Over the years, Insigniam has partnered with a myriad of companies in a variety of verticals to accelerate growth by way of Enterprise Innovation, Strategy Innovation, Innovation Projects, and Tailored Innovation Programs.
In that time, we believe we’ve uncovered a handful of core principles that are present in successful innovations — regardless of industry and objective — that we call “The Four Pillars of Innovation.”
They are:
- The management mandate;
- A dedicated infrastructure;
- A proprietary process;
- A supportive culture.
In the past, we’ve explored how to monetize these pillars, but a critical issue remains: How can you create and sustain growth through innovation when you need to balance the needs of today with the aspirations and vision of tomorrow? In other words, how can you achieve current organizational objectives in the midst of an innovation initiative?
Managing the Mandate
To truly create the conditions to innovate, the leaders of the innovation initiative — often same the men and women responsible for today’s budget sheets and organizational goals — must lead from a mandate.
Not only must they communicate the objectives and intent behind the innovation clearly and with authenticity, they must also pre-emptively answer two questions, for the sake and success of their innovation teams:
- How are we defining innovation?
- How will we know if the initiative is successful?
When a mandate includes bold ambitions, along with key performance indicators that people can embrace and enroll in, innovation moves from simply being an attractive buzzword to being a relatable plan for sustaining and creating growth — one that can be approached with clarity in light of ongoing business-critical needs and objectives.
Share Your Thoughts
From your experience, what is the biggest obstacle to spreading the innovation mandate throughout your organization? How have you seen mandates succeed — and even fail, when not properly supported or embraced?
