What's killing innovation at most companies?

What's killing innovation at most companies?

Last week, a group of corporate innovators gathered in hot, summery Zürich to discuss something cold and scary : Why do most innovation initiatives fail?

Stefan F. Dieffenbacher shared something that stopped us all in our tracks.

Here's the thing: We talk about "innovation," "digital transformation," and "continuous improvement" like they're interchangeable (guilty ☝️)

They're not.

𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝟭𝟬% 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.
𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄—𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲-𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹.

We dicussed  exactly where companies go wrong:
They apply the thinking needed to improve what exists when the want to create radically new business. Like you want to innovate but have only improvement tools.

↳ Improvement demands efficiency, low risk, error prevention
↳ Innovation requires risk-taking, speed, experimentation

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿—𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

So what then? Give radical ideas their own space. Different metrics. Different governance. Completely separate from your core business.

This isn't about choosing between stability and innovation. It's about building a dual system where your core business hums along efficiently while bold bets shape tomorrow's growth.

Are you improving or innovating?

Dr. Gitanjali Ponnappa Andreea Stanescu Magalie Heraud Anna Gumenna

#change  #innovation #transformation #improvement  #leadership