Photo: Stokkete

There are some paths that are easy to embark upon. If you want to start jogging, it’s as simple as putting on a pair of running shoes and hitting the road. Starting is easy, but you don’t get to complete a marathon by casually jogging from time to time. The same is true for innovation management: getting started is easy but real, lasting success can be an elusive goal.

Here’s the bad news: due to this it’s likely that your innovation management programme will fail. It’s not because you’re not capable and not because you don’t have the mandate. Odds are you simply missed some important prerequisites.

In this blog, we will take you through the most common causes of failure – thus enhancing the importance of actions such as engaging people in your innovation programme, of getting executive leadership, and using social tools and gamification mechanisms to make it a successful quest.

At first glance, they may seem obvious, but many companies disregard at least a few. While reading, you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed and you definitely shouldn’t wait to resolve them all before beginning. Just make sure you’re keeping these failure points on the radar.

Throughout the following weeks, we will share with you several tips on how to overcome these challenges, based on our experience at Exago, across 4 continents. Tips that we believe will be able to help you build a solid foundation for a long lasting and resilient innovation culture in your organization.

Pedro do Carmo Costa, Exago’s director and co-founder
pcc@exago.com

20 TIPS TO MAKE IT WORK:

1. No team, no game
2. How to build a winning innovation team?
3. Ideators, builders, screeners and implementers – which one are you?
4. It’s social, stupid!
5. Push and pull in your innovation efforts
6. Gamification – make work fun
7. Are top leaders tuned in?
8. Lacking resources – how to cook an omelet with few eggs
9. Lacking business relevance – or why there are no sheep in the Artic
10. Four tips to keep innovation initiatives alive
11. What to do when you lack measurable returns
12. How to measure idea management intangible returns
13. How to duck the innovation implementation void
14. Is you innovation effort transparent enough?
15. What are you neglecting in your innovation initiative?
16. The innovation keystone you may be missing
17. For those who know the innovation clock is ticking
18. You’re not Google or Facebook, are you?
19. The checklist for your innovation programme success
20. The time is now. Hit your innovation stride