Monday Morning Motivational Message - The Importance of Variety

How important is variety in your life?

It's been said that variety is the spice of life.

But our brains are hard-wired to avoid pain and discomfort and to seek pleasure. To the brain, the status quo, the way things are right now is comfortable and familiar and should be left alone.

In evolution, there is a process called Muller's Ratchet.

Muller's Ratchet states, "Dangerous mutations tend to pile up when there's no genetic recombination, ultimately leading to extinction." It's why so few species reproduce asexually.

In the absence of variety, bad ideas tend to stick around, which is also exactly what happens in closed societies and large corporations.

Business innovation is defined as, the process through which organizations embark on creating new products and services or reimagining current products and services.

Some examples of business innovation include:

 - The Japanese automaker Toyota, has embraced a continuous improvement process known as kaizen. Toyota focuses on core developments that compound over time, allowing them to stay at the forefront of the automotive industry. 

 - Starbucks has revolutionized the coffee industry by using technology to allow customers to use mobile ordering and use their smartphones to pay for their purchases.

- Mobile money services like M-Pesa in Kenya have reduced the need for brick-and-mortar banks. Most banking functions can be done through the use of a mobile phone.

Innovation, through continuous variety, updating, and reimagining, pushes business and society forward. Through new, collaborative, and creative ways of providing products and services to consumers, society avoids the dangerous mutations associated with stagnation and pushes the world toward more varying horizons. 

Leave me a comment about the importance of variety driving innovation in your company or service.