Category: Innovation Management

Innovation is not just about doing things in new ways. It is a way of life

What ‘Experimental Leaders’ Know About Leadership

by Bright Osadiaye, posted in Health & Well-Being, Improve Academy, Innovation Management, Leadership, Management, Personal Development, Workplace Learning Report

‘The experimental leader is a new kind of boss, one that observes, tests, and adjusts according to the outcomes.’

‘… experimental leaders … create stability in an unstable world. They open the doors for change so innovation can emerge.’

‘Being curious about small improvements and small observations is what being an experimental leader is about. It isn’t about throwing the whole business or process out and starting over again.’

‘Neutrality and curiosity are at the heart of becoming an experimental leader.’

‘Become inquisitive about how you lead now, and picture the kind of leader you want to grow into.’

‘The experimental mindset requires you to hold on to an end-of-state as your goal, experiment in incremental ways, and assess your success, adjusting as you go.’

‘The experimental leadership is action-based, so it is essential that you act before you necessarily understand.’

‘Pay attention. Over time, you will see small changes become profound shifts.’

‘Intents describe what will be accomplished. Your people determine how the work will be done.’

‘Know the work of your team. Help them track progress. Engage them in questions to spark new discoveries. Above all, foster curiosity.’

‘Create an atmosphere in which your team knows and feels it’s good for you to see their work, especially the imperfections.’

‘What can you do today to move forward by tomorrow?’

Source:

Melannie Parish (2020). The Experimental Leader: Be a New Kind of Boss to Cultivate and Organization of Innovators

Robert G. Cooper On Creating Value Through Innovation

by Bright Osadiaye, posted in Improve Academy, Innovation Management, Leadership, Management, Workplace Learning

‘The best innovators have four times the sales from new products and more than double the success rate as the worst performers. But why the huge differences?’

‘A superior and differentiated product– one that delivers unique benefits and superior value to the customer- is the number one driver of success and new product profitability.’

‘Building in the voice of the customer is one of the strongest drivers of new-product profitability, and also of time efficiency. But the great majority of companies miss the mark here- with insufficient VoC and no fact-based customer insights.’

‘People don’t know what they’re looking for until they see it or experience it. So get something in front of the customer or user fast- and keep repeating these tests all the way through to formal product testing or field trials. Multiple iterations and product validations- spirals development- are essential when facing fluid markets with customers that are uncertain about their needs.’

‘Manage risk by breaking the process into increments. When the uncertainties and unknowns are high, keep the spending low.’

‘If you want speed to market, then focus– resource your projects properly.’

‘Of the five most important drivers of businesses’ new-product performance, idea management has the strongest impact.’

‘Customer visit teams are valuable for gaining real insights into the customer’s world: the ability to identify and focus on customer problems and unspoken needs, a vital source of product ideas.’

‘Innovative customers are quite likely to have the industry’s next new product, and this lead-user method is one way to uncover what it is.’

‘Your own employees are excellent potential sources of new-product ideas. Yet all too often, internally generated ideas are either mundane or not acted upon. But there are ways to change that.’

‘How does one design a system that integrates many activities and multifunctional inputs and fosters a cross-functional team approach?’

Source:

Robert G. Cooper (2017). Winning at New Products: Creating Value Through Innovation