a demand for predictability in an unpredictable world."

He then goes on at great length to describe why the word "transformation" is suddenly more appropriate in today's business climate.  Sadly, it once again shows that people who spend more time talking about a subject, rather than working within it, will often find themselves experts of nothing.

Innovation management, or the set of processes, best/next practices, tools, techniques, models, etc. is extremely successful where deployed with an appropriate amount of resources, leadership attention and supportive climate.  Where innovation is treated as a true business discipline, completely and seamlessly embedded within the daily operation of the organization, rather than some "one off" meeting or cheerleading event, it provides for remarkable growth and competitive advantage.  I wish I had a dollar for every time I've said this, but...innovation and innovation management is no different than marketing, sales, finance, HR, etc. within an organization.  It is a growth focused business discipline...just like R&D, New Product/Service Development, Strategy, etc.

I am, however, going to agree with part of what Mr. Nussbaum believes...and that is that the "selling of innovation" became more important than the "implementation of innovation."  It was oversold and overpromised by "CEOs, consultants, marketeers, advertisers and business journalists" just as those same people oversold and overpromised Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, Green, Design, etc., and just as those same people will jump ahead and oversell and overpromise "Transformation."

Innovation is not dead...never will be.  It has, however, lost its "superstar" status as part of the buzzword bingo game, and that's a good thing.  Now the rest of us who are serious about providing real value to organizations through disciplined growth programs focused on innovation can get back to work in peace.