Present Disruptive Ideas 'Inside the Box' not Outside

A lot of us work at pretty conservative companies. But in a faster changing world we cannot survive in the long run on doing the same things better and cheaper.

"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there". [Will Rogers]

Trying to do things differently or to do different things within an organization is hard. Especially when you're innovating within a large organization (and you are not the CEO) it is a long road.

A study among US companies on their corporate cultures showed that employees of corporations are eager to be entrepreneurial: more than half of those surveyed (52 percent) have pursued an entrepreneurial idea within their company. But what they lack, is support from their management.

Getting internal support for your innovative ideas is essential. Otherwise nothing happens.

Now innovation is risky. Only one out of seven innovation projects is successful. As innovator be aware you are in the business of managing uncertainty. At the start of innovation there is 100 percent uncertainty, which you try to reduce further down the innovation process from ideation to launch. Saying yes to innovation is a step into the unknown. Many managers wait in reality until not innovating is not an option anymore. I like to quote the CEO of BMW AG, the German luxury car producer, Dr.-Ing. Norbert Reithofer. When asked why BMW started the risky E-car project with the BMWi-3 and i-8 he responded very honest: "Because doing nothing was even a bigger risk" [Autoweek 41-2013].

An organization is just like a herd of animals. It are the slowest animals at the back of the herd which determine the pace. Often someone of the (innovation) board is one of them too. So if you want to be effective as innovator in a big organization you have to convince the 'slowest animals of the herd' to say yes. If you present your innovative idea to them as "a completely revolutionary concept based on a new to the world technology" all their alarm bells will go off! They will see it as something that is way to risky to say yes to.

You will be more effective if you present disruptive ideas 'inside the box', not outside.

That's why I have three 'camouflage-tips' for you when you work in a organization which is really stuck in its habits.

1. Think outside the box and be sure to present your idea inside the box otherwise nothing will happen. As most of your superiors don't want to run any risk, your chances to convince them rise when you present an innovative initiative as the next logical step to take. Do not position it as the most revolutionary disruptive break-through to be launched.
2. Bring back new business not new ideas. Innovation for most businesspeople is a way to grow the top line and increase profits. So bring back a mini new business case: What's in it for us? What levels of turnover and profit margin? For what target group? Why would customers buy it? Can we produce it? Here's a format for a mini new business case for you to download to help you.
3. Use the voice of the customer. Connect customers as early as possible to your innovation project. Let them test concept statements of your new product or service and (in a later stage) prototypes. Use their enthusiast responses to convince the Naysayers in your organization to prioritize your innovation project.

Wishing you lot's of success. Innovation does not stop at the first no. That's the moment it really starts.

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