How do you build partnerships and with external innovation sources?

Clear innovation goals are pivotal in guiding partnerships. A focused vision aids in identifying partners who align with your strategic objectives, ensuring a mutually beneficial collaboration. Remember, successful innovation is as much about choosing the right allies as it is about having a groundbreaking idea.

Organizational Development relies on innovation and entrepreneurship, with Peter Drucker's seven sources of innovation fostering a culture of creativity, adaptability, and continuous improvement. Leveraging these sources allows organizations to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and fulfill their mission effectively.

Before you do any of those things, you need to allow yourself and team time to wonder, explore, and reflect. The best ideas will come to you when you are not scheduled back to back to back and you incorporate time into your weekly schedule. You also need an environment of Psychological Safety, where it is ok to think out loud, propose ideas, counter suggestions, and not be afraid of any retribution. Ideas can come from any one and any where as long as you permit them to do so.

To forge partnerships with external innovators, first clarify your innovation objectives and needs. Identify what you aim to achieve—be it entering new markets or enhancing products—and pinpoint where you lack expertise or resources. This preparation lets you offer a compelling value proposition to potential partners, highlighting mutual benefits. Seek partners whose strengths address your gaps and share your vision. This strategic approach ensures you partner with entities that can genuinely bolster your innovation efforts, creating a win-win situation that fosters shared growth and breakthroughs.

Start by identifying potential partners through market research and networking. Have clear objectives. Ensure alignment of goals and values. Build relationships through informal meetings to foster trust and transparency. Formalize partnerships with detailed legal agreements outlining roles, responsibilities, and terms (don’t skip this). Collaborate on joint projects and establish co-innovation labs to leverage each other's strengths. Utilize shared resources and facilitate knowledge exchange through workshops. Monitor progress with regular check-ins with solid feedback loops. Stay flexible to adapt and scale successful initiatives. This approach ensures effective collaboration and maximizes the potential of external innovation partnerships.

Stakeholders mapping is a key technique to identify and develop partnerships and external innovation. Having defined your goals and objectives, the stakeholders map will help in listing out the type of partners you would like to collaborate with to achieve the defined objectives and their areas of capabilities.

As part of research once you have a list of potential partners, take some time check on their strengths and weaknesses. What are their goals? The more you know about your potential partners, the better equipped you will be to make a decision about who to approach and how to make the approach work.

In meiner Zeit als Leiterin eines Innovationspartners an der Hochschule war mir besonders wichtig, dass ich die Menschen bei Veranstaltungen kennengelernt habe. So haben wir selbst immer wieder Tage der offenen Tür angeboten. Dort sollten Sie hin und direkt den Kontakt suchen. Weitere Tipps: - Vernetzen Sie sich auf LinkedIn und interagieren Sie mit den Inhalten. - Schreiben Sie eine kurze E-Mail oder rufen Sie an. Manche bieten einfache Terminvereinbarungen über die Webseite. - Besuchen Sie Veranstaltungen der lokalen Unternehmen und Vereine, wie z.B. Wirtschaftskammer, Industriellen Vereinigung. - Zeigen Sie sich selbst mit wertvollen Inhalten auf LinkedIn.

Communication should not only establish trust but also facilitate the exchange of culture and values, thereby enriching the partnership beyond the transactional level.

Building partnerships with external innovation sources involves strategic management and evaluation. Begin by identifying partners aligned with your goals. Establish clear communication channels and expectations. Regularly assess the partnership's performance against predefined metrics, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives. Foster an open and collaborative culture, addressing challenges transparently. Encourage feedback and adaptability to refine the partnership over time. Cultivate strong relationships through mutual value creation. Periodically reassess the partnership's relevance and impact on innovation goals.

I think when it comes to purpose, what we are and what we want to be comes first. In general, we can be more specific and sensitive in targeting. Mostly, the biggest problem of goal setting in the organization is that the goal that is chosen is not in line with changing the situation. As a result, I suggest targeting and clarifying the vision before any decision, both internally and with external partners and sources.

Consider the role of cross-industry innovation, where unrelated sectors may provide fresh perspectives and solutions, leading to breakthrough innovations.

Leverage Technology Platforms: ? Use innovation management platforms to connect with potential partners. These platforms can facilitate idea sharing, project management, and collaboration. ? Consider tools like crowdsourcing platforms to gather innovative ideas from a broader audience.

I thank my external partners on a regular basis using social media platforms. I enjoy putting together a post that shares what we worked on together, and what a great partner my external source was during that experience. This allows me to showcase my partner, and to let future partners see how well the relationship worked for all.

Innovation can come from an interdisciplinary approach. Higher exposure to different disciplines creates more impactful innovations. Keeping this perspective as you build partnership helps you make connections where you can learn about different approaches.