- Where Innovation Begins
- Create an Idea Team
- Executive Endorsement
- Tackling Tough Problems
- Final Thoughts
Executive Endorsement
Fast-forward a few months. Your design innovation team has devised a solution that really moves the needle, which undoubtedly equals change. You'll need executive-level support and protection (whiteboard space, time, runway, and possibly budget).
Yes, I'm asking you to go into the office of the big boss and share your plan, but get your pitch down beforehand. Sell it. Great ideas and solutions perish all the time without executive patronage. Further, relentless company bureaucracy typically punishes creative thinkers by making experimentation and failure unacceptable.
A good executive is aware of these facts and wants to help. You need to appeal to the senior leadership member who sees it as his or her job to acquire and retain innovative employees. Here's a tip: Look for the person who isn't resting on the laurels of past successes, but actively chasing future growth.