From the outside, innovation always appears to be enjoyable. The picture of Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone in 2007 or the achievements of NVIDIA and OpenAI at the moment. Employees at these organizations appear to be enjoying themselves immensely. But what is the true extent of their enjoyment?
The most recent book by Morgan Housel, Same As Ever, is jam-packed with gems. “Harder Than It Looks And Not As Fun As It Seems” is the title of one of my favorite chapters. Housel observes that neither individuals nor businesses disclose “how the sausage is made” when they showcase themselves to the public. The outside world does not witness the awkward characters and challenging circumstances that exist in most firms.
The enigma of innovation
So what relevance does this have to innovation? The majority of the innovation teams and projects I have worked on are disorganized and hardly functional. The dynamics among the team can be difficult. Finding successful business models and value propositions that appeal to clients may be a challenging and intricate endeavor, even for a well-oiled team.
When CEOs encourage teams to launch an innovation lab, it seems like a good idea at first. These teams receive gorgeous workspaces and budgets. The teams begin having enjoyable hackathons and brainstorming sessions. However, when those same leaders begin to demand concrete outcomes from the lab work, things become more difficult than they appear.
These are my thoughts on a recent Forbes story that I read, in which the director of an innovation lab for a major global airline was quoted. Their exploration has encompassed a range of intriguing concepts and innovations. A few of the projects they are working on look extremely amazing! However, she is currently working under a new boss who has given her the task of ensuring that the innovations being developed in the lab are implemented across the company.
Innovating can be a challenging problem. Possessing a value proposition is different from just having a cool technology. Teams working on innovation must determine what consumers want. People often don’t know what they want until they see it, thus this is a difficult task. The objective is to therefore cultivate a profound sense of empathy for the issues that clients are encountering and utilize this to inform the creation of a value proposition.
However, having a lucrative and scalable business strategy is not the same as having a value proposition. Therefore, additional research needs to be done to determine how we might produce, provide, and obtain value from clients. Collaboration between important company functions is needed for this activity. Motivating this cooperative effort can be tricky.
Prioritize the difficult tasks
Innovation teams should not stop doing difficult tasks until much later in establishing an innovation lab. They are taking a cue from their future selves if they devote all of their time and effort to the enjoyable aspects of invention. They will eventually have to report on the value they are generating for the organization. The good times end at this point. It is preferable to deal with the truth straight away. It’s not as easy or enjoyable as it seems to innovate.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, while corporate innovation may appear straightforward on the surface, its successful execution presents multifaceted challenges that require a strategic, adaptive approach. From overcoming resistance to change within organizational structures to understanding complex market perspectives, businesses must recognize the complicated interaction of factors influencing innovation outcomes.
Taking up the customs associated with experimentation, fostering collaboration across departments, and supporting external partnerships are important strategies for guiding sustained innovation in today’s high-powered business environment.
By taking into consideration the fundamental hardships and investing in necessary resources and capabilities, businesses can locate themselves to flourish amid disorganization and come to light as leaders in their relevant industries.
(Tashia Bernardus)