Touche, Scot Herrick.  Over at Cube Rules, Scot suggests that innovation may be overrated, and that innovation means very little without the ability to execute on great ideas.

Innovation is important, says Scot, because we all need to be adapting to the changing business environment.  But too often, we see innovations as meaning nothing beyond words on a screen.  This failure of execution should not be surprising: when is the last time your company, division or department mission statement was actually something you believed in and executed against? When was the last time your vision was something you looked to in order to execute your mission?  For that matter, how many of your vision and mission statements have stayed the same over the last two years?

Scot admits that executing against a plan is hard. One needs to work tasks, involve others, track tasks to the plan, track tasks to completion and look hard at the plan to make sure it is still right given the feedback of the marketplace.  But this delivery of an innovation is the outward and visible sign of true effectiveness.

I have seen far too many leaders get into the habit of rattling off big picture ideas and demanding that they be implemented immediately, without any consideration of how this will be done and whether it actually makes sense in practice.  What sets smart employees and execs apart is the knowledge and ability to innovate AND quickly deliver on a plan that will bring the innovation to life in a real and practical way.