INNOVATION CULTURE

THE FALSE BELIEFS OF INNOVATION CULTURE
FALSE BELIEF #1 INNOVATION NEEDS MAXIMUM FREEDOM!
A WIDESPREAD OPINION IS THAT INNOVATION NEEDS FREEDOM AND THAT CHAOS COMES FROM IT...
NEITHER FITS INTO MOST COMPANIES NOR CAN IT BE TOLERATED BY MOST EXECUTIVES.
BUT THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.
INNOVATION CAN AND MUST BE GUIDED BY A WELL STRUCTURES, PROCESS.
FALSE BELIEF #2 INNOVATION CULTURE IS BORN FROM CREATIVE IDEAS!
INNOVATION IS VERY OFTEN CONFUSED WITH...
...CREATIVITY AND IDEAS.
HOWEVER INNOVATION DOES NOT MEAN  HAVING A CREATIVE IDEA.
BUT SUCCESSFULLY BRINGING IT TO THE MARKET.
EVEN MORE CLEARLY:
AN IDEA HAS ALMOST NO VALUE TODAY...
WITHOUT IMPLEMENTATION AND MARKET LAUNCH.
FALSE BELIEF #3 INNOVATION COSTS MILLIONS AND TAKES YEARS.
THERE IS A PREVAILING BELIEF THAT INNOVATIVE STAFF AND...
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COST A LOT OF MONEY AND THE PROCESS TAKES YEARS.
FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, THE MOST CREATIVE INPUT DOES NOT COME FROM...
THE HIGHEST-PAID EMPLOYEES. AND THE LONGER PROJECTS TAKE, THE HIGHER THE FAILURE RATE.
FALSE BELIEF #4 DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION TAKES YEARS.
COMPANIES SPENT VAST SUMS OF COACHING, WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING.
BUT EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT EVEN WHEN THE SPEED IS FINALLY PLANTED...
THE TOPIC IS ABRUBTLY LOST UNLESS...
...NEW COST-INTENSIVE IMPULSES ARE CONSTANTLY PROVIDED.
FALSE BELIEF #5 YOUR INNOVATION LAB IS THE SOLUTION.
TABLE FOOTBALL,VR GOGGLES AND THE PLAYSTATION CORNER ARE NOT INNOVATION DRIVERS.
PEOPLE OFTEN LIKE TO INVEST IN A FANCY LAB.
HOWEVER, THIS DOESN'T ACHIEVE ANY MEASURABLE OUTPUT...
IT'S OFTEN WEARLY DISMISSED , ESPECIALLY BY THE COMPANY'S OWN EMPLOYEES
WHAT CAN BE DONE INSTEAD?
INSTEAD OF THE BORING STANDARD ACTIVITIES...
ENTREPRENEURS SHOULD RATHER FOCUS ON ...
INVITING THEIR EXISTING EMPLOYEES TO BECOME INNOVATIVE.
AFTER ALL, INNOVATIVE IDEAS ARE USUALLY ALREADY...
...AVAILABLE IN-HOUSE THEY'RE JUST NOT VISIBLE.
WHAT'S NEXT?
FOCUS!
WE RECOMMEND THAT, AS SOON AS THE IDEA AND ROUGH VISION ARE SET...
AN INTERDICIPLINARY TEAM OF A MAXIMUM OF 5 EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE COMPLETELY RELEASED OF A PERIOD OF NO MORE THAN ONE WEEK.
PROVIDE THEM WITH A BUDGET AND, IF NECESSARY , BRING IN A SMALL TEAM OF EXPERTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND THEN WORK ON A SINGLE TASK WITH FULL FOCUS.
WHY ONLY ONE WEEK?
BECAUSE THIS BOTH MINIMIZES THE RISK OF FAILURE AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IS EASY ON THE BUDGET.
OR MORE CLEARLY:
ONLY IF THE WEEK IS SUCCESSFUL WE WILL INVEST IN ANOTHER WEEK.
WHAT'S THE GOAL?
A TANGIBLE PROTOTYPE.
SOMETHING THAT CAN BE TRIED OUT, TOUCHED OR EVEN BETTER BE TESTED DIRECTLY Y A CUSTOMER.
GOING TO THE MARKET?
THE MAJOR DISCIPLINE IS CALLED "BUYING CUSTOMERS".
WHAT IS THE EFFECT?
INNOVATION CULTURE-FOR-A-WEEK!
FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME...
YOU HAVE A HIGHLY EFFICIENT, MOTIVATED INNOVATION TEAM THAT...
FULLY CONCENTRATES ON A SPECEFIC TASK AND KNOWS EXACTLY THAT IT WILL ONLY CONTINUE IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL.
THAT'S THE END?
YOU MEAN.... HAVE I CREATED AN INNOVATION CULTURE AT LAST?
NOPE.
YOU STILL WANT MORE?
THEN YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THE FACT ...
THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN...
MOST PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO.
I AM SAYING THAT BASED ON MY OWN PAINFUL EXPERIENCE.
YOU WANT DEEPER INSIGHTS?
JUST FOLLOW OR TAKE A LOOK AT OUR INNOVATORS' BOOTCAMP.