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Ted's Guide to Innovation

Teddy bear reading a book Hello, my name is Ted. I am a cuddly character, with a simple attitude to life, and well read. I tell it like it is, in simple plain language. So you will not need your encyclopedia of jargon: "Jar be gone".

Instead of lolling around in the bedroom all day I decided to write a few short guides to business and other stuff.


This is one of my guides ... People often get confused between creativity and innovation. Well this guide is about innovation, not creativity. If you are confused, or want to learn what innovation is, then see the Innovative Innovation Book. This guide shows you how to innovate effectively, step by step. If you are new to innovation, or you struggle to innovate successfully, then this guide is probably for you.

Steps

» Adopt Good Practices

» Outline a Vision

» Learn the Innovation Process

» Create a Strategy and Policy

» Form a Support Team

» Identify Opportunities

» Outline Projects

» Start with an Incremental Innovation

» Use the Innovation Process

» Keep the Implementation Phase Running

» Enhancements?

» The Next Project

Adopt Good Practices

Before attempting any innovation you should get the basics right: see the pages in Ted's Guides. Learn and adopt good practices throughout your organisation.

Outline a Vision

See Innovation: Vision.

Learn the Innovation Process

This is a key part of successful innovation. Innovation does have a process.

Create a Strategy and Policy

You know how to create a strategy don't you? If not then go to step 1 - do not collect 200 pounds.

Your innovation strategy must include a risk management aspect. Include the risks arising from unsuccessful innovation attempts, and the risks of not innovating! If you do not do this then expect the stuffing to get knocked out of you, like my old teddy bear cousin.

A good policy will be simple to understand and readily accessible, by every member of staff. The benefit of a good policy is widespread engagement by the staff. That means lots of ideas for improvement and innovation! Is your policy policed, periodically reviewed and updated as required? Does it encourage widespread participation?

Form a Support Team

Useful Tip

Include the Free Innovation Services (UK) in your core team. This is especially useful for those new to innovation and small businesses / organisations.

You will need a core team to support all innovation projects. Note that each project will include additional members that have relevant experience.

Okay, are you ready to start? See: Your Innovation Checklist.

Identify Opportunities

Identify all of the opportunities where innovation can help to improve your organisation or business.

Tip: A SWOT Analysis might be useful here - see Ted's Guides.

Outline Projects

Outline a few potential innovation projects, and classify each one as incremental or radical innovations.

Start with an Incremental Innovation

Yep - what the heading says. Radical innovations are only suitable for expert innovators!

Use the Innovation Process

Implement the innovation process and step through its phases: creative, development and implementation. Sometimes you might encounter a significant challenge and have to return to an earlier phase - or scrap the innovation attempt.

Some people brag about their "fail fast" policy. Sometimes that might be the right thing to do. However, if you do too much "fail fast" then you won't achieve much success. Reflect on these "impossible" innovations: Benefits: Fantastic Achievements of the Last 100 Years.

Keep the Implementation Phase Running

If the project got to the implementation phase... well done! Keep it running until you have learnt some key lessons and delivered a successful outcome; or until it has to return to an earlier phase - or be scrapped. Customer communications and support are vital here.

Enhancements?

If enhancements are required then return to the creative phase and repeat the process.

If no enhancements are required… Are you sure that you were actively communicating with the customers and getting vital feedback?

The Next Project

When resources allow, start another innovation project.

DO NOT ATTEMPT A RADICAL INNOVATION until the organisation has repeatedly demonstrated an effective innovation process and several successful outcomes.

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Fri 23 Apr 12:59:57 BST 2021