Unlearning and Learning in the Innovation Economy

by Rob Austin, Richard L. Nolan, Shannon O'Donnell, Robert M. Mason, Eric K. Clemons, Lee Devin, Erin Sullivan, Peter Hanke, Roberto Verganti, Alan MacCormack

In this first Innovation Forum, Cutter Fellow Rob Austin kicks off the discussion by asserting that firms must unlearn old principles and embrace new ones if they are to succeed in today's innovation economy. Cutter Innovation team members then contribute their views in an interactive exchange, rich in examples that range from Boeing's transformed view of "failure" to the role of "emergent features" in pharmaceutical industry innovation. They point out the value of a "no way back" strategy, the danger of being "best at what you do," the qualities essential in innovative leaders, and the creation of radical innovation through processes that are anything but "user-centered" improvements.