Does Processes Kill Innovation?

Do Processes Kill Innovation?

Innovation is a change in the thought process for doing something or “new stuff that is made useful”.

Process describes the act of taking something through an established and usually routine set of procedures to convert it from one form to another.

When the mankind created Fire, we had no process, which was the first Innovation! Telephone, television, car seat-belt, air-plane, jeans, chewing-gum are just few of the innovative creations which are integral part of our life today.

Innovation, by its very definition, violates process. It is almost impossible to change your thinking as long as you are abiding to processes.

Process expects following defined set of steps, which guarantees expected outcomes. In a way, process ensures minimal failures or zero risks. Process is outcome of left-hemisphere brain, which drives routine or well rehearsed processing.

Innovation is driven by right-hemisphere brain involved in novel situations.

Michelangelo would not have been able to paint the Sistine Chapel and make it last for 500 years if he had followed the process laid for mixing and creating colors by his predecessors. He was innovative in creation of colours.

Process restricts imagination and creativity. A classic example of a good process is the assembly line in an automobile or manufacturing unit. It creates specialists in doing a particular task, but not one who can do the complete task nor one who can think of doing better the same task.

Innovation and Process are two sides of coin like the good and necessary evil. Innovation triggers progress whereas; processes stabilize the progress.

How do organizations succeed, because as they grow, processes are mandatory but innovation cannot be killed?

Does this mean you have to choose one over the other?