How can you manage expectations when implementing new innovations?

More than WHAT, we must define WHY innovation is needed. Any company need to have a strategic edge in marker over competition and its Innovation which will always keep it ahead of competition curve. Innovation can be in any area be if product or process or offering. And for what the Leader has to constantly benchmark within and outside, understand latest trend and then bring his own idea which is better than latest Idea.

Necessity is the Mother of invention Who then is the Mother of innovation? Opportunity! An opportunity to improve incrementally, an opportunity to shift architecturally, an opportunity to disrupt radically… Startups aim at radical/ disruptive innovation Lateral entrants in a market aim at architectural innovation Established players look at incremental innovation to keep serving their customers Hence the Goal of innovation, depends... on who you are and what you want to achieve through ‘Innovation’

No hay innovación sin cambio de paradigmas, es pensar fuera de la caja pero con el objetivo de sastisfacer alguna necesidad de un producto, servicio y/o conocimiento.

Important to keep in mind that an innovation goal can be unknown in the beginning. I usually set up some statements that can be proven or tested. In that way, the innovation happens gradually and by testing the statements in an iterative approach.

It's critical to manage expectations while introducing innovations to guarantee a seamless and fruitful transition. Some Strategies that I Implement effectively manage expectations. Discuss the objectives, advantages, and drawbacks of the new idea honestly and openly. Describe the desired results in terms of functionality, impact, and performance. This aids in establishing reasonable expectations right away. Involve key stakeholders in the planning process early on, including end users. Collect their opinions, respond to any concerns, and include their viewpoints in the plan for implementation. As a result, there is a sense of ownership and support for the idea. Establish realistic timelines for the implementation process.

Involving customers and stakeholders in the innovation process is pivotal. It's not just about gathering feedback; it's about co-creating value. By engaging them early, you align innovation with real-world needs, ensuring the end result resonates with the market. This approach also builds a sense of shared ownership, fostering a community of advocates for the innovation. Remember, successful innovations are those that find a harmonious place in the lives of their intended users, shaped not just by visionary minds but by the voices of those they aim to serve.

Two aspects are very important. 1) Get initial buy in from the stakeholders. Probably Make them the party to co-create - take inputs from them and make them feel that it's their own innovation. This way the resistance to the innovation process would be quite less. 2) Create success stories. This will help in generating confidence for larger rollout and future activities. This is especially true in large legacy firms where resistance to innovation is generally high.

Innovation still needs to serve a purpose and add business value. Communicating and taking your customers and stakeholders along from the beginning of the journey will make a huge difference.

Explain a benefit of the project to all shareholders. They need to understand how the shareholders will benefit. It will cement the support and a successful completion.

“Words spoken mostly lose their meaning & intent in the grapevine after traveling a certain distance.” To ensure they don’t, it’s important to write them down & get them endorsed by all for their interpretations too. “Shareholders,” to be candid, are mere investors - expecting long- or short-term. They vision ends at a target. This as the most adverse, project’s benefits be offered to them in writing along a timeline. Treating them as mentors, inputs be taken every six months or quarter, & realignment as prescribed by them be executed. Let them see the implications of their ideas. Gone to the point of inflection after knowing the core, they’d go back to the periphery, again. Let them plunge in & the stand over ceremonies- The Business.

Indeed, managing expectations during new innovations hinges on frequent and transparent communication. For instance, when a company introduces a new software system, it's crucial to regularly update employees on its implementation stages, potential challenges, and expected outcomes. This involves setting realistic timelines, openly discussing potential issues and how they will be addressed, and providing a clear understanding of the benefits the innovation will bring. Regular updates, whether through meetings or emails, help mitigate resistance and confusion. This approach ensures employees feel informed and involved, smoothing the transition and aligning expectations with the innovation's progress and goals.

Innovations not always result in great success. Most of them fail. In my experience, managing the communication, the goals and the expected results during testing is key. It’s important to control the sample size and have everyone comfortable with the possibility of failure. Also to encourage innovation, everyone involved must understand it’s ok to fail the test or trial and have the processes and procedures to learn from it, pivot and innovate again. Communication with everyone involved is key. I’ve learned this the hard way to be honest.

Transparency in communication is vital in innovation, especially from a financial perspective. Regular, open updates about budget allocations, funding rounds, and financial milestones create a culture of trust. Use 'financial storytelling'—a narrative approach to financial data, explaining how investment in innovation translates into long-term value. This means telling the story behind the numbers—how each financial decision supports the innovation's growth and impact. By demystifying financial aspects, you engage non-financial stakeholders, fostering a sense of shared ownership and accountability in the innovation's success.

Es la clave de la innovación y hay que tener claridad que dentro de una empresa existen muchos perfiles (personas que se adaptan rápidamente al cambio, otras personas son más equilibradas o personas que sencillamente son resistentes al cambio). Dicho esto, aparte de comunicar, hay que considerar además el cómo hacerlo. Las reuniones son útiles, pero si agregamos dinamismo, conversación, expresión de miedos, resolución de dudas, beneficios, etc, logramos tener una bajada más contundente y que será muy bien recibida por todos los colaboradores. Es muy útil las mesas redondas. Tuve la experiencia y sirvió mucho para que se entienda y se comprenda el cambio.

Uma das principais causas do insucesso dos projectos é, sem dúvida, a ausência ou lacunas de feedback aos diretamente envolvidos no presente ou futuro. A tomada de decis?o participada ou, no mínimo, feedback permanente do estado do novo projeto aos envolvidos é determinante para o seu entendimento pleno e, por consequência, para o sucesso. E, ainda que o feedback n?o seja o que se desejaria transmitir, feedback sempre. Isto minimizará a "voz de corredor" e permitirá no médio/longo prazo um reconhecimento sustentável de lideran?a por parte das equipas.

Inclusive en las industrias más reguladas hay espacio para la innovación. Muchas grandes ideas ni siquiera son sometidas al análisis de factibilidad ya que el due?o de la idea no permite adaptación al momento de la implementación al bajarla a la realidad. Entender que se busca con esa nueva idea es fundamental. Ser flexible y re adaptarse es clave para incorporar esa nueva idea a la uso a de trabajo de las nuevas ideas.

The challenge in implementing new innovations is precisely that there are no guarantees that it would work and, if it did, did it produce incremental benefits that were worth the cost and effort. That is why it would be good to have key milestones during implementation at which points everyone involved (including customers and other stakeholders) can re-assess how things are going and make decisions on what tweaks need to be made or, worst case, if it should continue at all. By involving multiple stakeholders in this process, it minimizes the chance of unrealistic expectations and/or mis-alignment of expectations among the different stakeholders.

When my first son was about to be born I thought he was going to be just like I had imagined him. Well he was not. He came as a comlete surprise. That served as the first lesson, showing me that people can be and can do things that take a completely unexpected route - and it is wonderful. Actually, the space we give people to achieve common goals in a way they conceived of, gives rise to a lot more innovation than each one of us can plan ahead for.

Being flexible shouldn't come at a cost of efficiency. The key to adaptability is having a mindset that allows flexibility in the process, and not planning everything out in great detail. Plans are usually different the day after they were put down on paper.

Die Rücksprache mit den vom Innovationsprozess betroffenen Stakeholder sollte von Beginn an gepflegt werden. So k?nnen diese am ehesten "ins Boot geholt" werden um als Verbündete und nicht als Gegner zu agieren.

Desenvolva e explore seu próprio ecossistema: conecte-se com parceiros que podem habilitar a transforma??o na sua organiza??o; conecte-se com especialistas, empresas de tecnologia, startups, universidades. Entenda que sua organiza??o pode ampliar sua inteligência coletiva se contar com experiências e contribui??es externas, novas culturas e novos pontos de vista.

For me, it is important that in order to implement an innovation, you first find colleagues who work on the topic with enthusiasm and passion. Doubters are also important, but they come in the later process anyway. First of all, you have to think big, but you can't lose sight of reality

You can always seek opinions and good advice, but be careful with whose support you get, support might include a hidden agenda, which can operate in another way than your or your company’s values or have another schedule than you suppose. Try always to be alert and think 360 degrees, and do also in-depth analyses.

A silo project is a me project and has already lost its objective. One needs help to keep the north, to follow what’s the real objective. You will need help to remove blockers, to come up with solutions for risk that were not identified, to hire people or to support people. If you are the one leading the project, then you need to be hands off and relay on your team. Contribution is not having someone telling you things, it’s keeping your ears open and pay attention to what’s noise and what is not. You have to listen and analyze more than talk. Then making a decision and taking a second opinion on what is to come.

Muitas vezes a opini?o de quem já está na institui??o a mais tempo pode ser inteligente, porém existem casos de que, as pessoas que já fazem parte do processo estejam acomodadas e n?o percebam onde se pode inovar, quem sabe por receio de n?o ser aceita sua opini?o, ou mesmo por ter lidado com situa??es que lhe fizeram desacreditar que há possibilidade de mudan?as, mas tem receio de come?ar.

Start from the basis that the innovation is an experiment. Have a clear hypothesis of what the experiment is expected to test, run the experiment (test), and analyse the results. Experiments don’t always deliver the expected results. True in science and in business. And that’s ok. Adjust, adapt, learn, and iterate. “Failure” with an experiment seems much more acceptable - specifically if you take on board the learnings, adjust, and move forward.

Innovation needed when current way considered no longer relevant with current situation, company vision and mission. You have to know first what the company wants thru this vision and mission. Then evolve with communicating it with all parties concerns especially stakeholders and strategic management level. Transparency on the process to customer and staff by communicating and up date the process to all of them. To employee enrich them with additional skills or knowledge by trainings or courses so they are also inline with the innovation that company aiming for.

Not all ideas successfully become an innovation or a product. That's clear. But only if you dare to do something, something innovative can be created. A failure is not a bad thing, but an experience that helps to create something new.

Implement the innovation in phases rather than all at once. This allows for the gathering of feedback and making adjustments before a full-scale implementation. Recognize that innovation often leads to change, which can be unsettling. Have a change management strategy in place to address concerns and resistance.

Uno de los problemas mas evidentes en las organizaciones, es enfrentarse a la innovación con procesos de optimización, es decir, no ofrecer a las iniciativas procesos de exploración y experimentación necesarios para que el aprendizaje se fije y las hipótesis se validen antes de pasar a la fase de prototipado o producto mínimo viable.

Celebrating small wins in innovation is crucial for morale and progress. Recognising incremental achievements boosts team motivation and provides tangible evidence of success. It maintains momentum, reinforcing that the team is on the right track, fostering a positive atmosphere. Small victories also serve as powerful communication tools, allowing leaders to share success stories with stakeholders, building confidence and support for ongoing efforts. Overall, celebrating small wins transforms the journey into manageable milestones, making the larger goal more achievable and the path to success more rewarding for all.

Plan for unintentional consequences, beyond 1st order which are obvious, to 2nd and 3rd order possibilities so that should the unimaginable happen you are well position to turn those intended headwinds into tailwinds. This exercise will significant increase your probability of success.

Trust the process. Prepare for growing pains through transparent communication, learn to be vulnerable by admitting your mistake, accepting responsibility and be willing to make adjustments as necessary for success. Collaborate with others and share your vision. Bring as many people onboard prior to implementation as possible. If majority of the stakeholders buy in to your vision, they will rally their teams to make it a success. Document lessons learned to prepare for future implementation of new ideas.

Don't need a whole article on this, pretty simple isn't it, "under promise and [try to] over deliver" That'll work for most new initiatives.

En fonction de la réglementation existante et du contexte de l'organisation, il est parfois très difficile de déployer de fa?on plus large une grande innovation réalisée via un projet pilote. Innover est un défi, mais convertir cette innovation en un projet de grande envergure peut l'être encore plus. Il est important de clarifier ceci auprès des équipes exécutives. Il n'est pas rare de voir un comité de gestion s'attendre à un déploiement à grande échelle rapidement après la réussite d'un projet pilote. Pourtant, d'autres défis doivent être relevés et parfois même plus grands.