serial innovators june 2012 brown bag

7/28/2019 Serial Innovators June 2012 Brown Bag

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Serial

Innovators:HowIndividualsCreateandDeliver

BreakthroughInnovationsinMatureFirms

BruceA.Vojak andRaymondL.Price

UniversityofIllinoisatUrbanaChampaign

2012AnnualMeeting

DrivingGrowth:Here,There&Everywhere


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andImplicationsforCreatingan

InnovatorFriendlyCulture

BruceA.Vojak andRaymondL.Price

UniversityofIllinoisatUrbanaChampaign


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Copyright2012BruceA.VojakandRaymondL.Price;allrightsreserved;donotdistributewithouttheconsentoftheauthors

Contrastingopportunities:incrementalandbreakthrough

Breakthrough

innovation

Incremental

innovation

likelihoodof

success

degreeofdifficulty


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Ourresearch

Overtenyearsexploringapeopleview of

breakthroughinnovation

Rareindividualswithsignificantandrepeated

breakthroughimpact ontheirfirmsandindustries

Over125indepthinterviews;418surveyresponses

Broadindustrycoverage

Resultspresentedin:1book,2bookchapters,8journal

articles,and12conferencepresentations


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Ourresearch


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SerialInnovatorcharacteristics:salientfeatures MotivationWhatdrivesthem?

Selfmotivatedtosolvecustomerproblems

PersonalityHowaretheyhardwired?

Curious,systemsthinking,creative

Tenacious,seeitthroughtocompletion

PerspectiveHowdotheyviewtheworld?

Technologyisthemeanstoanend

Inbusiness

tocreate

value

(profit)

Valuepeople

PreparationHowdidtheygetreadytoinnovate?

Agilelearners broadanddeep


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SerialInnovatorcharacteristics:howtheyengage Problems

Curious,systemsthinking,creative

Projects

Tenacious,seeitthroughtocompletion

BusinessandPeople Inbusinesstocreatevalue(profit)

Technologyameanstoanend

Valuepeople,

see

their

strengths,

enlist

their

help

Managerialimplications

Itisthecompletesetofcharacteristics


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SerialInnovator processes:convergenceofunderstanding

Customer

Solution

Technology Market


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SerialInnovator processes:managerialimplications KeyfeaturesofSerialInnovator processes

Nonlinearity

Uncertainty

Discovery

Ahighlyindividual,personal,holisticapproach

Experienceofsuccess


Highlyindividualized,relational management

Patience:timeandresources

Acceptuncertainty,expectserendipity

Skilltoidentify SerialInnovators


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SerialInnovator politics:managerialimplications KeyfeaturesofSerialInnovator politics

Acceptresponsibility tiedtoselfmotivation

Applycreativeproblemsolvingabilitiestothe

"political"task

Engageothers


Unleash,notdrivethem

Protect themfromunproductiveactivities

Requireandenable theirinvolvementwithcustomers

Encourage themtodeveloptheirinfluenceskills


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Thedirecttechnicalmanager:anexemplar

DennisAndershs story

SeniorVicePresidentand

DaytonRegionalExecutive

ScienceApplications

InternationalCorporation(SAIC)


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Thedirecttechnicalmanager:bestpractices Informal(personal/culture)

SkilledatidentifyingSerialInnovators

PatiencewithandtrustintheSerialInnovator

Understandingthatinnovationtakestime long

latency

EnablingSerialInnovatorcontactwithcustomers Runninginterferencewithmoreseniorlevelsof

management

Formal Rewardingwithwhatthecompanyvalues money


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Thedirecttechnicalmanager:poorlyreceivedpractices Informal(personal/culture)

Micromanaging

Distantoraloof

Transactional,ratherthanrelational

Impatience rushingSerialInnovatorresults

Stingywithresources

TakingcreditfortheSerialInnovatorscontributions

Burdeningwithbureaucracy

Formal

Rewardingthewrongpeople


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Thedirecttechnicalmanager:summary

Thisisnotforeveryone

Itworksonlybyvirtueof:

SerialInnovatorsuniquetalent

Directtechnicalmanagersabilitytoprotectand

provide

Perhapsaninnovatorfriendlyculture,butithadbeen

weakenedovertheyears


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Executivesperspective:concernsexpressedbyinnovators Theyseetheirfirm:

Losingpeople withtheskillofbreakthroughinnovation

Nothiringpeople withthepotentialforbreakthroughinnovation

Notdevelopingpeople withthepotentialtogrowinto

thisrole

Losingwhatwasleft ofaninnovatorfriendlyculture

Insufficientlyinvesting inbreakthroughinnovation

becomingmoreandmoreincrementalandshortterm


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Executivesperspective:theirbroadercontext Nearterm,financialfocus

Beliefthatthemostimportantelementsofbusinessare

bothoperationalandmeasurable

Timeandattentionareinshortsupply

Managersunderstandinordertodecide SerialInnovatorsunderstandinordertomasterand

create


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Executivesperspective:contrastingculturesOptimizationculture

Costreduction

Predictability

Stability

Reliability

Structured

Simplistic

Innovatorfriendlyculture

Revenuegrowth

Surprise/uncertainty

Volatility

Agility

Personalized

Complexity Simplicity

Thechallengeistoestablishandmaintainahealthytension

Itiseasier,cleaner,butdeadly tonotdealwiththetension

TENSION


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Executivesperspective:organizationalassessment Areweidentifyinganddevelopingthenextgeneration?

Whodowerecruit;whatdowelookfor?

Whatdoweinvestindevelopingaspiringinnovators?

Howdowedevelopthem?


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Executivesperspective:pipelineassessment


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Howdowedevelopthem?

Areweinvestingsufficientlyinbreakthrough

innovation?


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Executivesperspective:investmentportfolioassessment

likelihood

of

success

degreeofdifficulty

95% 60%

5% 30%0% 10%

95%

5%0%


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Howdowedevelopthem?

Areweinvestingsufficientlyinbreakthrough

innovation?

Whataretheresultsofourefforts?

Dowestaywithbreakthroughconceptslongenough?

Dobreakthroughconceptsmakeittothemarket?

Howmuchrevenuedowegeneratefrom

breakthroughproducts?


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Executivesperspective:apersonalchallenge Appreciatethevalue ofbreakthroughinnovation

Demonstrateawillingnesstolearn

Investthetime requiredtodoso

Understandinnovationmoredeeply thanasjust

anotherprocess

Investin,andengagewith,people

Betonpeople givepermissiontothink

Supportandenablevariances,whereappropriate

Createaninnovatorfriendlyculture

Inadditionto anoptimizationculture


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Executivesperspective:leadculturaltransformation DevelopbroadskillinidentifyinganddevelopingSerial

Innovators withinyourorganization

Identifyanddevelopmanagers withtheskillsnecessary

tounleashSerialInnovators

Givepermissiontoinvestwisely inbreakthrough

innovation

Monitor resultswithperformancemetricsanddeep

personalinsight


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Summary: intheend,itsallabout Deep,personalinsight intoinnovation

Therightpeople SerialInnovators,themanagersand

colleagues

Aninnovatorfriendlycultureintensionwith an

optimizationculture


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Ournextprojects

HowtoidentifyanddeveloppotentialSerialInnovators

Oncampus beforetheygraduate

Soonerincompanies beforetheyfullyemerge

Howtocreatearobustinnovatorfriendlyculturein

tensionwithanoptimizationculture

Strengthenaweakinnovatorfriendlyculture

Transitionfromhavingonlyanoptimizationculture


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Thankyouforyourtime!


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Q&Adiscussion

BruceVojak [email protected]

RayPrice [email protected]

serial innovators june 2012 brown bag

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