Thursday, January 05, 2017

The final word... or is it not possible in Innovation


The final word... or is it not possible in Innovation

          In every project there is someone who has a final word on things... Be it quality, technical, decisions or timeline. It could either be experts from their domains or the CDM-Program Manager or Pdev for timeline. In a larger scheme of things it’s a necessary setup to ensure that in case of a conflict or disagreement we have someone to go to and people follow the direction.

However in Innovation it is not possible to have a “final word” Why so? Read On…

          Innovation by definition is an art which needs freedom of expression and flexibility to fail. The beauty of innovation lies in building up on an idea which might be rejected in the first place. So have a gate-keeper of sorts who has the “final word” would be counter-productive.

          Both in Ideation and the Implementation phase, the teams need a free hand to decide and implement their vision. However, we cannot let the program go hay-wire, we need someone to assist, advice and accentuate the final goal of the activity. We need someone who would not emphasize authority but would get the work done.

          These is where Agile along with innovation helps. The Product Owner like position in Agile is needed to drive Innovation projects. While people approach Product Owner for vision and conflicts. Product Owner ensures that the team stays on the right track with end user-experience always in mind.

          The Agile approach and Product Owner with a vision can do wonders in achieving. The Innovation teams would not feel the pressure of regular release; at the same time the end goal is never out of sight. It is our responsibility as the Program Sponsor to ensure that the team gets the freedom they need and the Product Owner is equally empowered.

So what approach do you employ when you want to implement an ideated product? Let us know too…

        ~~ Sanjay Ishwarlal Upadhyay

 

 

         

         

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