So, You Want to Start an Innovation Effort. (Managers at Work)

You've decided that your R&D/technology organization needs a shot in the arm. After years of downsizings, restructuring and layoffs, we are beginning to see the first signs that these reactionary actions, in and of themselves, are not going to restore growth and profitability to their former levels. There also seems to be some awareness that just telling your people that you want new ideas is also not going to cut it. Memories of past efforts in this area and the consequences to people who went out on a limb are not easily forgotten and must also be taken into account. What should you do? Based in part on a multi-industry study of corporate innovation programs (1,2), I can suggest the following top ten considerations for starting and maintaining an innovation effort that impacts both the bottom line and subsequent growth of your business. 1. Be Serious and Committed This seems so obvious that you might say it's not worth saying. If you are not willing to put resources and time against this effort, don't start! You will lose credibility almost immediately and be worse off than when you started. A serious commitment is more than a 20-minute meeting once a month--it means becoming personally involved, backing the folks who take the initiative and lead, and putting manpower and financial resources against the goal. Significant changes to company results and strategy don't happen overnight, so make sure you are prepared for a multi-year effort, especially if you are looking for major bottom-line impact. 2. Define and Keep Track of the Goal Just telling people you want new ideas or innovation is not enough. Are you trying to gain market share? Reduce manufacturing costs? Speed time to market (by how much)? Gain more licensing revenue? Lower invoicing and purchasing costs? Innovation should be part of everyone's activities, and personal and functional goals are critical to measuring what you are doing and accomplishing. If you are truly serious, publish a performance chart and provide a scorecard for everyone to see. 3. Know Where You're Starting From What is the current climate for innovation? How do you know? How was/is it measured? Why did you choose the particular tool or process you are using? Many different instruments are available to assess different aspects of social styles, working relationships, and problem-solving and innovation modalities. It usually takes more than one of these to take stock of where you are. Starting an innovation program without establishing this is like saying you want to go to Florida for a vacation but don't know whether you are starting from Georgia or Oregon. Both the road and the distance traveled are different and you need to know both. Using assessment instruments in this way must be done carefully, of course, so that individuals are not inappropriately stigmatized. All styles of interpersonal interaction and innovation are required on this type of journey. This knowledge of the baseline is also critical in assessing the organization that you have vs. the goals you wish to achieve. 4. Who's Going to Lead and What's Their Style? A particular group of people will lead any major organizational effort or transformation, both at the senior and the department level. What are the styles (both social and problem solving) of these individuals? These things are measurable! Style needs to be both understood and communicated so there is no misunderstanding between these individuals and the rest of the organization, both upward and downward. The history of failed innovation programs tells us that the typical leaders of these efforts act very differently from general corporate management and will have to adjust their styles of communication and leadership at appropriate times. These differences are measurable with tools such as Myers Briggs Type Indicator[R], Personality Type Inventory[TM], Insights[R], Kirton KAI[TM], and BCPI[TM] (3). …