Tag Archives: Storytelling

What’s Your Innovation Story Morning Glory?

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Tapping into the Power of Storytelling to Drive Innovation

What's Your Innovation Story Morning Glory?

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In the rapidly evolving landscape of business and technology, innovation is the lifeline that keeps organizations vibrant and relevant. Yet, fostering an environment where innovation thrives can feel elusive. One powerful tool, often underestimated, is storytelling. The ability to convey complex ideas and inspire people through narrative can drive profound change and serve as a catalyst for innovation.

The Art and Science of Storytelling

Firstly, let’s consider storytelling as both an art and a science. While it is undeniably an ancient art form, its impact on human psychology is well-documented. Stories captivate our attention, make information more memorable, and create emotional connections. These elements are pivotal in not only embracing change but in sparking creative thinking, dissolving resistance, and championing new ideas.

The whole notion of storytelling transcends merely reciting a tale. It’s about creating intention, purpose, and direction. It involves constructing a narrative that not only conveys the strategic vision but also resonates with the workforce, consumers, and stakeholders, making it an impetus for collaborative innovation.

Case Study 1: Airbnb – Reframing Travel through Personal Stories

Founded in 2008, Airbnb revolutionized the way people travel by leveraging the power of storytelling to build trust and craft a compelling brand narrative. The company faced an enormous challenge: persuading people to open their homes to strangers. Airbnb’s strategy was to create a narrative that placed human connection and unique experiences at its core.

Key Actions and Impact

1. Focused on Authentic Stories:
Airbnb encouraged hosts and guests to share their personal stories and experiences on the platform. This created a rich repository of testimonials that highlighted not just practical aspects but the emotional richness of their travel experiences.

2. Brand Narrative:
Instead of pitching just another accommodation service, Airbnb framed their brand narrative around the idea of belonging and experiencing a destination like a local. Their tagline, “Belong Anywhere,” encapsulated this philosophy.

3. Customer Advocacy:
By fostering a community where people could see the human faces behind the hosts and guests, Airbnb built a sense of trust and authenticity. Video storytelling and carefully crafted social media content helped amplify the message.

The result? Airbnb not only disrupted the traditional hospitality industry but developed a strong, loyal community. They turned an innovative business model into a global brand backed by powerful, personal stories that continually evolve with each new host and guest.

Case Study 2: Tesla – Driving Innovation with a Visionary Narrative

Tesla, under the leadership of Elon Musk, is another excellent example of how storytelling can drive innovation. Musk’s ability to articulate a compelling vision for the future of transportation and energy has been central to Tesla’s success.

Key Actions and Impact

1. Vision-Centric Storytelling:
Musk’s narrative about reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and pushing the boundaries of technology isn’t just a marketing pitch; it’s a mission. By creating a story around saving the planet, Musk aligns Tesla’s technological endeavors with a higher purpose.

2. Transparent Communication:
Musk frequently uses platforms like Twitter to engage directly with the public, sharing Tesla’s journey in real-time. This transparency garners public interest, makes the innovation process less opaque, and involves the community in Tesla’s story.

3. Initial Skepticism to Cult Following:
Early on, skepticism about electric cars and Tesla’s audacious goals was rampant. However, by consistently delivering on ambitious promises and maintaining an overarching, relatable narrative, Tesla turned initial doubt into powerful advocacy.

Tesla’s masterful weaving of innovation with a purpose-driven story has not only propelled their groundbreaking advancements in EV technology but also elevated them to an aspirational brand. They have consistently managed to convert technical achievements into segments of a grand narrative that people want to be a part of.

Crafting Your Own Narrative for Innovation

To harness the power of storytelling for innovation, start by crafting a narrative that is:

  1. Authentic: Reflect the true values, mission, and culture of your organization.
  2. Inclusive: Engage all stakeholders—employees, customers, partners—in the story.
  3. Visionary: Paint a vivid picture of a future that is exciting and attainable.
  4. Relatable: Ensure that your narrative connects on a human level, addressing fears, aspirations, and values.

Practical Steps:

  1. Identify your Innovators: Leverage employees’ and customers’ personal stories to ground your narrative in real experiences.
  2. Embed Storytelling into Culture: Promote a culture where storytelling is part of meetings, presentations, and decision-making processes.
  3. Visual and Emotional Engagement: Use multimedia—videos, blogs, social media—to bring the story to life.
  4. Measure and Evolve: Continuously gather feedback and adapt your narrative for ongoing relevance and impact.

Conclusion

The power of storytelling in driving innovation lies in its ability to make the intangible tangible, the complex relatable, and the unknown acceptable. Whether you’re a startup hoping to reshape an industry or a corporation seeking to renew its innovative edge, a well-crafted narrative can be your most potent tool. As demonstrated by Airbnb and Tesla, embedding storytelling into your innovation strategy isn’t just valuable—it’s indispensable. Let’s turn stories into the engines that power your future today.

SPECIAL BONUS: The very best change planners use a visual, collaborative approach to create their deliverables. A methodology and tools like those in Change Planning Toolkit™ can empower anyone to become great change planners themselves.

Image credit: Unsplash

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The Power of Storytelling in Creating Memorable Customer Experiences

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The Power of Storytelling in Creating Memorable Customer Experiences

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In our rapidly evolving digital era, where interactions are often fleeting and customer loyalty is a rare and priceless commodity, the singular power of storytelling as a tool to create memorable customer experiences cannot be overstated. Stories have the unique ability to evoke emotions, foster connections, and transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. More importantly, they possess the capacity to embed a brand indelibly in the hearts and minds of consumers.

As we delve into the art of storytelling in customer experience (CX), it is helpful to consider insights from two inspirational case studies—companies that have wielded the power of storytelling to create unforgettable customer experiences and, in doing so, have crafted enduring legacies.

Case Study 1: Airbnb – We Belong Anywhere

When it comes to leveraging storytelling to create remarkable customer experiences, Airbnb stands as an emblematic example. Founded in 2008, Airbnb transformed the travel industry by enabling people to rent out their homes to travelers seeking unique, localized experiences. But the company’s triumph is attributed not just to its innovative business model but to its masterful use of storytelling.

Airbnb’s foundational narrative is centered on the theme “Belong Anywhere.” The essence of this story is that travelers can find a sense of home and community, no matter where they go. This narrative resonates deeply with modern travelers who seek more authentic, personalized, and immersive experiences compared to the traditional, impersonal hotel stays.

One notable campaign that exemplifies this is the “Wall and Chain” animation, which tells the heartwarming story of a daughter booking an Airbnb stay in East Berlin for her father, who was once a guard at the Berlin Wall. During the stay, he reunites with a fellow guard and old friend. This poignant story embodies the theme of breaking down barriers and creating human connections, reinforcing the global vision of Airbnb.

Through the power of storytelling, Airbnb has not only created a memorable customer experience but has also fostered a global community of hosts and guests who share their own personal stories of adventure, discovery, and belonging. This community-driven content continuously enriches Airbnb’s brand narrative and strengthens its emotional ties with customers.

Case Study 2: Disney – Creating Magical Experiences

The Walt Disney Company, with its almost century-old legacy, has attained an unparalleled position in the realm of storytelling. Disney’s mastery lies in its ability to transport people into fantastical worlds, making even the briefest moments deeply memorable.

Disney’s storytelling prowess permeates every facet of the customer experience, especially in its theme parks. Walt Disney once envisioned Disneyland as a place where “parents and children could have fun together.” This vision has consistently guided Disney’s approach, resulting in an immersive and enchanting experience that keeps visitors returning generation after generation.

To illustrate this, consider the creation of Disney’s MagicBand, an all-in-one device introduced at Walt Disney World Resort. The MagicBand serves as a park ticket, hotel room key, and digital wallet. But beyond convenience, the strength of the MagicBand lies in the seamless and personalized storytelling experience it enables.

Upon wearing the MagicBand, visitors can receive surprise greetings from Mickey Mouse or personalized messages from Cinderella. The magic of these moments is that they feel spontaneous yet extraordinary, creating lasting memories. Behind the scenes, Disney’s sophisticated data analytics ensure that these interactions are as personal and delightful as possible.

Disney’s storytelling also extends to its staff—referred to as Cast Members—who are trained not just to provide services but to embody characters within the immersive story of the park. Every action is a performance, every detail is part of a meticulously crafted narrative, and this dedication to storytelling excellence ensures that visitors experience the magic firsthand.

The Essence of Memorable Experiences

Both Airbnb and Disney demonstrate that the essence of creating memorable customer experiences lies in the ability to tell compelling stories that resonate on an emotional level. A powerful narrative does more than just communicate a message; it builds relationships, enriches brand identity, and inspires loyalty.

To leverage storytelling effectively in CX, companies should consider the following principles:

  1. Know Your Audience: Understand who your customers are, their desires, fears, and aspirations. Craft your story to speak directly to their hearts.
  2. Be Authentic: Authenticity fosters trust. Ensure your storytelling reflects the true essence of your brand and the values you stand for.
  3. Create Emotional Connections: Stories that evoke genuine emotions tend to be the most memorable. Aim to create narratives that make your customers feel seen and understood.
  4. Engage Your Community: Involve your customers in your storytelling process. Encourage them to share their stories and experiences, creating a rich tapestry of communal narratives.
  5. Be Consistent: Across all touchpoints, maintain a consistent narrative. Every interaction should reinforce the overarching story you are telling.

Ultimately, storytelling in customer experience is an art form that, when mastered, transforms the way customers perceive, engage with, and cherish a brand. As Airbnb and Disney have shown, the stories you tell can turn ordinary moments into magical memories, forging deeper connections and creating a legacy that stands the test of time.

Embrace the power of storytelling, and you will not only captivate your audience but also foster a community of passionate advocates who live and breathe your brand story.

SPECIAL BONUS: The very best change planners use a visual, collaborative approach to create their deliverables. A methodology and tools like those in Change Planning Toolkit™ can empower anyone to become great change planners themselves.

Image credit: misterinnovation.com

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An Innovation Evangelist Can Increase Your Reputation and Innovation Velocity

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Chief Evangelist Braden Kelley

by Braden Kelley

Building upon my popular article Rise of the Evangelist, I wanted to create an article for the global innovation community focused specifically on the importance of the innovation evangelist role.

In my previous article I defined five different types of evangelists that organizations may already have, or may want to hire, including:

  1. Chief Evangelist
  2. Brand Evangelists
  3. Product Evangelists
  4. Service Evangelists
  5. Innovation Evangelists

This specialization occurs when the evangelism an organization needs become too big for one evangelist to handle. At that point, a Chief Evangelist creates the evangelism strategy and manages the execution across the team of brand, innovation, and other evangelism focus areas.

When should an organization focus on innovation evangelism?

To continue to exist as a business, every organization should build an infrastructure for continuous innovation, but many don’t. If you’re not sure what this looks like, here is my Infinite Innovation Infrastructure (which leverages the Nine Innovation Roles):

Infinite Innovation Infrastructure

For those organizations investing in innovation, it is crucial to also invest in innovation evangelism when:

  1. Innovation is part of the company’s strategy
  2. Innovation is central to competitive differentiation
  3. The company wants to share their innovation stories
  4. The company wants to partner with customers to innovate
  5. The company wants to partner with suppliers to innovate
  6. The company wants to engage experts in innovation
  7. The company wants to engage the general public in innovation

You’ll notice many of these points hint at the need for an external talent strategy, and Innovation Evangelism must play a key role. Because of this, I encourage you to download and consult the success guide I created for Innocentive on Harnessing the Global Talent Pool to Accelerate Innovation which focuses on the elements and importance of external talent in any company’s innovation efforts.

Bill Joy, a co-Founder of Sun Microsystems, once famously said:

“There are always more smart people outside your company than within it.”

Any external talent strategy must accumulate energy and then unleash it in a focused direction. And part of the way to do that is by establishing a common language of innovation. The process begins by defining what innovation means to your organization. Consider looking at this as the WHO – WHAT – WHEN – WHERE – WHY – HOW of innovation:

  • WHO is to be involved in your innovation efforts?
  • WHAT does innovation mean to you? WHAT types of innovation are you focused on?
  • WHEN will you be looking for innovation input?
  • WHERE can people go to find out more? WHERE do they go to contribute?
  • WHY should people want to participate?
  • HOW can they participate?

Continue reading this article on InnovationManagement.se

… where we will answer these questions and more:

  • Should innovation evangelism be a role or a job?
  • What does an innovation evangelist do?
  • What makes a good innovation evangelist?


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The Power of Storytelling in Driving Change Initiatives

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The Power of Storytelling in Driving Change Initiatives

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

Change is an inevitability in organizations, and its successful implementation often relies on effective communication and engagement. In this context, storytelling emerges as a powerful tool that captures people’s attention, fosters understanding, and ultimately drives change initiatives forward. As Braden Kelley aptly states, “Stories help us understand complex ideas and remember key information in an engaging and emotive way.” By weaving narratives into change management efforts, organizations can inspire, unite, and galvanize their workforce to embrace transformation. Let us explore two compelling case studies that exemplify the power of storytelling in driving successful change initiatives.

Case Study 1: Disney’s “Casting Call” Transformation

In the early 2000s, The Walt Disney Company faced challenging times due to declining attendance and customer satisfaction. To address these concerns, CEO Robert Iger introduced a change initiative known as “Casting Call.” Iger believed that by actively involving employees in the change effort and sharing inspiring stories, the company could drive a cultural shift towards exceptional guest experiences.

The company leveraged storytelling by creating a daily internal newsletter, “The E-Ticket,” which featured stories showcasing exemplary employee behaviors. These stories celebrated actions that went above and beyond, inspiring others to do the same. They celebrated the “Disney Difference” and demonstrated how every individual played a crucial role in creating magical moments for guests. By amplifying these narratives throughout the organization, Disney stimulated a sense of pride, empowerment, and a shared commitment to delivering outstanding customer experiences. As a result, Disney’s “Casting Call” not only reversed the decline but also established a solid foundation for the company’s future success.

Case Study 2: Patagonia’s Sustainable Revolution

Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company, embarked on a change initiative to promote sustainability and combat climate change. CEO Rose Marcario recognized that to truly engage customers and employees, Patagonia needed to go beyond traditional marketing campaigns. She understood the power of storytelling in inspiring action and creating lasting change.

Patagonia launched the “Worn Wear” campaign, which encouraged customers to share stories about their well-worn Patagonia products and how they had been repaired rather than replaced. By highlighting these anecdotes on their website and through social media, Patagonia invited a global community to participate in the narrative of environmental responsibility and sustainable consumption. These stories not only strengthened the emotional connection between the brand and its customers but also inspired other organizations to follow suit. Patagonia’s storytelling approach effectively transformed the company’s mission from merely selling clothing to fostering a sustainable revolution within the outdoor industry.

Conclusion

The compelling case studies of Disney’s “Casting Call” and Patagonia’s “Worn Wear” campaign demonstrate the undeniable power of storytelling in driving change initiatives. Stories possess an innate ability to influence, educate, and inspire people towards action. By harnessing this power, organizations can successfully navigate the storms of organizational change, foster meaningful connections, and create a shared vision for a better future. As Braden Kelley succinctly puts it, “In a world of facts, numbers, and figures, stories are what cut through the clutter and create deeper meaning.” Embrace storytelling as an essential tool in the realm of change management, and unleash its transformative potential within your organization.

SPECIAL BONUS: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.

“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”

Image credit: Misterinnovation.com

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Change Leadership and the Power of Storytelling

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Change Leadership and the Power of Storytelling

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

Change is an inevitable part of life, especially in today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving world. Organizations constantly find themselves navigating through various changes, from mergers and acquisitions to technological advancements. However, with change comes challenges, and the success of any change initiative lies in effective change leadership. One powerful tool that change leaders can harness is storytelling. By utilizing the power of stories, leaders can inspire, engage, and drive individuals towards embracing and supporting change. In this article, we will explore two case study examples that highlight the impact of storytelling in change leadership.

Case Study 1: IBM’s Transformation

IBM, a multinational technology company, went through a significant transformation when Lou Gerstner took over as CEO in the early 1990s. Gerstner inherited a struggling organization that was losing its market share and lacked direction. To turn things around, he recognized the need to infuse a new culture within the company and get everyone on board with the forthcoming changes.

Gerstner realized that simply presenting a cold set of data and charts would not be sufficient to inspire and motivate a workforce that had become disillusioned and resistant to change. Instead, he employed the power of storytelling to connect with his employees on a deep emotional level. Gerstner crafted a narrative that focused on IBM’s rich history, its role in shaping the world, and the collective responsibility of each employee to revive the organization.

Through his storytelling, Gerstner effectively conveyed the urgency for change while instilling a sense of pride and purpose. This emotional connection ultimately resulted in the successful turnaround of IBM, transforming it into a leading technology company once again.

Case Study 2: Procter & Gamble’s Innovation Culture

In the early 2000s, Procter & Gamble (P&G) faced the challenge of how to breathe life into their innovation efforts. A.G. Lafley, the CEO at the time, recognized that P&G needed a culture shift to foster creativity, risk-taking, and collaboration across the organization.

Lafley understood that storytelling could bridge the gap between strategic objectives and people’s daily work lives. He implemented a company-wide initiative called “Connect+Develop” that encouraged employees to share stories about their innovative ideas and experiences. These stories, which focused on real people and real challenges, helped employees see the tangible impact of their work and inspire others to think differently.

By creating a storytelling platform, Lafley empowered P&G employees to become change agents and ambassadors for innovation. This cultural shift resulted in numerous successful product launches and allowed P&G to maintain its position as a leader in the consumer goods industry.

The Power of Storytelling

These case studies highlight the transformative power storytelling can have in change leadership. Stories have the ability to evoke emotions, create meaning, build trust, and inspire action. When change leaders effectively communicate their vision and purpose through storytelling, they paint a vivid picture of the future and create a shared understanding among individuals.

Furthermore, storytelling engages both the rational and emotional aspects of individuals, making change feel more relatable and personal. It helps people see how they fit into the narrative and how their contributions are instrumental in achieving the desired change.

Conclusion

Change leadership is crucial during times of transformation within organizations. The power of storytelling as a change leadership tool cannot be underestimated. By crafting compelling narratives that resonate with employees’ experiences and emotions, leaders can bridge the gap between resistance and acceptance, ultimately driving the success of change initiatives.

References:

  • McNamara, C. (n.d.). Transformational Change, IBM Style. Retrieved from https://managementhelp.org/organizationalchange/transformational-change.htm
  • Denning, S. (2011). The case of storytelling in organizational change. Journal of Change Management, 11(3), 325-347.

Image credit: Pixabay

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Unlocking the Power of Change Leadership Through Storytelling

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Unlocking the Power of Change Leadership Through Storytelling

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Change is an inevitability in life and in business. It is essential to the success of any organization and its people, but often it is met with resistance and fear. To bring about lasting transformation, organizations must be able to move beyond the traditional methods of change management and embrace the power of change leadership through storytelling.

Storytelling is a powerful tool for change leadership. It is a way to engage with people on an emotional level and to help them understand the importance of making a change. When organizations use storytelling to convey the message of change, it can help to make it more palatable and easier to accept.

Storytelling can be used to illustrate the positive impact of change and to encourage people to believe in it. People can be inspired by stories that show how change has made a difference in the lives of others. It can also be used to show how organizations are adapting to new situations and how the changes will benefit the organization and its people.

Storytelling can also be used to help people make sense of their own experiences with change. People can learn how to cope with their own fears and doubts and how to manage their reactions to the changes. When people understand the stories behind the changes, they can more easily accept them.

Stories can also be used to demonstrate the power of collective leadership. People can be inspired by stories of how a group of people worked together to create change and how they overcame any obstacles they faced. This can be used to show the importance of collaboration and how it can be used to bring about lasting results.

Finally, storytelling can be used to help people develop the skills necessary for effective change leadership. People can learn how to lead without fear, how to engage with others in meaningful dialogue, and how to build trust and respect in the workplace. These skills are essential for successful change leadership and can be taught through stories.

Storytelling is an invaluable tool for change leadership. It can help to make change more palatable, to inspire people to accept it, and to develop the skills necessary for effective change leadership. By using storytelling, organizations can unlock the power of change leadership and make sure that their people are ready to embrace the changes they must make.

Image credit: Pexels

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What’s Your Innovation Story?

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What's Your Innovation Story?

Many, but not all, innovations involve some kind of technology, and start as an invention. Many of these technology-based inventions that may eventually become innovations are created by startups, but many are created inside large companies as well. In both cases, these technology-based potential innovations are often created by engineers or technologists that are well-versed in the problems they are solving to make the technology work, but not always with the problems that the technology may solve for customers. Often the inventors speak the languages of science and technology, which is not always the same language as that understood by the potential customers for their invention that they hope will become an innovation.

As I wrote before in the always popular, and often linked and liked – Innovation is All About Value – there are three keys to achieving a successful transition from invention to innovation:

1. Value Creation

Value Creation is pretty self-explanatory. Your innovation investment must create novel or incremental value large enough to overcome the switching costs of moving to your new solution from the old solution (including the ‘Do Nothing Solution’). New value can be created by making something more efficient or effective, possible that wasn’t possible before, or by creating new psychological or emotional benefits. This creation of new value is what most people focus on, but you can’t achieve innovation without achieving success in the next two components as well.

2. Value Access

Value Access can also be thought of as friction reduction or experience design. How easy do you make it for customers and consumers to access the value you’ve created? How well has the product or service (or the experience of using it) been designed to allow people to access the value easily? How easy is it for the solution to be created? What is the employee experience like? How easy is it for people to do business with you?

These are some of the questions you must ask and answer as you seek to create success in the value access component of innovation.

3. Value Translation

Value Translation is all about helping people understand the value you’ve created and how it fits into their lives. Value translation is also about understanding where on a continuum your solution falls between the need for explanation and education. Incremental innovations can usually just be explained to people because they anchor to something they already understand, but radical or disruptive innovations inevitably require some level of education (often far in advance of the launch).

Done really well, value translation also helps to communicate how easy it will be for customers and consumers to exchange their old solution for the new solution.

Unfortunately, not all three parts of innovation success are equally understood or valued.

Most people understand that the creation of new value (aka value creation) is a key component of innovation success.

Many people understand the concept of barriers to adoption and that value access is thus also a key component to whether or not an invention successfully makes the transformation into an innovation.

BUT, few understand that value translation is probably the most critical component to innovation success. Because value translation inevitably requires both explanation AND education in varying amounts, having a good Evangelist (see The Nine Innovation Roles) that is a gifted storyteller on your innovation team will prove crucial to your innovation success. If people don’t understand how your new solution fits into their lives and why they should abandon their old solution, even if it is the ‘do nothing’ solution, then you stand no chance of your invention becoming an innovation.

And what’s the difference between an invention and an innovation? Wide adoption…

Achieving wide adoption comes not from some catchy advertising campaign, but from creating ridiculous amounts of value in the solution itself, the way that people access the solution (or the experience that they have), and in the story you create around it.

The Role of Experience in Your Innovation Story

Many true innovations create an experience that someone wasn’t able to have before, or take a painful experience and turn it into a delightful one. The automatic transmission liberated millions of people from the struggle of successfully starting a car on a hill and the worry of grinding their gears every time they go to shift gears.

How does using your potential innovation make people feel?

What is the experience like?

Where is the experience awkward or full of friction?

Could it be better?

Experience design has become increasing important because a good or bad user experience, customer experience, or employee experience creates stories, stories that get shared, stories that sometimes take on a life of their own. This is what happens when something goes viral. Sharing of the story itself becomes a new story, meaning that people are now sharing two stories (the original story, and a new story about the sharing of the original story). The power of these shared stories is why the various fields of experience design are growing both in terms of visibility and the numbers of people employed in these kinds of roles (customer experience, customer success, user experience, human-centered design, etc.).

When it comes to innovation, experience and design matter.

Bringing It All Together

Crafting a compelling innovation story requires both a compelling value proposition and a memorable experience. When you have both, your innovation story will be more engaging, easier to tell, and more likely to be shared.

Your innovation story also requires the same type of design thinking process to achieve. You must:

  1. Understand who your audience is
  2. Define what they will find convincing about the value proposition and the experience that your innovation will create
  3. Come up with ideas on how you will tell your innovation story (including the appropriate level of explanation vs. education)
  4. Choose one and prototype your innovation story
  5. Test it with people
  6. And iterate until you find that your innovation story (as well as your potential innovation) is resonating strongly with your target customers

So, plan ahead. Design your innovation story at the same time you’re designing a compelling innovation value proposition and innovation experience. Think about what people will say about your potential innovation as they begin using it. Show it to people and ask them for feedback about your potential innovation. Craft an explanation for it, build an education plan, and test both. Take all of what you learn from asking and testing these things to begin crafting your innovation story, while also refining the design of the product or service, and the experience of using it, to make both more compelling. In doing so, at the same time you’ll also make help your innovation story that much more powerful, and increase your chances of achieving innovation success!

If you need help telling your innovation story, I can help you on the tactical side (commissioned articles, white papers, webinars, collateral, keynotes, workshops, etc.) or by building you a complete innovation evangelism strategy (for an external audience, an internal one, or both). Click here to contact me.

This article originally appeared on CIO.com

Image credit: Dreamlightfugitive.wordpress.com


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Creating a Culture of Continuous Innovation

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Creating a Culture of Continuous InnovationIn this economic downturn there is more pressure than ever on executives to find new sources of growth, and as a result leaders are increasingly talking about innovation. In some organizations the leader may say “we need to be more innovative” or “we need to think out of the box” and stop there. While for other organizations it may become part of the year’s goals or even the organization’s mission statement. Only in a small number of cases will there be any kind of sustained effort to enhance, or create, a culture of continuous innovation.

By now everyone has probably heard of six sigma and continuous improvement, and maybe your organization has even managed to embed its principles into its culture, but very few organizations have managed to transform their cultures to support innovation in a sustainable way. For most organizations, innovation tends to be something that is left to the R&D department or that is thought of on a project basis. Some organizations create new innovation teams, but it is rare for an organization to invest in transforming their entire culture. There are many reasons for this:

  1. Support from top leadership is required

    • Challenge: Most executive teams are focused on short-term results and transforming organizational culture is a long-term investment of financial and leadership resources.

  2. Clear goals and guidance are needed

    • Challenge: This is a bigger barrier than you might think. Most organizations struggle to understand how to set innovation goals and to provide a vision for employees on how they might get there. Goals to ‘be innovative’ or ‘think outside the box’ are not specific enough to be successful.

  3. Every organization is different

    • Challenge: The starting place, needs and barriers to creating a culture of continuous innovation are different for every organization – making easy implementation of best practices impossible

  4. Most companies lack a shared vocabulary for innovation

    • Challenge: People in different parts of the organization use different terminology, methodologies, frameworks, and have different understandings of what innovation is. The lack of a shared vocabulary prevents organizations from achieving shared success.

  5. Change is painful

    • Challenge: Creating a culture of continuous innovation threatens the power base of a critical few, and disrupts the way people think about their jobs and the organization. Even if change is for the better, people tend to want to avoid change.

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  6. Change needs to be managed

    • Challenge: This means pulling employees off of their day jobs or hiring consultants to commit to the leadership and communications surrounding the change effort. This investment may prove challenging in the current economic climate.

  7. Change takes time

    • Challenge: Organizations seeking to create a culture of continuous innovation must realize that the transformation will not happen overnight. People can only absorb so much change at once. The transformation will likely have to be broken up into separate phases with discreet goals (don’t try to do it all at once).

      • Make sure to stop and share the successes of each phase, and also to identify what you’ve learned that can be implemented in the next phase.

  8. Visualize the outcomes of participation

    • Challenge: Often people withdraw and choose not to participate in organizational transformations because they don’t believe that their participation will positively impact their daily lives. If those who choose to participate don’t see an impact from their early efforts, might choose to disengage as the process continues.

      • You must celebrate participation and highlight the impact of individual contributors throughout the process.

  9. New systems and processes may be required

    • Challenge: To innovate continuously, you need to be open to receiving great ideas from anywhere in the company, and must have systems and processes to manage idea gathering, evaluation, and development. Often this requires a financial and personnel investment.

  10. Change efforts require lots of communication and storytelling

    • Challenge: You have to bring the change to life for employees. This requires involvement of employees early and often in the communications surrounding the goals and outcomes of the cultural transformation

      • Create a story that is easy and fun to tell – this will make it easier to cascade the change downwards through the organization

This should give you a better idea of why very few organizations embark upon the difficult work to enhance or create a culture of continuous innovation. It may not be an easy or a short journey, but creating a culture of continuous innovation is the only way to increase your chances of avoiding organizational mortality.

Successfully creating a strong culture of continuous innovation also represents a huge opportunity for an organization to attract the best talent, to lower costs, to continuously add new revenue streams, and to better achieve competitive separation.

Is your organization ready to invest the hard work towards achieving the rewards of a culture of continuous innovation?

Build a Common Language of Innovation

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