The Word I.N.N.O.V.A.T.I.O.N.

Anne Orban, NPDP, director of Discovery and Innovation at Innovation Focus Inc explains in the PDMA’s Visions Magazine the 10 rules of thumb to innovate in a organization using the acrostic  I.N.N.O.V.A.T.I.O.N.

INITIATE innovation from senior management

Senior management has two key roles in creating the structure for innovation . They must communicate  belief that innovation is integral to the strategic direction of the company and develop a business model to take the company there. In this way, senior management  provides a platform for the innovation culture.

NOMINATE innovation teams aligned with strategy

Innovation teams work optimally when clearly aligned with strategy. Team composition is likely to change as team members rotate off and on depending on the stage of the innovation process.

NEGOTIATE a charter for alignment of innovation team with corporate strategy and desired outcomes

The innovation team’s deliverables should be clarified in a team charter (PIC-Product Innovation Charter) that describes the task, business opportunity, expected benefits, approach, metrics for success, dependencies, stakeholders, assumptions and risks. Getting signatures on the charter from the project champion, project leader and all team members is the final step for alignment, which is the purpose of the charter.

OPERATE in the outside world with fresh eyes

The innovation team should go out into the world with ‘fresh eyes’ and conduct a range of research activities throughout the new product development process: observing, listening and talking with customers to learn.

VIOLATE business-as-usual

Be innovate in how you design your culture for innovation. Allow all necessary for success functions to find ways to be more effective and to speed up new product development.

ACTIVATE openness to incite a culture for innovation

Leadership needs to create a corporate bias for openness to ideas and to model that openness as a behavioral norm.

TRAIN everyone in innovation process tools and techniques

Use innovation process tools and techniques to provide a common language for innovation. be appropriately disciplined and rigorous about how tools and techniques are used to get the most out of them.

INVENT at the intersection of the customer needs, technology and trends

Develop a three dimensional matrix that includes the customer connection, the technological trajectory and multiple perspectives on the future. Invent at these intersections.

ORGANIZE so new product concepts feel as if they are the next logical things to do

Communicate up, across and down. Find language to communicate that is understandable to all company audiences.

NEVER forget recognition and celebration along the way and at the end

Celebration is essential for team productivity, especially when negotiating the challenges of innovation. Leadership must recognize when milestones have been reached and celebrate that success.

Now, we know that to accept and start an innovation project it is very important to completely understand what the word I.N.N.O.V.A.T.I.O.N. means. This through the insights that some experts share with us.

Images credit: www.pdma.org

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Geovanny Romero, is certified NPDP Plant Manager at Renovallanta-ContiLifeCycle, and Managing Director at NPD Strategy in Andean Region. A Member of PDMA International, his main interests are focused in Productivity, New Product Development and Lean In.