How do you deal with the challenges and risks of social innovation lab experimentation and prototyping?

Experimenting and prototyping are vital steps in any innovation endeavour. Regardless of the frameworks you choose to follow or to blend into your process, the key is to break down the bigger picture into smaller, manageable sections of a puzzle where each piece is a hypothesis. Simplifying hypotheses to an input-output-outcome model will enable faster, learner and steadier progress, giving space to work with more fine-tuned and granular criteria. This also helps run more experiments with the same resources and stakeholders while keeping sight of the initial scope. Remember: innovation aims to bring new magic into the process, not necessarily in the results. Processes should be the central focus of your experimentation.

Clearly define the goals, objectives, and scope of your social innovation lab experimentation. Ensure alignment with your organization's mission and values. Establishing a clear purpose will guide your efforts and help you stay focused amidst challenges.

> Embrace the possibility of failed experiments. Use rapid prototyping cycles to gather early feedback and iterate quickly. > Treat failures as learning opportunities to refine your approach. > Carefully consider the potential downstream effects of your prototypes. > Involve stakeholders and conduct pilot tests to identify and minimize negative social impacts. > While experimentation is key, maintain ethical and methodological rigor in your research. > Ensure data collection is sound and conclusions are well-supported.

An excellent way to identify whom to involve and when is to chart the psychographic profiles of your stakeholders for a specific idea. Everett Rogers' innovation adoption lifecycle is a good tool to help us do that mapping. Besides your innovation team, the users/customers who can be identified as "innovators" are the co-designers of the experimentation. Involve them early, before the experiment. They are a better fit for idea generation rather than testing, as their vision is often already too far ahead. On the other hand, the "early adopters" are in the sweet spot to test and provide the relevant feedback you need in experimentation. At this stage, colleagues who will potentially sell or communicate the idea should also be involved.

Engage stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and perspectives throughout the experimentation and prototyping process. Incorporate their insights, feedback, and expertise to enrich your initiatives and enhance their relevance and impact. Building strong stakeholder buy-in fosters collaboration and increases the likelihood of success.

Regardless of the tool and the framework you use to adopt or blend into your experimentation and prototyping processes, assess the risks at a very early stage. Ideally, it will help dictate whether or not you start the processes and make you aware of their potential adaptation, change or halt.

Una ventaja que tenemos hoy en día es que la tecnología nos permite en muchos casos poder hacer prototipado digital y simulaciones lo que disminuye los riesgos ya que no necesariamente tendrás costos asociados al prototipo o a conseguir donde probarlo porque puedes hacerlo de manera virtual. Esto aplica más para aquellas soluciones que requieren el desarrollo de dispositivos específicos.

Identify potential risks and challenges associated with your experimentation and prototyping activities. Develop risk mitigation strategies to address these challenges proactively. Anticipate obstacles such as resource constraints, regulatory issues, or resistance to change, and plan accordingly to mitigate their impact on your initiatives.

Identifique os riscos potenciais desde o início e avalie seu impacto e probabilidade. Desenvolva planos de mitiga??o para os riscos mais críticos. Inicie com pilotos e testes em pequena escala para avaliar a viabilidade e o impacto antes de uma implementa??o mais ampla. Isso ajuda a identificar e resolver problemas em um ambiente controlado.

Embrace a culture of learning and experimentation, recognizing that failure is an inherent part of innovation. Encourage experimentation, iteration, and continuous improvement within your social innovation lab. Regularly gather feedback, measure outcomes, and reflect on lessons learned to refine your approaches and enhance effectiveness over time.

After completing the initial design of a new service idea, I have found value in rigorously testing key elements of the business model with my full leadership team to reduce risk and build team confidence. We first prioritize the hypotheses that need testing and measurement. Next we select and initiate experiments that will provide the most insight and learning. Our Accelerate Impact Model utilizes both design thinking and lean startup principles to apply experimentation and user testing effectively. This approach not only validates your business model but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and adaptation within your organization.

I've never been a part of one of these projects where at the end, every person involved is super excited for the future and grateful for being a part of it, due to how much they learnt. It's an amazing way to work and it really does get results. You gotta celebrate that!