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More reading on innovation

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 08-02-13

On the same day I posted my IndustryWeek column on innovation, titled 4 Keys to Making Innovation a Capability, I just happened to come across some other stuff from my blog feeds on innovation, from quite different perspectives.

First was this video on HBR titled Four Methods for Corporate Innovators (what’s up with the number 4 on this topic?). The advice all seems useful, but the perspective is interesting. This really has nothing to do with actually innovating. It has much more to do with how to get your innovative idea through the corporate machine.

It goes on to suggest that the corporate methods of approval resist new innovations, so keep innovations out of the system and run the idea forward in parallel. But what about fixing the process so that the corporate system elevates innovation to the top? It’s good advice to the individual who just wants to get their idea moving forward, but I believe bad advice for corporations who just ignore the real problem in their systems.

Another (more useful) article also found on HBR is Five Ways to Innovate Faster (they have 5 so it must be better). The 5 points are:

1. Form small, focused teams
2. Push to learn in market
3. Measure learning, not results
4. Tie funding to risk reduction, not the calendar
5. Ensure decision makers have the right experience to guide the team before the data are clear

Good advice, and I encourage you to read the whole article.

What’s your favorite reading on innovation?

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