Innovation

Innovation, real innovation, still remains the development engine for companies. Thereby the innovations today do not only come from internal research units but as well from external partners or they are acquired into to company

This creates new challenges for organizations. Not only in intellectual properties questions or the share of revenue going to the partner/inventor. Especially the inner structure and power system of an organization is challenged. How appreciated will the internal research be/feel if most attention goes towards the external impulses? Is an organization allowed to call them “innovative” if the innovations are acquired? How will resources been distributed?

At the same time a long experience with and direct access to the market is important for the key people. Both is often not existing in mid-sized and large enterprises and the agility to drive the market therefore is limited.

In addition and independently from the above questions it remains a challenge to really create a leapfrogging or even disruptive innovation, to enter white spaces on the competitive landscape. Many ideation workshops are being held, internal intranet based innovation platform are created and still the motivation to think creatively is small.

A path to improve such a situation can be to evaluate honestly the own aspirations in respect to the positioning in the market and the resulting requirements for the organization. Possibly life gets a lot easier being a fast follower? And if so why not focusing all energy on the necessary agility and market know how instead on creating artificial internally focused innovation programs?

The necessary deep insight is accessible by following a model created by Otto Scharmer (MIT Boston), the Theory U approach. And with the same model one can then succeed if the intention holds to create sustainable innovation. More you will find here!