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Webinar Event Recap

Incremental Innovation: How small changes make a big impact

There is no one “true” path to innovation. It’s not always this big “aha” moment or idea. As long as what you deliver solves your users' needs and is done before anyone else in your competitive space, you’ve achieved innovation.

Keep reading and watch the webinar recording to discover how to break down innovation barriers and deliver customer value.

Aligning on innovation

Innovation is the process of creating something new or optimizing something to meet, exceed and anticipate future user needs in a way that hasn't been done before.

 

Innovation exists on a continuum with three main points:

 

Core innovation

Improving existing capabilities in existing markets

New product innovation

Developing new products allows a company to draw on existing capabilities for new uses

Transformational innovation

Innovating not just your products but your business model as well.

Man writing on sticky note with team during in-office working session

Common barriers to innovation

Once you’ve identified where you exist on the innovation continuum, you can triage the common innovation barriers and how best to combat them to enable growth.

Most common barriers:
  • Lack of organizational alignment
  • Siloed ideation
  • Decision-making without data and insights
  • Executing an idea without testing it

Breaking through those barriers

01Define your innovation charter
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A documented vision, goal, objectives, and tactics centered around the organization’s definition of innovation ability to support the organization’s overall mission.

02Strive for cross-functional, organization-wide innovation teams
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The best ideas come from diverse teams and should include everyone’s ideas – don’t pull the same three people you talk to all day.

03Balance innovation efforts across the innovation spectrum
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This allows different initiatives to take shape over time and not focus on short-term ROI gains. This requires deciding how much to invest in each horizon so that resources are well spent, and employee expectations are realistic.

04Ensure action after ideation
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You have to go from ideation to creating an execution roadmap to talk about bringing an idea to life. Assign an executive sponsor for the innovation initiative to allow for healthy debates and improvements.

05Make a test and measurement plan
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Start small with an idea. It's ok if the first product release doesn't include every feature. The most important thing is to provide something they can test and experience as quickly as possible.

How to get started

The path to innovation doesn’t have to be singular or direct; working collaboratively towards a goal is when true innovation comes to life.

  • Craft an up-front innovation goal tied to your organizational goals
  • Talk to your users frequently and regularly
  • Structure your teams to innovate effectively
  • Focus on outcomes instead of outputs
Resources for you
Strategy and Innovation
Strategy and Innovation
The Innovation Imperative
The Innovation Imperative
Digital Product Owner Handbook
Digital Product Owner Handbook

 

It's time to put innovation into action.

Discover how to break down innovation barriers and deliver customer value.

Contact us to get started