By Mark Turpin
Terry Duperon, founder of Duperon Corporation, offers a course that participants fondly refer to as “The Class.” Its aim is to teach participants how to create something in the future that does not exist today based on a dream or vague notion. One might wonder why such a simple concept takes five evenings to learn; I certainly did. As it turns out, before we learn to innovate we must first unlearn some concepts that we believe make us successful.
At some point in childhood, we all start to form opinions about how things should be. We get ideas from our classmates about how a person should look, talk, and interact with the world around them. A well-worn path is laid out in front of us, and we are encouraged to travel this path with as much haste as possible. Soon, we begin to shape our dreams based on this framework; once we have formed an opinion of how things should be, we see no other possibilities.
That is why so many people, products and problems are predictable or even boring. It is also why, for many, imitating known solutions is much more comfortable than actually solving real problems for our customers. However, solutions to the real problems facing our world are only resolved when we are willing to work with and listen to people who struggle to serve communities in the face of difficulties.
Listening to another person requires hearing without looking for ways to sell our product, service or solution. Simply being with a customer in need - truly listening, without prescribing a solution - is difficult for most of us. Perhaps we feel that failing to provide an immediate answer will make us look bad. We may worry that not protecting a position will leave our company open to liability. Whatever the reason, we risk becoming like the children we once were, desperately trying not to look bad rather than creating partnerships in the essential business of protecting public health through safe drinking water and clean waterways.
Humility and a willingness to take risks open the door for innovation, but more is required before solutions are found. The very real possibility of failure makes innovation seem a poor investment for many company leaders. Why run the risk of financing endeavors that may ultimately fail, whether in concept or in scalability for commercial success?
The “why” lies in the dream of the leader. If a leader dreams of getting rich, that is the dream to guide all decisions. Cutting staff and eliminating investments in R&D, marketing, and training may be viewed as acceptable measures to maximize wealth. On the other hand, a leader who dreams of making a difference in the world of water, who desires to create unlimited opportunities for those he works alongside, will invest in quite a different way. Essentially, it is the dream that makes the leader and defines his actions.
An innovator’s dream produces more than products, services and solutions; it generates future opportunities and creates a difference for the world. That is the inventor’s true reward, one that solely belongs to those who dare to depart from the well-worn path of conformity to make a difference.
About the Author: Mark Turpin is president of Duperon Corporation and chair of the Board of Directors of the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA). For more information on WWEMA, visit www.wwema.org.
