Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Corporate entrepreneurship and innovation - can you be a corporate activist

Corporate entrepreneurship and innovation is not and never will be easy. While last week I suggested that the marketing director could perhaps attempt to drive innovation, there is nothing to stop anyone in the organisation from attempting to do so.

I have personally experienced the incredible innovation that can rise from the bottom of the organisation. Staff just see things from a completely different perspective, and therefore they can make meaningful contributions.

So staff too can be the drivers of innovation. The question is whether you believe in yourself and your innovations. Too often people have "bright ideas" which are not thought through, and then when exposed to the light of day, they collapse, thereby destroying this useful source of innovation. Learn to include others and create a groundswell. Build you crowd around the concept and how it will benefit the business. Get support from colleagues and managers. But build up slowly and test the model carefully before going too big. Choose your partners carefully for how they can add value to the proposition. Finally, when presenting to management, try to pitch it to them in a way they understand and a way they will be able to see the benefits as they perceive them. In other words pitch at the right level.

So there is nothing to stop YOU being innovative.

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