Transcending Corporate Think

Drop the Baggage; Solve Real Problems with Real Partners

(What I learned from my students at the recent NPD Facilitation class)

Getting beyond our restricted resources is a constant theme in almost all organizations. Defense of the innovation budget is SOP. Offensive innovation is not making much of an impression at the funding levels in most American companies. Open innovation, drawing the best from different players to make a unique and stronger whole, makes sense.  Unfortunately, open innovation can start to feel like an NPD shanty town if all we do is bring together a group of under-funded, under-resourced, weak players. So what is the alternative?

It was really exciting at a recent New Product Discovery Facilitation Class when five separate teams (representing 10 companies) were tasked with improving the quality of life for diabetics. With comparatively little effort, exciting new concepts were created inspired by the various industries represented in the group. These were concepts that represented new businesses or at least new lines, and they generated real enthusiasm. This hints at an answer to help us transcend the current lack of corporate imagination. Knowledgeable people of goodwill, who are convinced of the importance of solving a real problem and given the freedom to work openly and honestly together, can create new value spaces. People can do this better in certain circumstances outside of the corporate pocket. With an idea of value we can start to work on “details” like business model, innovation process and funding. If the idea has power it will empower.

Empowered, knowledgeable people of goodwill with an idea…the world can use more of this.

See details for the next New Product Development Facilitation Class here.