Innovation - The Long Term View
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed a talk last Thursday at Birmingham University by Sky's Chief Executive. Sky were voted Britain's most admired company in 2009 by Management Today. I thought I would share some of the messages with you.
The first message was to say that "Innovation is a pre-requisite for continued market success !" Sky endorses continued innovation - they were the first to introduce 24 hours news and dedicated sports and movie channels! They are now looking to be the first provider to introduce a 3D channel.
How do they do it?
They focus on New Product Development. They create a culture of innovation in their company to encourage new ideas. They train their staff - you need continuous improvement and learning for continued sustainability. They keep in touch with their customers and finally they have an appetite for risk ! You shouldn't let the risk of failure stop you !
Needless to say this becomes a plug for the Staffordshire BIC's workshops - listen to the No 1 company in the UK - next workshop is Marketing your Innovation followed by Leadership Skills and then Intellectual Property Rights!
Sandra Butterworth 
Director of Innovation
29 March 2010
