Risk and Innovation: How to Mitigate Risk While Seizing Opportunities
The Uncertain Markets and tough economy of the past two years made leaders take a hard look at their competitive positioning and their tolerance for risk-and that's the good news. But meeting market demands and truly managing risk requires understanding the many forms it takes and developing and executing rapid, innovative responses.
The Pace of Change Is Accelerating.
Customers are altering their behavior.
They're accessing ever-evolving, real-time modes of information about quality, products, suppliers and your services.
The Challenges Facing Organizations Today are Innovation-Related.
In order to thrive, manage risk, lead and compete in an environment that is constantly changing, with ever-increasing customer expectations and demands, organizations and their leaders must develop new ways of operating and even thinking.
Their Leaders and Cultures must support new and innovative competencies that will allow their firms not only to meet, but to anticipate and lead the market demand curve. To truly Live The Brand.
Customers Can Feel It
Our clients' experience has shown that organizations that are willing and able to embrace innovation and support innovation-champions come out ahead of the pack in competitive positioning, brand effectiveness and revenue generation.
Organizational Innovation Starts With Personal Power
Personal Power is the energy necessary to remain centered, present, creative and flexible in the midst of change, expand the Brand and customer service, and provide leadership for new ideas and competitive strategies. It advances the professional development and growth of leaders and employees, and maximizes their own satisfaction and contribution to the firm and its customers.
Value Staging has been working with classical, structured improvement methodologies for years including Six Sigma and CAP. We have found that innovation can also have a structured development process while remaining free of unproductive patterns, preconceived notions and cultural pitfalls. Our approach offers a structured way to develop and implement needed, customer-centric innovation. We integrate out-of-the-box thinking, planning and execution, and innovation culture with structured process-improvement methods.
Innovation is not just "random acts of creativity"
Good ideas do not have to fail to evolve into innovative solutions
The innovation process starts at the core: With the "Mission To Be Done"
Organizations typically respond to changing markets and technology by developing and implementing "least resistance" projects.
- Companies are quite good at addressing and fixing ad-hoc issues that arise daily.
- They are fairly good at addressing more pressing strategic challenges.
- They are not very successful in major change efforts aimed at taking advantage of accelerating marketplace shifts (75% fail).
- The success rate for addressing people issues is dismal.
Transformative breakthroughs require innovative methods and solutions.
Rule #1
Don't confuse efficiency with innovation
Achieving Innovation & Breakthrough
Elements of Successful Innovation-The Short List
Focus on your organization's core job: the "Mission-To-Be-Done"
Remain fiercely customer-centric
Foster a culture of innovation
Communicate. Let your stakeholders feel it
Identify and develop innovation champions and leadership
Support innovation leaders and staff - hiring them and watching them walk out the door is expensive.
Manage risk while innovating
Consider innovation through acquisition
Employ open innovation when possible
Use a structured innovation methodology and accelerated-change toolkit
Use innovation to support and become part of your Brand
Employ innovation tools for smooth and rapid Mergers & Acquisitions and Divestitures
Remember Rule #1: Never confuse efficiency with innovation
A Word About Resistance & Deal-Killers
When efforts to change things and innovation processes begin, "antibodies" in the organization usually arise in response. These players are focused on maintaining the efficiency of the status quo. Good as far as it goes. Leaders need to identify and channel the efforts of these antibodies away from innovation efforts.
Failure to support and execute innovation in this market comes at a cost in dollars, time and lost customers. Effective innovation can yield lasting breakthroughs in competitive position, industry leadership, increased revenue, and customer and employee satisfaction.
We have the people and the tools. Let us help you innovate.
Contact us for a Free Consultation
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