Can Innovation Be Measured?

A case study with thought-provoking questions

Have you ever been asked to provide information to an Executive — yet you’re unsure of the purpose of the data. Or have you ever questioned if there is a better way to tell a story through a different set of criteria?

The following case study presents a scenario where an Executive requests data related to innovation from Agile Delivery Teams and meets resistance. Let’s explore the root causes of the challenge and conclude the study with ten thought-provoking questions.

Case Study

Krish is a Talent Executive for a tier-one telecom-media company. The C-Suite of his organization has recently decided to embark upon a new transformational journey, moving from a bureaucratic top-down leadership approach to one where the people who perform the day-to-day tactical work have a greater voice and decision-making power.

In light of organizational changes, a member of the C-Suite asks Krish to create a baseline measurement determining the current innovative capabilities of the company.

Since Krish’s world is removed from the Agile Delivery Teams, he decides to create an Excel tracker requesting each delivery team document every innovative idea coupled with the final time and cost-saving outcome.

When Krish presents the metric request to the Agile Department, the idea doesn’t generate the usual warmth and enthusiasm. Krish leaves the meeting confused and unsure why he feels resistance.

Case Study Questions

1. Why did the C-Suite request Krish document the current innovation baseline?
2. Is it clear what the outcome of the innovation data will be?
3. Why were the Agile Delivery Teams unenthusiastic about Krish’s request to document innovative ideas?
4. What approach could Krish have taken to improve the relationship and outcome with the Agile Delivery Teams?
5. Can you measure innovation?
6. Are innovation measurements considered vanity metrics? Support your answer.
7. In your experience, what inhibits innovation?
8. What Agile cadence(s) focuses on identifying and iterating upon innovation?
9. What key indicators reveal whether an Agile Delivery Team is innovative or not?
10. Is it a good idea to track innovative ideas in the larger organizational context? Support your answer.

Although the above scenario is fictional, most of us have encountered a time in our career when a leader has asked for information — yet we’re not entirely clear?why?or for?what?purpose the data will serve.

Innovation is subjective and difficult to measure directly. The Agile Retrospective ceremony is an ideal time to discuss new processes or methods to iterate upon. And over time, those improvements will show up in Agile metrics, no matter the framework used.

For example, suppose a Kanban team identifies too much work flowing into the system. In that case, the Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) will show work in progress ballooning while the closure rate becomes smaller. In the Retrospective, the Kanban team may decide to implement a more appropriate WIP limit at the onset of the workflow. Once the WIP limit increases, the CFD normalizes, and work enters the system at a consistent, more predictable rate.

Is this an innovative idea or merely a process improvement? The answer is?subjective, with the response being different depending on whom you ask. Krish may feel the approach is innovative and worthy of documenting, whereas an Agile Coach may feel the change is work-as-usual. Regardless of the reply, any iterative improvements should, in theory, signal a change in the team’s metrics. And this is the data to inspect to determine whether an Agile Delivery Team is innovative or not.

The story was originally published on?Medium 06-27-2021

Lisa Bradburn is transitioning into an Agile Coach and is a?Gestalt Psychotherapist-In-Training.?She writes about the intersection of technology and the human condition. Follow Lisa on?Medium.