Real-life innovation is a verb, not a noun. It’s a process that requires movement, power, and momentum. We practice it every day as part of “business as usual.” As we do, we find that it picks up speed and becomes a self-reinforcing cycle. This is how we generate solutions, stimulate progress, and become a force for good.

Taking “no” for an answer can sometimes stall the development of innovative solutions before they actually get off the ground. More often than not, the innovator’s journey is an uphill battle. The pushback forces the innovator to hone and refine their ideas. It also gives the innovator ammunition/justification to challenge our company’s conventions and demand more from us and others.

As we challenge each other, we find that identifying what won’t work can be like a sieve: whatever makes it through the holes is the stuff we want to keep. This helps us build a knowledge base we can apply to future ideas. This is often called “failing forward” and we believe it makes us smarter. 

In my experience, compartmentalized approaches, fiefdoms, and brain trusts are obstacles to innovation. While true collaboration can sometimes feel like a slower, more difficult path, it usually produces more refined, sophisticated solutions. This is why some of the most remarkable innovations are the product of a team effort. 

We strive to embody what listening to customers looks like. True listening helps us arrive at a deeper understanding of their needs and helps us identify opportunities to address them in optimal ways.

VMware has always been, and will always be, a thought leader. However, thought alone is only the first stop on the road to innovation. We must become action leaders—developing and launching innovation programs, far-reaching initiatives, and strong communication vehicles. This is how we help set the disruptive technology agenda for ourselves, and how we influence the entire industry.

We actively seek out and include people who bring diverse skills, backgrounds, perspectives, approaches, and ideas to the table. This is how great advances are made, how contributions are valued, and how innovation thrives.