There's a myth out there that innovation is exciting. We believe just the opposite: innovation should be boring.

Here's why: chaos indicates lack of discipline. A rigorous innovation process will help eliminate chaos and focus people on the task at hand. From the outside, it should look like people are going about their business normally. 

A "knowledge worker" is one who thinks for a living and includes such professions as doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, designers, and, yes, even lowly innovation consultants.

How do you know you're working on a knowledge work project? Well, they may have the following characteristics in common:

• The work is "invisible", or intangible
• There are lots of changes, including to the working environment
• Unstructured
• Lots of questions and assumptions, especially at the beginning of the project
• The project is value-driven and autonomy-driven
• Involves learning and/or teaching
• Knowledge workers are considered an asset, not a cost
• Something new is created (i.e. innovated!)

Knowledge projects are excellent candidates for an agile or adaptive approach to project management, due to their uncertainty. You can expect a high degree of change, complexity and risk with knowledge work projects. 

Consider using an agile approach on knowledge work projects, such as scrum or kanban.

When choosing an innovation software program, don't abdicate human responsibility. Software is only as valuable as the information it holds. And keep in mind that you are allowing another company to host your information. Remember to back up frequently!

To help a tree grow tall, it might make sense to take care of the leaves. But in reality, it's best to focus your efforts on the roots and let the rest take care of itself.

Waste is defined as anything that does not add value to the customer. It's commonly considered to come in seven forms:

• Motion - unnecessary movement between processing steps. Move processing steps closer together to eliminate motion.
• Inventory - surprisingly, inventory is a waste by locking up money and resources that could be used elsewhere. Brainstorm ideas how to reduce or eliminate inventory. 
• Waiting - waiting for steps to finish is waste. Try to eliminate waiting by having previous steps completely finished before the next step is undertaken.
• Defects - leads to rework, which is obviously a waste.
• Overproduction - producing more than is required is a waste.
• Transportation - transportation between two places is a waste. Try to minimize transportation distances if you can.
• Overprocessing - producing more than is required by the customer. Work to fully understand customers' expectations so that unnecessary features aren't piled on ("goldplating").

When you're stuck on ideas for innovation, start with brainstorming ideas to eliminate waste.