Mapping any innovation journey can be complicated. There is a fairly detailed journey needed to be undertaken for mapping out your future direction of innovation.
Let’s get straight into it and the process and sequence needed within any innovation journey.
Firstly you have to work through the Strategic Needs– this needs to cover the type of approaches, the scope and intent, the assessments of the required impact for the end customer and organizational value, the understanding and outlines of this becoming organizational-wide in its integrated needs.
This approach does need a systematic approach, continuous up-dated toolboxes and visible metrics and tracking. Lastly, to build and quickly test, adopt and scale as knowledge and understanding are gained.
Second, there is the need to build reference points for future innovation activities, so duplication and learning can be built into understanding. Here it is vital to have gained the continued support and engagement of high-level participation, where we recommend the Leadership Alignment work Mat approach,
We need to ensure transparency for all stakeholders; the design evolves into a highly usable and integrated set of modular interlocking designs that allow for learning and flexibility to adapt to different needs, budget, and resource considerations. That collaborative mindset enables innovation to progress and eventually emerge from all the dialogues, exchanges, and contributions.
Then thirdly, we go into the process design stage shown.
This is the validating, evaluating and forecasting the future innovation state. This needs to be well planned out in a roadmap of initiatives, identifying and resolving the key components and establishing a framework of how this will be moved forward. You have the choices of any work going to be internally developed and alternatively having a consortium or network of collaborators. I would argue here is one of the most valuable contributions an experienced innovation facilitator can participate in.
The final stage is the implementation and momentum building stage. This includes a dedicated programme management need, approaching any roll-out through initiative testing, piloting and exploring steps to move towards the organizational design options that work from this validation. A growing need is to build supporting technology and structure requirements, provide consistent internal communication of progress and applying for the associated screening and approval.
Ending in a ‘living and dynamic’ innovation touch and value map that evolves in time
Finally, throughout this journey, a consistent focus on building the appropriate capabilities and competencies. Over time and experiences, you clarify and deepen your innovation proactive principles and make this a constant “living and dynamic” touch, reference and value map.
The level of mapping out your innovation pathway gives significant dividends where there is any collaborative environment. This provides identification and reference.
Happy to talk about innovating mapping some more if it interests you for applying to your organization’s needs.
Thanks Paul. As usual, a thoughtful and comprehensive post on a critical topic. You have referred to three horizons in the past and the transition is a space where it plays well. There are the things today that we are doing that we no longer want to do–leaving them in the current horizon. There are things that we want to do that are in the far horizon. And the things we want to change, which are in the transition horizon. It follows the trusty change management model: what do we want to keep, what do we want to discard, what do we want to change, and what do we want to do anew and invent? And, looking at it from a network perspective, what are the intended and potential unintended consequences? Thank you, Jim