"Don't make excuses.  Make things happen." - Doug Hall

There is a constant hum around innovation today.  Organizations everywhere talk about it incessantly.  "We need to be more innovative."  "Innovation is the key to top-line growth."  "Innovation is essential to success."  Blah, blah, blah....

All that talk would be great if it was actually backed with action.  Unfortunately, the talk is much more common than the actual "walk" or action taken to make innovation happen.  It is a frustrating, but not insurmountable, problem.

This propensity for inaction (paralyzation?) started becoming more clear as I've been catching up on a number of reports, survey findings, white papers, etc. regarding how organizations (mostly Fortune 500) are leveraging innovation (or not) within their organizations.  A common theme across all of these reports and survey results are that executive and senior leaders claim to understand the importance of innovation, ideas, new product development and so forth on the ability to influence top-line growth.  There also seems to be a solid understanding that, without top-line growth, they will eventually fade into obscurity.  So far so good right?  Hmmm.....

Almost immediately following the Executive Summary section of these reports, we start getting the excuses on why the "ideal state" of growth via innovation isn't actually being followed within their organizations:

• Pressure from "Wall Street" and investors on cost reduction
• Pressure from "Wall Street" and investors on a quarterly-focus instead of long-term strategy
• Don't understand, or have immaturity surrounding, the process of innovation and extracting value from ideas
• Poor climate/culture for ideas and innovation
• Limited funding for an innovation-related portfolio

Nutshell version:  "Waaaaa....innovation is too hard....waaaaaa......."

Yes, it is hard.  Just as hard as driving out waste to reduce cost.  Just as hard as developing an effective marketing strategy to engage customers.  Just as hard as having a stable and effective IT infrastructure.  Just as hard as recruiting new talent and reducing turnover.  Just as hard as managing day-to-day operations that keep products going out the door. 

You see, it isn't any harder than any of the other functions you need to keep your business running efficiently, effectively and, hopefully, profitably.  The problem here is that executive and senior leadership in these organizations don't see innovation as a true business process.  They continually look at it as an event.  An event that you only trigger when you need to develop the next big thing or product line.  An event that is all too often stopped when the economy goes South. 

But let's focus on the excuses for a moment...and then punch a few holes them:

• Pressure from "Wall Street" and investors on cost reduction
  • This is a pressure you inflict upon yourself.  You do not need to be a slave to the pressures of "The Street".  You choose to because you have limited your definition of "success" to the stock price.  Eventually, even "The Street" wants to know if you have any plans to add some top-line growth or they'll dump you faster than your worst nightmare.  The short-term reward of cutting costs only lasts until you've run out of stuff to cut.
• Pressure from "Wall Street" and investors on a quarterly-focus instead of long-term strategy
  • See above...and take a step back to look at the entire forest to which your organization belongs, not just the 12" by 12" piece of tree trunk at which you keep staring.
• Don't understand or have immaturity surrounding the process of innovation and extracting value from ideas
  • Okay...this happens.  But when you sought out help in getting lean and eliminating waste, you turned to the SixSigma Black Belts right?  And when you needed that unique new plan to grab market attention, you turned to Marketing Analysts right?  So why does innovation, R&D, growth strategy have to be any different?  It doesn't!  Find an expert, hire them and learn how to get better!
• Poor climate/culture for ideas and innovation
  • As a leader, you set the climate and culture.  Period.  So if you struggle here, its your own fault.  Again, it happens.  When you focus too much in one area for too long (cost cutting) you begin to slowly shift the culture in that direction.  It can be completely inadvertent...but it happens.  Encourage people to learn about the problems that your organization or your customers face.  Encourage them to submit ideas.  Show them you are listening.  Reward them.  Recognize them.  Allow them to take risks and fail.  Develop the burning platform for change.
• Limited funding for an innovation-related portfolio
  • Times are tough.  No argument here.  But, you get results where you put your money and resources.  So if you REALLY believe that "Innovation is the key to success" like your recent shareholder letter claimed, then put some money where your mouth is!

Innovation only happens when organizations "talk the talk" AND "walk the walk."  No one is going to hand you the "next big thing" or that bit of competitive separation or your future profit generator that only exists in someone's head right now.  You have to deliberately search for the "next big thing."  You have to carve out your competitive advantage by offering something unique.  You have to help that person with that great idea get it out of his/her head and into your customers hands.  You have to live the Think For A Change, LLC. motto..."Imagine the future...Make it happen"

So stop making excuses, and start making it happen today!

Need help?  Call me...email me...send me a question on a piece of duct tape....but do something!