"A leader must have the courage to act against an expert's advice." - James Callaghan

Let me start by apologizing to all those who clicked on the title expecting to see an actual job solicitation.  Not the case...sorry.  Instead, this post is going to focus on the broader question of what attributes make up an effective Innovation Manager and why so few organizations actually hire those people with the best blend of the aforementioned attributes.

The term, innovation, is one that is open to much debate, discussion and interpretation.  What may be innovation to one organization might be normal operating conditions for another.  The known spectrum of innovation ranges from incremental improvement (eg. iPhone in black or white) all the way up to breakthrough innovations. (ie. new to the world products or complete business model changes)  With such diversity in innovation management approaches and strategies, it can also be safe to assume that those entrusted with the leadership and management would be just as diverse.

Some organizations stick close their respective "knitting" and look for Corporate Scientists who hold PhD's in scientific fields to lead their innovation or R&D areas.  Others look for a more business-driven approach and seek MBA-types who can closely control the financial aspects of continuous improvement or innovation management programs.  Still others seek a more "free spirit" candidate who is more versed in human resources, organizational collaboration, personal creativity and visioning.  The majority, however, seek a more balanced approach to innovation management via process development and culture establishment.  Again, it really depends upon the organization's long-term growth strategy, their tolerance for risk and their internal culture.

As the innovation management field has matured over the past decade, new professionals have emerged who are more generalist in their overall approach to innovation, but also have specific areas of expertise that match their own personal interests and passions.  These people are increasingly being tapped to lead major corporate R&D departments, Innovation Centers of Excellence and Director or VP of Innovation roles.  These people also dominate the consulting arena for innovation management.

There are some typical responsibilities that go with this new leadership role for innovation:

• Manage the innovation agenda throughout the organization, inspiring confidence, excitement and ‘championship’
• Responsible and accountable for the delivery of any assigned innovation projects from ideation & concept development through to launch in market(s)
• Serve as the dedicated innovation community development lead or “innovation partner” internally to the various business units; and externally with key partners, customers, suppliers, etc.
• Develop and manage clear understanding of the roles within cross-functional teams, ensuring that all parties’ responsibilities are clearly communicated, understood and delivered
• Ensure clear, decisive communication within the project team throughout the development process
• Establish and monitor project metrics which will alert teams to problems as early as possible, support division objectives, and emphasize learning rather than control
• Demonstrate the energy and drive required to champion projects through the process, even when hurdles are presented.
• Develop and manage partner engagement strategy (internal & external)
• Balance ‘drive to deliver’ with strong analytical and sound strategic thinking. Be commercially pragmatic, understanding the commercial impact of decisions
• Document key learning achieved during the project, both technical and learning, relative to the project management process
• Manage project budgets for each project and work with the project team for input on initial project budget
• Identify enabling programs, services, tools and technologies associated with the innovation project
• Develop metrics that provide measurable and accountable return on investment for projects
• Prepare and give updates to senior management on major projects

Additionally, there are some starting point qualification requirements that typically include:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required
• A minimum of five (5) or more years of progressive experience with innovation roles
• Demonstrated ability to drive innovation in an organization
• Demonstrate excellent project management skills, with a proven track record of successful delivery of projects on time, in line with budget expectations and to strategy
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the stages of delivering innovation projects with an excellent attention to detail
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment, deliver quickly and adapt to changing demands
• Solid knowledge of innovation and creativity processes and communications and change management methods
• Must be a strategic thinker, adept at crafting conceptual and creative solutions, and have experience consulting with senior-level business and technology audiences
• Proven experience in facilitating groups and training others required
• Strong change management skills
• High-energy approach with plenty of drive to succeed
• Demonstrated effective communication skills and ability to build rapport with peers
• Experience with developing performance metrics and reports required
• Computer proficiency with MS Project, Word, Excel, Power Point and Visio

As you can see, a leadership role in organizational innovation initiatives requires a well-rounded person who has a very specific skill-set related to innovation/idea management, a more broad business-based focus and some knowledge of the specific market in which the organization resides.  This is many times referred to as a "T-Shaped" person...or someone who has both depth and breadth.

One of the most disappointing aspects of this discussion is that too many organizations, while seeking many of the exact  same responsibilities listed above, limit their available pool of applicants by requiring too much industry-specific knowledge.  They are, in essence, looking for "I" shaped people.  Why?  Because it is a safe bet in an uncertain time.  "I" shaped people will deliver "safe" innovations like line extensions, incremental improvements, new feature sets, etc.  For example, in my regional labor market, I have seen job listings for Director of Innovation positions that initially read like an organization in search of breakthrough innovation, including a lot of requirements surrounding ideation and development of an Innovation Center of Excellence but later in the listing require a PhD in Dairy Science and years of experience in "line of business" knowledge.  Quite frankly, organizations like this need to make up their mind.  Either they are going to hire true professionals in Innovation Management and establish an efficient and effective innovation program or they are going to hire industry experts who will lead an industry-specific R&D center.  Some leading organizations, however, find a way to balance both concepts.

If your organization is thinking of developing a dedicated position to build, champion and lead an innovation-related initiative, you'll need to consider a number of factors to get you to the "right" person:

• What is your organizational growth strategy?
• What is your innovation strategy that drives your organizational growth strategy?
• What is your organization's definition of innovation?
• Where does that definition of innovation fall on the innovation spectrum? (incremental vs. breakthrough vs. blended)
• Are you looking to establish a true innovation management capability vs. product-specific R&D approach?
• Do I need someone dedicated to this work internally or can I hire a consultant to help or should I use both?

Once you define the kind of innovation management strategy your organization will pursue, you can define the kind of person and skill-set that you will need to achieve that strategy.  There are a number of very skilled people in the innovation management space that are available to help.  Just a little bit of strategic planning and leadership courage/decision making will get you to the right one!

        

There was a famous, commonly held mantra within Hewlett-Packard that went something like, "If only HP knew what HP knows!"  It also became one of the favorite "gotcha" lines of every Knowledge Management software vendor over the past decade.  What do we actually already know that we are looking to a consultant, at considerable cost, to "discover?"  The concept here is that, as organizations grow, they hire people who bring with them a considerable amount of extra knowledge.  For example, a former manager of a web design firm turned project manager brings with her more than just a project management skill set.  The hiring organization now has project management skills, general management skills, web design skills and who knows what else!

I have worked with a number of organizations where the first instinct on any new strategy or project is to hire a consultant to tell them what to do and how to do it.  Being one of the aforementioned consultants, I shouldn't complain.  After all, I get paid to tell people what to do and how to do it.  However, also being honest and having some integrity, the first thing I advise on any engagement is to have the organization look within itself for a "gut check" on potential solutions to the problem or for people who may have some knowledge on the subject.  Why would I do that you ask?  Because of the following reasons:

1. It's the right thing to do
2. If the organization finds someone internally who knows the subject or has passion around it, I now have a solid sponsor or partner to work with because...
3. I have NEVER lost a client opportunity when taking this approach
4. Did I mention...It's the right thing to do?

This topic is fresh in my mind because as I was working with a client recently on developing an Innovation Center of Excellence , we were exploring the concept of risk management protocols.  The organization has some risk management guidelines, mostly from an accounting/financial risk perspective, but no one really "in charge" of the discipline.  I have some templates that I have collected throughout my previous consultation engagements, but I am certainly no expert on true "risk management."  We laid out a rough approach and planned on figuring out the details at a later date.  For me, it was a checklist item...not rocket science.  And that's when the trouble started...

Little did I know, or my main point-of-contact within the organzation know, or the HR representative know, or apparantly anyone in the entire company who was willing to admit it know, that there was a person in IT, a manager of Application Development, who really gets into risk management...serious risk management.  In fact, he was a Business Risk Management Supervisor in his "past life."  In fact again, he writes a pretty popular blog on risk management concepts and process and protocol.  And here's the sad part, he had been lobbying to help the organization with risk management for years.  Get this...he volunteered...on top of his regular job...to work on risk management for the organization.  But, because he wasn't part of the "risk management" loop for the organization...as in, he wasn't part of the accounting/financial group...he was essentially ignored.  What did an IT AppDev Manager know about risk management?  Seriously...

If only this organization knew what this organization knows....

Luckily, I was quickly able to diffuse the situation by adding the person to our Steering Committee and letting him draft the guiding risk management protocol for filtering ideas that enter the innovation portfolio.  In the end, all is well.  Lesson learned!

So ask around inside your organization what you MAY NOT know about someone.  Start a skills inventory database that collects every employee's past and present knowledge level on the key competencies for your organization.  In fact, go a step further and solicit information about their hobbies, areas of interest, desires to work in another area, special skill sets, etc.  You never know when you might need some of that knowledge or information.  And get over the fact that someone in Marketing might have experience writing JAVA code...in this economy where you might have people taking work wherever it comes along, it happens!  I think you'll find that your organization knows a lot more than you think it knows!

        

"Decide what you want and decide what you are willing to exchange for it.  Establish your priorities and go to work." - H.L. Hunt

I am willing to bet that many of you work in an organization that currently has at least one failed project, product or service that still exists.  Like an albatross around the organization's neck, the failure languishes on the portfolio, consuming resources and attention.  Day after day, additional time, money and effort are thrown at the failure in the hope that it can be turned around and made a success.  Forget the fact that the ROI went negative six months ago and will likely never tread positive territory.  Its a pet project or an "all in" bet from some executive.  Doesn't matter...its a loser!

Many of you have seen this...but for those who haven't...pick out the "sad but true" examples from your organization:

Tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians (so legend has it), passed on from generation to generation, says that, "When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount."

However, in government, education and the corporate world, more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

• Buying a stronger whip.
• Changing riders.
• Giving horse and rider a good beating
• Re-structuring the dead horse's reward scale to contain a performance-related element.
• Suspending the horse's access to the executive grassy meadow until performance targets are met.
• Making the horse work late shifts and weekends.
• Scrutinizing and clawing back a percentage of the horse's past 12 months expenses payments.
• Appointing a committee to study the horse.
• Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride horses
• Convening a dead horse productivity improvement workshop.
• Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.
• Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired
• Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.
• Outsourcing the management of the dead horse.
• Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.
• Providing additional funding and/or training to increase dead horse's performance.
• Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.
• Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.
• Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.
• Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

The amount of money that gets wasted on the aforementioned resuscitation efforts is staggering!  Imagine what you could do with the dollars, time, effort that get thrown down the abyss! 

And that's the point of this blog entry...you don't have to imagine!  You simply need to have the courage to kill the crap and deal with the fact that "sunk cost" cannot be retrieved, saved or salvaged.  Put your big money, your dedicated time, your best resources into the winning ideas.  Make the tough decisions and kill what needs to be killed!

Easier said than done...right?!?  Here are some tips on how to make the tough decisions:

• Form an innovation council, whose entire role is to constantly review the idea/innovation project portfolio and cull poor performing initiatives in favor of ideas that show true promise
• Create a balanced scorecard, dashboard, metrics or other systems of measurement so you can quickly identify project issues
• Separate the idea generation portion of your innovation management system from the prototyping/project execution portion.  This will protect the ideas that are still developing from the critical review that mature concepts should constantly face
• Be certain of your strategy and goals.  If you understand what you want/need, it will make the decisions about what you should keep vs. kill pretty straightforward
• My Favorite: Establish a mandate that each department, area, project portfolio, etc. select one or two things to kill each quarter.  This forces product sunsets, legacy decommissions, flushing out waste and killing good ideas that just didn't seem to catch on in the marketplace. 

These are tough decisions.  Someone is going to get their "nose bent out of joint" because you just killed the thing they worked on for the past three years.  Too damned bad!  Business isn't about nostalgia...its about profit!  If you can't make money on it...fix it or kill it!  This goes for ideas as well as products or services. 

Know what works and why.  Know what doesn't work and why.  Know where your investments in the future are paying off.  Know where your "money pits" are located.  Demand accountability.  Demand excellence.  Be a decision maker.  Be a leader.

        

Through this new conference introduction,the PDMA intends to focus on building momentum around our theme of Commercial Success and how it is being achieved in companies of all shapes and sizes around the globe. In 2009 we talked a lot about "Gaining Traction for what's Ahead" and how product development outcomes could be achieved for commercial success. This played mostly on the many uncertainties driven by the recession and our common inability to clearly see short-term outcomes. The program was designed to give our professionals hope and real-world tools and examples of how companies were continuing to innovate and develop products and services in advance of an economic rebound.

As we continue to develop this year's Global Conference on Product Innovation Management, our goal is to take things one step further and build upon the key messages that were prevalent in 2009. Although our world economy is still uncertain, we now find ourselves learning how to operate under practices for the"new normal"; hence the birth of PDMA's focus in 2010.

Keynotes:

Derek Yach, Senior Vice President of Global Health Policy - PepsiCo Transforming Business: Meeting Long-term Needs of Society and  its Shareholders

Mohan Sawhney , McCormick Tribune Professor of Technology and Director, Center for Research in Technology Innovation -Kellogg School of Management and Author, "Collaborating with Customers to Create" and "The Global Brain" Value Proposition Excellence in Product Development and Marketing

Dan Pink, Business Guru and Best-selling Author of"DRIVE" and "A Whole New Mind"
Managing Resources for Success: Developing the NPD Workforce for 2015

Jackie Yeaney, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer - Premiere Global Services (PGi)
Unconventional Wisdom: Delivering A New Product, To A New Customer, Through New Channels All At The Same Time

Janet A. Carr, Senior Vice President,Consumer Insights and Strategic Planning - Coach, Inc.
From Today’s Insights to Tomorrow’s Products: The Global Product Development Challenges at Coach


Conference Tracks/Themes:

• Strategy & Planning
• People, Teams & Culture
• Process, Execution & Metrics
• Technology & IP
• Co-Development & Alliances
• Customer & Market Research

Technology Showcase:

This is one area where incredible strides have been made over years past to offer conference attendees the chance to play with bleeding edge in new technologies and to discover helpful tools in their efforts to better manage their new product and innovation portfolios.

You really need to see these new products to believe them!

• Squidarella Color Changing Umbrella
• Green Exchanger
• Xerox Silver Ink
• Polymer Coating with Green Applications
• Activeion™ Cleaning Technology - ionator HOM™ and ionator EXP™
• Zebra™ 3D Pressure Mapping System
• HoloTouch® HMI Technology

Registration Details:

Registration is open for the conference and once again, as a Media Partner for the conference, Think For A Change, LLC. is  able to offer a significant discount off of the main conference fees.  Simply use the code: THINK10 during registration to receive a 20% discount!


Additional Information:

Detailed conference information is available in a number of ways:

• Conference Web Site:  http://conference.pdma.org 
• Download the Conference Brochure
• Access the Online Conference Brochure

Also, for those of you active in social networking circles, you can get up to the minute information on the conference using a myriad of popular social networking sites or by following @PDMAIntl on Twitter

        

I was recently passed a complimentary copy of "Innovate The Future: A Radical New Approach to IT Innovation " by David Croslin .  If his name sounds familiar to those of you in our small innovation circles, it should...he is a top-notch innovation consultant in his own right, but he also a former Chief Technologist with Hewlett-Packard and Chief Product Architect for Verizon. 

This work is certainly near and dear to my heart.  Coming originally from an IT and Project Management background, my innovation management discipline stems from the fast-paced, bleeding edge world one would equate with information technology.  In fact, much of my rigor around effective and efficient processes, innovation management maturity and tips/techniques/work-arounds are directly attributable to my work in the IT and project management fields. 

David's book feeds that discipline and rigor nicely!  He approaches innovation from a number of different angles and via a number of different life cycles.  For example, he breaks down the innovation life cycle as follows:

1. Initial Invention
2. Disruptive Innovation
3. Incremental Innovation
4. Positive Incremental Innovation
5. Repetitive Incremental Innovation
6. Negative Incremental Innovation
7. Repetitive Negative Incremental Innovation
8. Destructive Innovation

He then matches this logical sequence to typical business life cycles:

1. Product Life Cycle:
   1. Dominant Product
   2. Feature Set Expansion
   3. Feature Overkill
   4. Commoditized Product
2. Market Life Cycle:
   1. Market Creation
   2. Market Battles
   3. Market Truce
   4. Market Stagnation
3. Company Life Cycle:
   1. Initial Flexibility
   2. Pressures
   3. Frozen Flexibility

His thesis is that true innovation occurs when these standard "life cycles" stagnate or are disrupted in some way.  The best part...you can create the disruption!  You can determine your own organization's destiny by disrupting yourself!

Another fantastic part of the book is centered around the challenges and opportunities of generating innovation within IT.  Let's face it, there aren't many parts of your organization left (if any) that don't pass through IT at some point.  It is a great place to centralize an innovation initiative. 

David lists a number of great use cases for his theory and ideas on better innovation management.  His utilization of an aggressive pursuit of new ideas via invention, domination, conquer and disrupt are spot on!  Finally, he takes the step that many innovation books miss...recommendation on how to actually implement what he is talking about!

I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in alternative ideas on innovation management, especially those with an eye on disruption!

        

Let me apologize to my loyal blog readers for the nearly one month gap since my last blog entry.  I recently returned from a long overdue family vacation.  With my daughter now in high school, I only have a few more summers left in which to take the "big" family vacations.  This year, we towed our travel trailer over 4000 miles from Green Bay to Mount Rushmore to the Grand Tetons to Yellowstone to Glacier National Park and back!  Yep...lots and lots of driving!  But we also saw some fantastic sights along the way...truly inspirational.  We also grew closer as a family...even more inspirational!

The Williams Family also recently added a new puppy to the household.  That has occupied time previously reserved for deep thought and blog writing.  Two dogs, a cat and a teenage girl with a learner's driving permit.  Yeah...you can imagine!

Bottom line, I've scratched back some "LIFE" in the WORK/LIFE balance.  Feels good too.

I've learned a few things in the last month away:

1. I will make time for work rather than make time to spend with my family
2. Stop taking innovation so seriously...
3. Take more time to reflect, think at a deeper level and let ideas incubate
   • You have no idea how much clarity you get when you are staring through a windshield for 9 hours!
4. My business will not go bankrupt, nor will people forget about me or my contributions, if I stop blogging or Twittering for a couple of weeks
5. I am able to catch up on all of my reading if I just make it happen
6. I have some fresh, new ideas to share with all of you via this blog and on Twitter
7. I have a renewed passion for ideas, innovation and creativity

I know people talk about the need for more work/life balance, but then leave 2 weeks of vacation on the table at the end of every year.  Seriously...take the time away!  And I mean REALLY get away.  You will be amazed at the clarity of thinking you receive before, during and after the time you take off.  Your personal relationships will improve, which will free your mind for bigger and better professional endeavors. 

P.S.  If you'd like to see the trip pictures or puppy pictures via Google Picasa, just add a comment with your email address and I'll send you an invite. 

        

One of the methods many organizations use to determine where they stand in comparison to their competitors and peers is a concept called "benchmarking." By definition, benchmarking is the process of comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry leaders and/or best practices from other industries.

In the innovation management space, this involves identifying the leaders in innovation management discipline, and other business disciplines where similar processes exist like Lean or Business Process Management, and comparing the results and processes of those studied to one's own results and processes to learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, how they do it. 

In order to get started, however, organizations need to know where they score along a standardized selection of key innovation management attributes...their "baseline."  This will tell them how "mature" they currently are across a spectrum of best practice leaders in innovation management.  With this baseline analysis in hand, the organization can then begin to compare where they are against other organizations who score higher on the "maturity model" or simply where they would like to grow in the future regardless of how it may compare against other organizations.  It is this resulting "gap analysis" work that innovation management professionals engage with organizations to improve, or mature, their processes, procedures, tools, techniques and cultures.

In 2005, Think For A Change, LLC. developed a comprehensive Innovation Maturity Model to provide a standardized assessment framework for just such benchmarking activities.  This Innovation Maturity Model, or IM2, has become the "de facto" standard innovation management maturity measurement tool for a number of different organizations and market segments.  This Model includes six (6) distinct levels of innovation management maturity across eleven (11) different key attributes for innovation success.

A visual of the IM2 model is shown below...please click on the model graphic to download a PDF version for closer examination.



Please note that the corresponding "best practices" within the matrix are a representative sample of the kind of activities an innovation management discipline would be expected to have at each maturity level.  There are many other "best practices" to consider within each maturity level.

Additionally, in 2007, Think For A Change, LLC. published an eBook further describing the usage and purpose behind the IM2-Innovation Maturity Model matrix tool.

Please click to download a complimentary copy of the IM2-Innovation Management Maturity eBook .

Once you have measured your organization's innovation management maturity, and understand how that measurement (or score) compares to others within your specific industry segment or innovation leaders in general, you can begin to create your benchmarking action plan:

1. Define your baseline position
2. Determine your goal
3. Analyze best practices associated with increased maturity
4. Analyze, interview, visit and engage with organizations already at this goal level
5. Develop a strategic road map to reach the goal
6. Execute upon the strategic road map
7. Re-define your new baseline position
   • Did you meet the goal?

This exercise will help you be a "fast follower" in the innovation management space.  To truly be a "next practices leader" you need to make this exercise a repeatable process within your organization.  You also need to extend the research and learning associated with finding new processes, plans, tools, techniques and cultural activities that chart new levels of success. 

If you treat Innovation Management as a true business discipline, as you should, and give it the same resources, rigor and focus that you do for similar disciplines like Lean and Continuous Improvement, as you should, and you focus on constantly learning, improving and maturing in how you lead, manage and execute that discipline, as you should, you will become a leader, not just in your industry space, but in the larger business environment.

        

"Our greatest natural resource is the imagination of children" - Walt Disney

Earlier today, I was rummaging through my vast library of books, white papers, notes and other materials related to creativity, innovation and project management.  I've filled a good sized closet with reading material and research over the last ten years.  My rummaging was productive, although I didn't actually find what I was originally looking for...instead I came across my "Reporter's Notebook" from my April 2000 visit to the Disney Institute where I attended  The Disney Approach to Managing for Creativity and Innovation program.

You may remember that it was this visit to the Disney Institute (@DisneyInstitute on Twitter)  that sparked the inspiration that resulted in the foundation of Think For A Change, LLC. and my being "here" today...sharing my thoughts with all of you and working with clients to improve their innovation management systems.  One of my most vivid memories of the program was getting a behind the scenes look and private screening of the "Honey, I Shrunk The Audience" attraction presented by Kodak at EPCOT in Walt Disney World.  Currently, this attraction is closed in preparation for the re-presentation of the old Captain EO film in memory of Michael Jackson.  However, back in the day, the pre-show (that's a Disney term for keeping people too busy to notice they are still waiting in line) was a great presentation on video monitors using photographic images (...sponsored by Kodak...get it?) along with great tips to spark your imagination.

My "Reporters Notebook" (that's a workbook from the Disney Institute to keep attendees too entertained to realize they are learning something) lists the screen captions from this pre-show.  What a great refresher for improving both individual and corporate imagination:

How to Improve Your Imagination

• Use it
• Ask questions
• Take risks
• Take a picture
• Take a vacation without leaving your home
• Be curious
• Expect the unexpected
• Invent your own language
• Think Backwards
• Doodle
• Build a model without the instructions
• Look at the world from a different angle

Exercises for Your Imagination

• Stretch your mind
• Play "what if"
• Pick up a camera and see what develops
• Stay up all night
• Write with your opposite hand
• Take a blank piece of paper, then do something with it
• Make believe
• Remember, things aren't always what they seem

How to Jump Start Your Imagination

• Think about something else
• Talk to yourself
• Talk to the animals
• Look at the big picture
• Look to nature for inspiration
• Play
• Be playful
• Look at the world through the eyes of a child

How to Come Up With An Idea

• Brainstorm
• Don't procrastinate
• Turn your thinking inside out
• Notice the little things
• Get in touch with your inner child
• Loosen up
• Stay focused
• Daydream
• Paint something
• Use all of the colors of your imagination
• Imagination comes in many colors

The First Rule of Imagination:  There Are No Rules

• If you can imagine it, you can do it
• Believe in yourself
• Never say never
• Imagine the possibilities
• The possibilities are endless

One of the really cool things about the internet...there is a record of this great pre-show on YouTube for others to enjoy and get inspired as I was...



So...how about it?  What are you going to do improve your imagination?  What tip will you use to come up with an idea?  Which rule are you going to break, ignore or bypass? 

Corporate imagination, new ideas, innovation...they all start in someone's imagination...be that someone!

        

There has been a fantastic and long running discussion on the LinkedIn group (Innovation Management Group) that I facilitate and participate called "How Important Is The Facilitator of an Innovation Workshop? "  It seems that most have agreed that a skilled  facilitator is indeed very important.  But what has been the topic "du jour" is the kind of facilitator/consultant/professional that is the most effective.

As I was typing my response to the latest string of arguments, I realized that this discussion might make a great blog topic.  I'll post the previous entry from the discussion string, along with my response here...but I encourage you to join the group and follow the entire thread as there are some brilliant points included within the full discussion, along with other great discussions and networking opportunities from the over 3300+ innovation practitioner members of the group.

From the "How Important Is The Facilitator of an Innovation Workshop?" Discussion:

Rich Notargiacomo:  President at Innovation Focus - Rochester; Past Chairman and President, Product Development and Management Association

Hamish: My experience agrees with your point about the value of combined consulting and coaching model. Some times, the client truly isn't sure what to do and/or may need some direction on process, new approaches, etc.and that's where the consultant can help. However, many times I've observed that when you "peel back the onion" the client really knows what to do, but just doesn't do it. That's where I come in with an active coaching approach and help people and organizations move into the "doing" mode - with processes and approaches that work. The combined model can very often provide clients what they need - at a more attractive cost.

Of course - it all depends on the specifics of the situation. One size does not fit all.

Paul R. Williams, PMP:  Executive Director at Think For A Change, LLC. and Sr. Manager-PMO & IT Innovation Champion at Thrivent Financial

Rich is absolutely right...one size or approach does not fit all. Each organization that reaches out for help with idea/innovation management does so for different reasons and from different places.

I've worked with some organizations who were starting from absolutely nothing, but were honestly eager to learn. These are the "dream" consulting and coaching engagements...they want to absorb all of the best/next practices, processes, facilitation of idea gen sessions, establishing communities of practice or a center of excellence, have solid executive leadership engagement and are willing to treat innovation as a true business discipline.

Then there are the poseurs, who clearly want to be "known" for innovation but make only a half-assed effort to solicit and consider ideas, layer bureaucracy on the initiative rather than effective processes and appoint hyper-sensitive and incompetent middle managers to "lead" the effort. Essentially, these folks are looking for you to appoint them "innovation leaders" so they can take that badge and put it on their marketing materials. I've "fired" two clients in my decade of being in business...and both were of this ilk.

That leaves the clients who are in the middle of that spectrum. The clients that want to be innovative but don't have a clue where to start. They are slightly cautious, as they have been burned by the "cheerleaders" before. They know, however, that it must work because some of their competitors are leap-frogging them with new products and services. Some are willing to dip their toe in the water and take a measured, incremental approach, while others are willing to take a more aggressive stance. This is the majority of my client base. They need to be sold on the concept...continuously. They have a core set of brave people, many of whom have been working at the grass-roots level for a long time within the organization. They need better tools, techniques, processes, guides and facilitators. Their leadership is willing to participate, but needs to see some results...quickly. They need a roadmap for ideas and innovation, and they need it to tie to their growth strategy. Sometimes, they just need to be pushed. They know what to do, but just need that extra level of confidence to get started. Now lets be honest, some of these clients will succeed, but many won't...even after my engagement and coaching. Success is truly up to them, and many simply don't have the persistence and perseverance to see it through.

But if there is one constant...it is that one size does not indeed fit all. Each client that comes forward for help does so from a different spot. The challenge is to find where that spot is and how to build a plan that moves them forward from that spot. The rest is up to the client.

So...what do YOU think?  Where is YOUR organization along this "spectrum?"  How do we get organizations to stop being "poseurs" and instead, start treating innovation as a true business discipline for growth?  Join the discussion here or at LinkedIN!

        

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way" - John C. Maxwell

Hopefully you’ll remember my four "Must Have's for a Healthy Innovation Climate":

• Leadership Engagement
• Business Discipline
• Resource Availability & Mix
• Process Depth

I list leadership engagement in the first spot on that list for a reason.  It is certainly the most important factor for innovation success within an organization.  Without true engagement by at least one executive leader (preferably all), innovation will never gain the traction it needs to be considered as a true business discipline, gain the resources it needs to succeed or develop the process depth required to make it effective, efficient and repeatable.

In my work with organizations of all sizes, some of the most frequently asked questions on this topic include:

• I agree that a senior leader should be engaged…but how, exactly, does an executive leader get engaged? 
• Our executives are good at “talking the talk” but how do they show that they are also “walking the talk?”
• What specific actions should an executive take to demonstrate “engagement?”

These are all excellent questions!  First, let’s define what we mean by “engagement.”  

• Engaged means involved, committed, dedicated, active, participatory and passionate about ideas, innovation and growth
• Engaged means getting your hands dirty in the work that needs to be done
• Engaged means making the tough decisions
• Engaged means setting direction and priority
• Engaged means being a leader

Okay…we get it…engaged means “walking the talk.”  So what, specifically, can executives and senior leaders do to demonstrate their engagement?  Here are a few examples:

• Communicate:
  • A commitment to ideas, innovation and growth
  • The strategic linkage of innovation/growth and the organization’s future
  • The need for everyone in the organization to contribute
  • An “open door policy” and/or a direct line to senior leaders and executives
  • The roadmap, milestones and stepping stones required to move from the current culture to the new idea/innovation culture
  • The big issues, problems, weaknesses and opportunities that the organization faces
• Demonstrate:
  • Placing the innovation initiative on an equal footing with other business disciplines within the organization
  • A commitment to the initiative via the creation of a leadership team of coaches, facilitators, guides, trainers and other human resources to lead, organize and assist the effort
  • A commitment to the initiative by securing sufficient financial resources to manage the process…collect, select and develop ideas…invest in the future
  • A commitment to the initiative by supporting and providing “cover” for dedicated blocks of time where employees can develop their ideas and passions, along with a dedicated space to expand their thinking, collaborate with others and develop prototypes of their ideas
  • A willingness to accept a determined amount of risk through the establishment of a portfolio of progressively “risky” development projects, properly balanced and in line with the overall organizational strategy
  • A celebration of “smart failures” as a learning experience and proof that the organization won’t punish people for trying new things
  • A commitment to true leadership by establishing metrics and holding people and systems accountable
• Participate:
  • In developing a set of problems or challenges for people to solve
  • Directly in idea generation sessions
  • By sitting on or chairing idea selection committees
  • Via the concept of “management by walking around”:
    • Review works-in-progress
    • Play with prototypes
    • Read ideas and comments on whiteboards around the organization
    • Sit in on department/staff meetings
    • Talk to people
  • By spending some time job shadowing employees…especially customer-facing positions
  • By personally congratulating someone, leaving a voicemail or drafting a hand-written note for a great idea, a learned failure or simply for trying to make the organization better
  • In the development of training programs and other curriculum for personal creativity enhancement, idea generation, innovation, personal accountability, leadership, prototyping, business acumen and other key growth areas
  • In the development of a flexible process set, tools, techniques, standards and best practices to give people direction and assistance

These are but a few examples of direct actions a leader can take TODAY to demonstrate his or her commitment to growth via an innovation management strategy.  You may also wish to review my “Executive Checklist – A Commitment to Innovation” for additional ideas.

The one thing I really hope that you do take away from this article is…ACTION!  You cannot communicate, demonstrate or participate without deciding to take ACTION!  Leaders take ACTION…be a LEADER!

        

We talk a lot here about connecting your organization's vision for the future to an innovation management discipline.  We stress the need to have a big picture view of the future and moving your organization toward it via its strategy and goals.  It isn't a unique concept...but it is becoming a lost art.

Want to see the result of a grand vision from the absolute genius of this concept?





Check out these quotes from the show:

• "Walt Disney's final dream, the Walt Disney World Resort, a commitment to the future for your children and mine..."
• "Best of all, it is a place to stir the imagination and instill a sense of hope for tomorrow..."
• "A joyful land built by an inspired dreamer for other dreamers and dreams still to come..."

Where did our collective sense of vision go?  Why don't we "stir the imagination" anymore?  Where is the "moon shot" of our time?

Where are our dreamers and what dreams are still to come?

I put the blame squarely on the myopic, quarterly numbers driven, "worry about today" mentality.  Few are willing to invest a bit of "today" for a better "tomorrow" in business.  But the few who do are the one's leading the way and they are going to be eating your lunch soon.

So what are you going to do to ensure your organization has a "commitment to the future for your children and mine?"  Think about it...

        

We're going to be on the radio!  Well...the 21st century version of radio...BlogTalk Radio!!!

Zane Safrit has invited me to appear on his very popular BlogTalk Radio program to discuss innovation, creativity and my book, "The Innovation Manager's Desk Reference" on Wednesday, May 12th at 9:30am (CDT).

Here's a little background information on Zane:

Zane Safrit talks about small business, innovation, word-of-mouth, leadership, generating positive cash-flows, topgrading, social media, blogs and bloggers, the economy...maybe even current events like politics. It's personal, passionate, opinionated. And helpful.

Some of his recent guests/shows demonstrate the top-notch guests he brings to his listeners:

• John Hagel III, The Power of Pull: How Small Moves, Smartly Made, Can Set Big Things in Motion
• Erika Andersen, founder of Proteus International and author of Being Strategic
• Gary Harpst, author of Six Disciplines Execution Revolution
• Michael Lee Stallard, author of Fired Up or Burned Out
• Mark W. Johnson, author of Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal

And here's his plug for the show featuring us next week:

Upcoming Show: 5/12/2010 9:30 AM
Paul R. Williams is President and CEO of Think for a Change, LLC. ( thinkforachange.com)  And in his new book, The Innovation Manager's Desk Reference he offers a collection of resources, best practices and thought leadership on organizational creativity, idea management and innovation leadership for the Innovation Manager.  Paul has dedicated his professional development to the study of creativity and innovation in business. He specializes in establishing successful innovation management systems along with teaching the concepts of innovation maturity, organizational creativity and “helping business help itself.” In 2008, Paul R. Williams was listed by InnovationTools.com as one of the “Top 10 Innovation Experts To Whom You Should Be Listening.”  Now you can.

Remember...the interview is next Wednesday morning, May 12th at 9:30am CDT!!!

To listen in...click this hyperlink:  - - - LISTEN TO PAUL WILLIAMS ON BLOGTALK RADIO WITH ZANE SAFRIT - - -

The link takes you to a place where you can listen in, provides a call in number and allows you to go back and download our discussion from iTunes at a later date. 

I am very excited to be joining Zane for this one hour discussion on innovation and ideas!

        

        

"Innovation is the central issue in economic prosperity" - Michael Porter

When I engage with organizations who are looking to gain maturity in their existing innovation management competency, my very first step is to look around the organization for the following:

1. Leadership Engagement
   • Not just commitment or buy-in or awareness or approval
   • Executive-level person(s) willing to participate and get their hands dirty
   • Middle management serving as idea facilitators rather than idea decision-makers
2. Business Discipline
   • Innovation treated as a business discipline, not an event
   • Innovation considered a key driver of growth
   • Innovation run as business unit no different than Marketing, IT or HR
3. Resource Availability & Mix
   • Human Resources
   • Monetary Resources
   • Time Resources
   • Space Resources
4. Process Depth
   • Efficient Processes for Idea and Innovation Management
   • Effective Processes for Idea and Innovation Management
   • Process Improvement Mindset

What I find tells me if they have a good "climate" for innovation.  The analysis of the "culture" for innovation comes next.

        

"Where all think alike, no one thinks very much" - Walter Lippmann

One of the biggest dangers in idea generation and innovation management is "group think," a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis (1972), which occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of “mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment.”   Groups affected by group think ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other groups.  A group is especially vulnerable to group think when its members are similar in background, when the group is insulated from outside opinions, and when there are no clear rules for decision making.

Some of the warning signs for group think include:

• Conformity or other pressure on the minority voices in a group
• Self-censorship
• "Protecting" the group from negative or contradictory information and facts
• Shared mindset
• Stereotyping
• The illusion of consensus
• The illusion of moral certainty
• The illusion of infallibility

So how can you avoid Group Think?"

• Encourage and maintain diversity of thought, experiences and backgrounds
• Keep vigilant for the warning signs listed above
• Set guidelines for group leadership and discussions
• Ensure there is an outlet for healthy conflict
• Engage an experienced facilitator during idea generation sessions
• Provide an "emergency escape valve" or anonymous communication system
• Restructure the make-up of group if necessary

Without the freedom to think independently and voice opinions and ideas, the entire idea and innovation process breaks down.  This foundational "right" of creativity needs to be protected.  Group Think costs your organization money, time and other valuable resources.  The result of group think is rarely positive...so be mindful of this not-so-silent "idea killer!"

        

Here is a presentation I developed after being featured in the October 2009 issue of PM Network Magazine, the official monthly publication of the Project Management Institute (PMI), on the topic of leveraging innovation within the project management discipline.  I've used this basic presentation at a number of events since the article was released.  Much of what you see below was also incorporated into a recent presentation I jointly gave with Kimberly Johnson of Johnstech International at the April Meeting of the Product Development & Management Association (PDMA) - Minnesota Chapter.

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Last time, we shared a process map/checklist for idea management.  This time, we share a process map/checklist/document artifact list for efficient and effective innovation management.  We use this exact "Storyboard" for all of our client engagements that deal with establishing an innovation management capability. 

<CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO OPEN A LARGER VERSION IN PDF FORMAT>

        

Most people rely on visual clues to properly understand complex processes and concepts.  So...to help those of you (myself included) better comprehend the processes, progression, tools and flow of creative problem solving and idea management, here is a unique view of the concept:

<CLICK ON THE GRAPHIC TO OPEN A LARGER PDF VERSION>



Next time...we'll explore a similar view...but with a focus on the development of an internal innovation management system.

        

Thought I'd share an example of an Innovation Management Dashboard I recently completed for a client...

<Click the image to download a larger PDF version>



You can do some cool stuff with Mind Maps!  This was created with xMind...my favorite mind mapping tool!

        

I've posted this before, but it seemed like a refresher was in order...