????雖然有很多案例研究和媒體專(zhuān)欄都信奉“創(chuàng)新”策略的重要性，但在現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中,，很多企業(yè)依然在為創(chuàng)新而上下求索,。這倒不是說(shuō)它們拿不出足夠多的新鮮點(diǎn)子，或者說(shuō)缺乏有創(chuàng)造力的員工,。事實(shí)上,，管理者們可能會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)他們根本無(wú)法在公司現(xiàn)有的架構(gòu)下實(shí)施創(chuàng)新，或者是分心于其他事情,，特別是那些更合乎時(shí)宜（甚至可能帶來(lái)盈利）的發(fā)明創(chuàng)造,。

????除了內(nèi)部因素,，阻礙公司創(chuàng)新的還有很多宏觀的外部因素,，包括當(dāng)前的歐洲經(jīng)濟(jì)困境、某些行業(yè)整體消亡或至少正在經(jīng)歷艱難的轉(zhuǎn)型期（比如平面和電視媒體,，還有投資銀行）以及全球金融勢(shì)力格局的變遷（比如,，新興市場(chǎng)、尤其是中國(guó)和印度的崛起）,。

????但公司創(chuàng)新的最大難題可能還是必須不斷重新審視“創(chuàng)新”理念本身,，做到與時(shí)俱進(jìn)?？纯赐ㄓ秒姎猓℅E）最近發(fā)布的全球創(chuàng)新晴雨表（Global Innovation Barometer）,，該項(xiàng)研究調(diào)查了全球22個(gè)國(guó)家近3,000名高管,。92%的受訪者表示，創(chuàng)新是“提高國(guó)民經(jīng)濟(jì)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力的重要組成部分”,。86%的受訪者稱(chēng),，在他們國(guó)家，“創(chuàng)新是創(chuàng)造就業(yè)崗位的最佳途徑”,。這些都不稀奇,。然而，稀奇的是,，另一個(gè)強(qiáng)有力的數(shù)據(jù)是88%的受訪者表示,，21世紀(jì)公司創(chuàng)新的方式將“完全不同于以往任何時(shí)候”。是的,，這個(gè)結(jié)論聽(tīng)起來(lái)令人激動(dòng),，但也讓人氣餒。創(chuàng)新的門(mén)檻更高了：在某個(gè)特定行業(yè),，創(chuàng)造出像“iPod”一樣的革命性產(chǎn)品,，然后效法蘋(píng)果（Apple）倍受推崇、崇尚設(shè)計(jì)的道路,，僅僅做到這些已經(jīng)不夠了,。正如史蒂夫?喬布斯一直鼓勵(lì)他的團(tuán)隊(duì)要做到的那樣，公司必須“另辟蹊徑”,。

????當(dāng)然,，簡(jiǎn)單復(fù)制一家成功公司“另辟蹊徑”的做法并不能確保會(huì)獲得類(lèi)似的成果。必須重新思考,，對(duì)你而言,，2012年的“另辟蹊徑”到底意味著什么。貴公司的創(chuàng)新嘗試真的能創(chuàng)造出獨(dú)一無(wú)二的產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)嗎,？你有獨(dú)創(chuàng)的人力資源政策留住最佳員工,，同時(shí)招募、留住下一代的公司領(lǐng)路人嗎,？你的管理風(fēng)格有助于界定（或者至少反映）21世紀(jì)第二個(gè)10年,、而不是本世紀(jì)初已經(jīng)過(guò)時(shí)的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)技巧嗎？

????Despite the many case studies and op-eds you might read on the importance of "innovation" as a strategy, in real life many businesses are struggling to be innovative. It doesn't mean that they can't come up with enough new ideas or that they don't have creative people on staff. Instead, executives might find that they cannot implement innovation within their company's structure, or that they get bogged down by distractions that only seem to be taking them on the path to inventions that are timely--and potentially profitable.

????In addition, many of the barriers to corporate innovation are forces that are much bigger than internal ones. These hurdles range from the economic challenges in Europe; entire industries dying or at least experiencing troubling states of transition (print and television media, for example, or investment banking); and the shifts in global financial power that are taking place (the rise of China and India, among other "emerging" markets).

????But perhaps the biggest dilemma that businesses face when it comes to innovation is that the concept of "innovation" itself must be constantly re-thought to remain relevant. Look at GE's recently released Global Innovation Barometer, a global study that surveyed nearly 3,000 senior executives in 22 nations around the world. Ninety-two percent of respondents said innovation is "the main ingredient for a more competitive national economy" and 86 percent said that "innovation is the best way to create jobs" in their countries. Not surprising. But then another strong statistic emerges: Eighty-eight percent said that companies will innovate in ways that are "totally different than ever before" in the 21st century. Yes, this is an exciting, forward-thinking conclusion, but it is also a daunting one. The ante has been upped: no longer is it enough to want to create "the iPod" of a given industry and follow in Apple's much-admired, design-worshipping footsteps. Companies have to "think different," as Steve Jobs always encouraged his team to do.

????Of course, simply copying how a successful company does things "different," won't automatically ensure parallel results. You have to rethink what "think different" really means in 2012--for you. Are your company's innovation efforts really resulting in unique work? Do you have original human resources policies to retain your top performers and to recruit—and retain--the next generation of leaders? Will your own management style help define, or at least reflect, the winning business strategies of the 2010s, and not the outdated leadership tactics of the 2000s?

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