Ten Favourite Methods Helping You to De-Risk Innovation

During cost-cutting periods and focus on the here and now, it's hard to keep commitment for innovation. Learn in this article how to 'de-risk innovation" ...

As proven innovation methods de-risk innovation, I am sharing ten of my favourite proven design thinking and innovation methods to help you win management buy-in for change and deliver great innovation results. When you want to learn to be a great innovation facilitator in a week, check this unique innovation learning event in Italy, this June

As the founder and implementer of innovation-related methods and techniques, like the FORTH innovation methodology or the Innovation Maze, I experience in practice the power of methodologies as they facilitate innovation teams by creating a shared learning process for team members in which they get an open mind, and a greater awareness of the business, the market, the customers and even themselves. Sharing new insights, exchanging ideas, and co-creating together is at the core of a successful “WE-nnovation” process, as I like to call it, instead of “Innovation”. As consultant, project leaders and facilitator, you benefit from using proven methodologies as they help to guide you, to keep the pace, and to monitor your progress on your innovation journey.

Below you find ten proven techniques and methods, from each of the different categories, that I like to put in the spotlights, as they are proven ways to empower your innovation process.

1. The Innovation Focus Workshop to draft a clear innovation assignment

The innovation focus workshop helps executives to transform a corporate strategy into a concrete innovation assignment. I have founded this technique as start of the FORTH innovation methodology, to help organisation to give innovation direction. It’s used at the start of innovation to make clear what are the desired outcomes of an innovation process. The Innovation Focus Workshop involves 5 steps in which the main decision makers on innovation formulate the Why? What? Who? Where? When? and Which? For an upcoming strategic innovation project. The outcome typically is a straightforward Innovation Assignment containing also the criteria the new concepts have to meet. The innovation assignment serves as a “North Star” for the innovation journey to come. The main takeaway of the Innovation Focus Workshop is a clear understanding of the goals and deliverables of an innovation process by both the decisionmakers and the innovation team.

2. Customer Journey Mapping to understand the customer perspective

Customer Journey Mapping is a process of visualising and understanding the experiences a customer has when interacting with a business. This method is widely attributed to Lorraine Kettner, who introduced it in the 1990s. It’s used at the start of innovation to identify pain points, opportunities, and areas for innovation in the customer experience, making it valuable in improving products, services and customer experiences. The customer journey mapping process involves steps like research, persona development, mapping touchpoints, analyzing emotions, identifying opportunities, and iterating on improvements. The outcome typically includes a visual representation of the customer journey, insights into customer needs, and actionable recommendations for enhancing the customer experience. Two main takeaways include a deeper understanding of customer perspectives and insights into areas for innovation with great potential.

3. Six Thinking Hats to consider different perspectives

The Six Thinking Hats method is a systematic approach to problem-solving and decision-making that involves wearing different "hats" to consider various perspectives. The founder of the Six Thinking Hats methodology is Dr. Edward de Bono, a renowned author in creative thinking and innovation. It’s used to encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and holistic decision-making in situations where diverse viewpoints are beneficial, such as brainstorming sessions or strategy meetings. The method works by assigning six different coloured "hats" to participants, each representing a specific mode of thinking (e.g., analytical, creative, emotional), and guiding them to explore ideas from those perspectives in a structured manner. The outcome of the Six Thinking Hats method is well-rounded decisions, creative solutions, and improved communication among team members. The three main take-aways are a structured approach to decision-making, the promotion of diverse thinking styles, and enhanced problem-solving abilities within teams.

4. Lightning Decision Jam for fast-paced problem-solving in 90 minutes

The Lightning Decision Jam is a fast-paced approach to problem-solving and decision-making, inspired by design thinking principles. The founder of the Lightning Decision Jam is Jonathan Courtney. It's used to quickly generate ideas, evaluate options, and make decisions in time-constrained situations, such as product development or strategic planning. A typical Lightning Decision Jam is time-boxed and takes only between 30 and 90 minutes. It works by gathering a diverse group of stakeholders, defining the problem or decision to be made, ideating solutions, voting on the best options, and creating a plan for implementation. The outcome of the Lightning Decision Jam is rapid consensus-building, actionable decisions, and a clear path forward for innovation projects. The main take-aways is speed and efficiency in decision-making.

5. The FORTH innovation method to management buy-in for innovation

The FORTH innovation methodology, founded by me, is a structured approach to innovation that focuses on finding, filtering, fast-tracking, and fostering innovative ideas for successful implementation by combining design thinking and business thinking. It's used when organisations want to systematically innovate by identifying promising ideas, refining them, and swiftly bringing them to market to stay ahead of competitors. It works by first drafting an innovation assignment (Full Steam Ahead), then gathering new insights through exploration (Observe & Learn), generating new ideas and concepts (Raise ideas), then filtering and selecting the most promising ones (Test Ideas) fast-tracking their development through testing, and finally fostering their implementation and scaling by bringing back new business cases from the innovation journey (Homecoming). The outcome of the FORTH innovation method are five new business cases for successful innovations and the start of a culture for innovation. The three main take-aways are: a structured approach to start innovation, a focus on building management buy-in for innovation, and a systematic way to foster a culture of innovation within an organisation. It has proven to double the innovation effectiveness of stage-gate processes. When you want to learn to be a certified facilitator of this methodology, check this unique innovation learning event in Italy, this June.

6. Pretotyping to fake it before you make it

PRETOTYPING is a way to test the feasibility and desirability of an idea quickly and cheaply before investing in full-scale development. The founder of the PRETOTYPING method is Alberto Savoia, a former Google executive and innovation expert. It's used when businesses want to validate assumptions and test concepts early in the innovation process to minimise risks and optimise resource allocation. It works by creating rough, low-fidelity prototypes that simulate the core functionality or value proposition of an idea, gathering feedback from users or stakeholders, and iterating based on the insights gained. The outcome of the PRETOTYPING method is reduced time to market, and cost savings by avoiding investment in ideas that are not viable or desirable. The main take-away is a focus on rapid experimentation and learning, as you fake it before you make it.

7. Design Sprints to validate solutions in a week

The 5-day design sprint is a structured process for rapidly solving big challenges and testing new ideas in just five days. The founder of the 5-day design sprint methodology is Jake Knapp, a former Google Ventures design partner. It’s used when businesses need to quickly develop and test innovative solutions, such as launching a new product, improving user experience, or solving complex problems. It works by bringing together a diverse team, defining the challenge, generating ideas, sketching solutions, deciding on the best approach, prototyping, and testing with real users.  The outcome of the 5-day design sprint is validated solutions, clear direction, and actionable next steps for further development or iteration. The three main take-aways are: problem-solving and decision-making in a week, user-centric design approach, and the ability to validate ideas early through prototyping and testing.

8. Open Innovation Platforms to co-create solutions and share knowledge

An open innovation platform is a collaborative approach to innovation that involves engaging external stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, and partners, to co-create solutions and share knowledge. The concept of open innovation was popularised by Henry Chesbrough, a professor and researcher at the University of California. Open innovation platforms are used when organisations want to tap into external expertise, access new markets, and accelerate innovation by leveraging the collective intelligence of a broader network. It works by establishing an online platform or ecosystem where participants can submit ideas, collaborate on projects, access resources, and share insights. Companies can then evaluate and integrate the most promising ideas into their innovation processes. The outcome of running an open innovation platform is increased innovation capacity, enhanced agility, and access to a wider range of perspectives and resources. The main take-away is leveraging external expertise and resources.

9. Lean Startup for rapid iteration

The lean startup methodology is an approach to building and managing startups that prioritises rapid iteration, experimentation, and validated learning. The founder of the lean startup methodology is Eric Ries, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and author. It’s used when new businesses want to reduce the risk of failure and efficiently develop products or services that meet customer needs in a dynamic market. It works by starting with a minimum viable product, testing assumptions through customer feedback, measuring results, and iterating based on what’s learned. The outcome of the lean startup method is faster product-market fit, reduced waste, and increased chances of building successful, scalable businesses. The three main take-aways are: prioritising customer feedback and learning, embracing experimentation and iteration, and focusing on delivering value efficiently.

10. The stage-gate methodology to manage innovation projects

The stage-gate method of Cooper is a structured approach to managing innovation projects by breaking them into stages and implementing gates for decision-making and progression. The founders of the stage-gate methodology are Scott J. Edgett and Robert G. Cooper. You use it when businesses want to efficiently manage the innovation process, reduce risks, and ensure alignment with strategic objectives. Stage-gate works by dividing the innovation process into stages, such as idea generation, feasibility analysis, development, testing, and launch, with gates between each stage where decisions are made to proceed, pivot, or stop the project. The outcome of the stage-gate methodology is improved project selection, resource allocation, and speed to market. The three main take-aways are: a structured approach to innovation management, better decision-making through gate reviews, and improved accountability and control over innovation projects.

Applying proven methodologies like mentioned above have a great number of advantages, helping you to win management buy-in. When you start using them, be also aware of some pitfalls like being time-consuming, being perceived as bureaucratic hurdles, or leading to innovation fatigue causing decreased motivation. To help you to prevent the occurrence of negative side-effects I like to end with ten tips to speed up innovation in your organisation when you are (re)structuring your innovation implementation approach

10 Concrete Tips to Speed Up Innovation

1. Set Clear Criteria to ensure that decisions are based on specific metrics

2. Limit the number of gatekeepers involved in decision-making

3. Minimize paperwork and documentation

4. Empower cross-functional teams to make decisions and drive projects forward

5. Enable parallel processing of activities whenever possible to reduce timelines.

6. Integrate agile methods accelerating project progress.

7. Regular reviews to address issues promptly, avoiding delays.

8. Maintain flexibility in stage-gate criteria to adapt to the unique needs of each project

9. Reallocate resources from low-potential projects to high-potential ones to maximize ROI and speed.

10. Refine your stage-gate process to streamline and over time.

By usen the proven innovation methodologies above and implementing these tips, you can make your innovation process leaner and faster, enabling you to better win management buy-in, and bring new ideas to market more efficiently and effectively.

Lots of succes!

Gijs

ps. When you want to learn yourself how to double your innovation effectiveness as innovator and innovation consultant ..., then check out a unique 6-day innovation learning experience of the FORTH innovation method, and get certified in Italy June 16-21. Click here for more information.

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