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2008 Innovation Tracker: Ready, Fire! Aim?
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Why a Fear of Commitment is Killing Innovation.
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Organizations’ innovation efforts aren’t making the grade. Despite much buzz in the marketplace, success from innovation remains elusive for many organizations. According to results from this year’s Innovation Tracker, overall innovation scores averaged only 8.34 out of a possible 20, the equivalent of 42%—or by educational standards, an “F.” It’s clear that most organizations still do not know how to consistently make innovation a part of what they do and how they operate, and their employees don’t feel organizations are putting the right things in place to make it a sustainable initiative that drives long-term success. This download is
available if you register for free. Excerpt:
Lots of talk, not a lot of action.
Progress with innovation efforts appears to have stalled. Innovation scores—across all firms—remain disappointingly low. Few companies even cross the 50% mark. The average innovation score for 2007-2008 was a mere 8.34 out of a possible 20, or 42%, compared to 8.3 in 2006-2007—a barely discernible improvement. This is particularly surprising given the considerable buzz around innovation in the marketplace and media.
“Quick-win” innovation activity has increased.
Within the four key innovation capabilities, IDEA and CLIMATE scores have increased, while STRATEGY and PROCESS scores have declined. Essentially, this means that enterprises have enhanced their quick-win and/or skill-building activities, and are focusing efforts on “behaving” and “acting” more innovatively by conducting more idea generation sessions and innovation-related culture-building activities (such as training programs and idea challenges). While this is a step in the right direction, given the corresponding decrease in STRATEGY and PROCESS scores (and overall scores as well), this activity has apparently not yet changed the perceptions around or the effectiveness of most innovation programs.
A “Ready, Fire! Aim?” approach is prevalent.
Rather than focusing on building the foundation of a sustainable innovation program, it seems that many organizations are spending their time and resources on “smokescreen” innovation activities that create an aura of innovation as opposed to setting the foundation for an actual innovation program. Our research suggests that innovation activity today has little strategic foundation or direction—STRATEGY and PROCESS scores in 2008 decreased compared to our previous years’ study, indicating that enterprises are still indulging in an “ideas-first, strategy-later” approach to innovation. Focusing on IDEAS and CLIMATE can be positive if the objective is to fill the pipeline, create innovation momentum, and show leadership commitment. However, too much of this activity only has a number of negative implications for management and the long-term efficacy and sustainability of innovation efforts in organizations today. Without a strong innovation strategy in place, innovation activity can simply confuse employees and hurt morale in the long-term. Employees are left wondering “Why are we doing this?” when they work toward something with no strategic foundation. Ultimately, innovation activities that aren’t grounded in a distinct strategy and an organized process are a waste of time and resources.
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