Understand Your CEO’s Agenda for Innovation Success

Why do so many innovation initiatives fail? Because you don’t align them with the goals of senior management. Read this article to learn how you can understand the CEO's agenda to management buy-in for innovation ...

Why do so many innovation initiatives fail? It’s simple: They don’t align with the goals of senior management. As innovators, we often get so caught up in exciting ideas that we forget to check whether these ideas fit into the bigger picture.But to break down innovation barriers, understanding your management’s agenda is key.

Planting Innovation in Fertile Ground

Imagine you want to grow tulips. You wouldn’t plant them in the heat of summer, right? You’d wait for the perfect time—autumn, when the soil is ready. The same is true for innovation. If you push for innovation when the organisation isn’t ready or when it doesn’t align with the management’s goals, you’re planting in infertile soil.Innovation is a tool, not the end goal. To succeed, it has to help your organisation meet its strategic objectives. Whether it’s revenue growth, operational efficiency, or sustainability goals, innovation must be a solution. To gain management’s support, you need to know what matters to them and align your innovation efforts accordingly.

Know Who’s in Charge of Innovation

In today’s organisations, it’s not just the R&D Director or Chief Technology Officer (CTO) who deals with innovation. CEOs, CFOs, and even Chief Commercial Officers (CCOs) all play a part in shaping the innovation agenda. And, of course, many companies now have a Chief Innovation Officer (CINO).Each of these leaders sees innovation differently. The CTO might be focused on making products better, while the CFO cares about how innovation impacts the bottom line. Understanding these perspectives is critical if you want to navigate corporate priorities and make innovation a part of the conversation.

Tailor Your Approach: Six Hats of the Innovation Leader

Not every leader thinks of innovation in the same way. A CINO might approach it from one of six different perspectives:

1. The Researcher – Innovation is inventing new things.

2. The Engineer – Innovation is improving existing things.

3. The Investor – Innovation is the path to major growth.

4. The Advocate – Innovation is creating something new for customers.

5. The Motivator – Innovation is unlocking ideas from within.

6. The Organiser – Innovation is about having a clear process.

Before pitching an idea, take time to understand your leaders. Which of these hats are they wearing? Knowing this will allow you to frame your innovation in a way that speaks directly to their priorities.

Be Emotionally Intelligent

To succeed in getting innovation onto your management’s agenda, you must be emotionally intelligent. This means being aware of what matters to them and showing empathy. CEOs and senior managers have a lot on their plate. They may be thinking about increasing revenue, cutting costs, entering new markets, or driving sustainability. It’s your job to show how innovation can help them achieve those goals.

Building relationships is vital. Start by showing genuine interest in their challenges and goals. When you understand what’s important to them, you can better position innovation as the solution to their problems.

Four Steps to Get Innovation on the Agenda

1. Identify the Key Decision-Makers – Understand who has a say in innovation decisions. Who are the influencers, gatekeepers, and deciders?

2. Relate and Build Relationships – Take the time to get to know your leaders personally. Be curious and empathetic.

3. Align Innovation with Their Goals – Once you understand their challenges, propose innovation as a solution that can directly address their strategic priorities.

4. Tailor Your Pitch – When presenting innovation, link it to something that’s on their agenda. For instance, if your CEO is focused on cutting costs, pitch an “Operational Efficiency Innovation Initiative.”

Get Innovation on Their Radar

Consider the top challenges that CEOs are focusing on today: artificial intelligence, sustainability, growth, and economic resilience.

Management is more likely to support innovation if it solves a pressing issue for them. Consider the top challenges that CEOs are focusing on today: artificial intelligence, sustainability, growth, and economic resilience. Can your innovation efforts address one of these? If so, you have a better chance of securing buy-in.For example, if your company is grappling with sustainability, propose an “Innovation for Carbon Neutrality” initiative. If growth is on the agenda, suggest a “Quick Win Innovation Programme” to explore new market opportunities.

Conclusion: Fit Innovation to the Agenda

You can’t force innovation into the spotlight by simply pushing for new products or services. To get the attention and support of your senior management, tailor your innovation proposals to fit their goals. When you understand their agenda, you’ll find that innovation becomes not just possible, but essential.For more strategies on breaking innovation barriers, check out my new book, Breaking Innovation Barriers , available on Amazon now. It’s packed with practical advice to help you succeed in today’s corporate world.

Wishing you lots of innovation success!

Innovative regards,

Gijs van Wulfen

LinkedIn Influencer, Speaker on Design Thinking Innovation, Global Number One Thought Leader on Design Thinking 2024, Founder FORTH Innovation method, author of seven Innovation Books.

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