What do you do if your innovative ideas are met with resistance in your organization?

When your innovative ideas meet resistance in your organization, don't give up! First, try to understand why people are objecting. Is it fear of the unknown, a misunderstanding of benefits, or concern about risks? You can find supporters within your company to build momentum and try small-scale experiments to show the potential of your idea. Involve those hesitant with a collaborative mindset, addressing concerns and adjusting as needed. Remember, framing your innovation as a solution to a shared problem, emphasizing opportunity over disruption, and celebrating small wins are essential. Persistence and patience will take us far in such a scenario!

In my experience, I always apply a process to understand resistance to change and how to convert it into a process that allows the effective introduction of new perspectives. For me, it is very important to understand not only the origin of the resistance but the reason for it in the different organizations where I have been able to work as a senior innovation manager, I have noticed that when people do not understand the topic being addressed they tend to reject the ideas in the first instance. For this reason, it is key to introduce the context of what you want to develop and mainly create an awareness of the need for new ideas

When facing resistance to innovative ideas, it's crucial to understand the root of skepticism. Engage with stakeholders to address concerns and illustrate the value and potential impact of your ideas through data and case studies. Foster an environment open to experimentation, where small-scale pilots or proofs of concept can demonstrate feasibility and benefits with minimal risk.

It is important that the ideas can be seen as solutions but at first there must be awareness of the need for this solution. Following this process, it is important to create an environment of awareness where it is allowed to establish a personal link with the need to establish a solution and This way, creating a desire for change is how important processes of ideation and acceptance of those ideas can be achieved.

A level of learning and experimentation is necessary to better refine your idea, its business model and get more and more supporters in your organisation. However this is sometimes difficult to do in the core business, especially for big and established companies. For this reason it would be useful to set up a separate part of the business detached from the core business and use this separate team or division to innovate and take risks

When innovative ideas face resistance, it's essential to communicate the benefits clearly and listen to concerns. Resistance often comes from misunderstanding or fear of change. Therefore, it's crucial to demonstrate how the idea can solve problems or improve the status quo. Engage in constructive dialogues to address concerns and show openness to feedback. It may also be beneficial to start with a small-scale pilot project to provide tangible proof of the concept's value. Remember, patience and persistence are key in driving change.