Top 10 Innovation Killers

This is an excellent article describing the causes of innovation initiative failure. In summary, senior management holds the keys to either success or failure. Proper execution in the establishment of an innovation framework is critical to future performance. This article will help you determine what is wrong and how to fix it, or to avoid failure altogether. The list:

• Not creating a culture that supports innovation
• Not getting buy-in and ownership from business unit managers
• Not having a widely understood, system-wide process
• Not allocating resources to the process
• Not tying projects to company strategy
• Not spending enough time and energy on the fuzzy front-end
• Not building sufficient diversity into the process
• Not developing criteria and metrics in advance
• Not training and coaching innovation teams
• Not having an idea management system

Joyce Wycoff is the Co-Founder of the InnovationNetwork, an organization which helps organizations build competency in innovation. She is the author of several books in the field of innovation and creativity including industry standards Mindmapping and To Do … Doing … Done! For more information about innovation, please go to www.thinksmart.com.