Innovation is the process of bringing change which produces some benefit. Innovation is an exciting journey, be it on the corporate side or in a startup. It’s about coming up with a new idea, making new stuff, creating the change and exploring the next.

But, Innovation can be dangerous if it’s developed in isolation and it becomes worthwhile if it saves lives or creates a positive impact.

When designing and implementing innovative ideas in the developing world, it is important to turn to best practices in order for it to be successful and ethical. Important factors to consider include the impact it creates, how appropriate it is, the feasibility, the knowledge gap and the benefits it provides to the user.

William C. Miller, Co-founder of Values Centered Innovation Enablement Services (VCI) is an internationally-recognized expert who believes that there is that potential to innovate in everyone. Throughout his career, William has developed and applied practical innovation tools and processes that show how to draw from human values into innovative work.

Featured as one of the top 30 thought leaders in the world, he says, “The human values is what is going to bring out your very best; your best energy, your best ideas and your best effort in the quest for innovation.”

When I asked him, “What’s going to bring out the best from the inside out? And how are ‘values and innovation’ connected?”, his response was, “This could be categorized and related in three broad ways, things like your ‘Intention,’ whether you want to make a contribution and where you want to make a difference.”

He further emphasized, “It’s going to come from your sense of ‘Connection,’ Who do I want to serve? How do I want to be helpful? How do I make sure that no one is harmed by something I sell? Furthermore, it’s by values in ‘Action’ that we understand how we can be responsible, how we can keep our word and how we can make wise use of resources.”

The worst practices that are often employed by some organisations can do significant harm and create more substantial barriers to care. Thus, it is important to research about the kinds of values – intention, connection, and action. This is what inspires us to reach deeper and work harder to do the kind of things that give us a deep sense of satisfaction and therefore contribute to the world at large in a meaningful way.

Innovation in corporate today consciously needs to combine human values. Innovation needs to combine the passion for social mission with business ideas and execute with discipline and determination. Employees in the corporate should be creative, willing to think outside the box, and ready to apply ideas to new situations.

Recently in Mumbai, I was a witness to the launch of a great initiative ‘DiNC’ – Digital Nerve Center by TCS HealthCare team. It integrates the cancer centres in India and enables patients and medical centres with an intention to support the patient suffering from cancer, connecting them to the medical centre through technology and emotion, irrespective of their location, be it even remote rural areas.

Every action of the team is committed to fight cancer and help rejuvenate life. DiNC was a demonstration of a framework of values around an idea to make sure that there is a common vision, and that great innovation creating the best impact on the world’s most marginalized population with one of the deadly diseases. A killer combo deal of Values & Innovation to fight cancer.

Our best wishes to teams in the corporate for their innovations to consciously combine values to make their innovations meaningful and impactful, with love.