Great Innovation Takes Work
Like many initiatives, idea generation and innovation are often subject to “doing more with less.” But in our experience, one pattern emerges consistently: teams that fully commit to doing the work - physically, intellectually, and emotionally - generate ideas that actually move their brands forward, versus just check the box.
Why Effort Matters
It’s mid-January, still within the “happy new year!” window, which means that resolutions and intentions remain top-of-mind in our brains and on our journal pages. With a few exceptions, most of those intentions have one thing in common – effort. Fundamental is the assumption that improved outcomes require work. Even if our resolutions involve grace or self-care, they generally require a change in behavior, which as we know is easier to dream about than to do, easier to start than to maintain.
As folks tasked with growing their brands, marketing, product and innovation teams are increasingly asked to deliver great outcomes with fewer resources like headcount, budgets, and/or time. Light-speed technological gains make this feel feasible, if sometimes frustrating and overwhelming. But in this “do more with less” arms race, it seems we are increasingly losing the core factor that makes for impactful innovation: truly understanding fellow humans.
Think about your most important relationships, the ones in which you deeply value the other person. Odds are, you have spent extensive time with them, you have laughed and cried with them, you have hilarious stories and warm memories. Importantly, you have probably had some uncomfortable feelings about them, like worry or anxiety about their well-being or even some big disagreements. But you are of such value to each other that you work to maintain what you have built.
This work is what we do when someone, or something, is important. We make ourselves present – physically, intellectually, emotionally, and with our time.
When innovation is important, we must be consciously present for it, too.
Innovation Isn’t Instant
Innovation is a world where the more efficient path is extremely tempting, as it looks fabulous on paper. Instant “insights” from simulated personas help generate instant product ideas, which can then be tweaked by more personas, and then it’s off to the races in a matter of hours. The box gets checked, and now it’s on to the next meeting.
But the potential pitfalls are hopefully obvious: These “insights” are most likely identical to those of competitors. The ideas are likely just like competitors’ too. Personas rarely exhibit nuanced emotions, or the emotions felt in everyday life vs. those informed by what’s stated online. Dynamic real-world context – hardly able to be replicated – dramatically impacts choice. Finally, without much investment in the ideas’ creation, teams can lack a sense of personal commitment to them.
ITG’s approach to innovation is expressly designed to pull in the nuanced, non-obvious, sometimes-painfully-human dimensions of the customer experience. But it requires work – often some of the most insightful, fulfilling, and successful work our clients have undertaken.
Four Ways to Show Up for Innovation
In the context of idea generation, work really comes in the form of committing to being present:
Being physically present. The ubiquity of video conferencing has a downside: it enables people to feel they don’t need to be physically present, in the name of efficiency. A huge reason for coming together in-person is ITG’s Creative Consumers® associates (CCs): creative and articulate, they are unafraid to share what’s in their heads and in their lives, and their lived experience easily becomes shared experience when together. Being together sparks the spontaneous connections and reactions that uncover the non-obvious insights that would otherwise be missed, the kind that lead to the best ideas. The impact of being in person cannot be overstated… but indeed, it’s work.
Being intellectually present. In ITG projects, everyone has a role. Facilitators guide the process; Creative Consumers® associates inspire and generate ideas; and client team members generate ideas too, as well as prioritize big ideas. Client teams need to be mentally there, ready to play along, using multiple types of thinking along the way, while keeping office distractions at bay. This full intellectual engagement ensures ideas are strategically considered from all angles… and that is work.
Being emotionally present. When working with customers, it’s human nature to unconsciously listen to confirm or refute existing ideas or hunches. ITG’s process and techniques enable the full experience of experiences to be unearthed. This emotional openness turns surface-level observations and notes into deeper consumer truths, the kind that inspires resonant AND novel ideas.… but staying curious, open, and putting biases aside, is work.
Being present for the time required. ITG’s process includes a divergence phase, in which many possibilities are generated, and a convergence phase, in which the most promising ideas are prioritized, developed, and written up. It’s already an efficient process – one we’ve optimized over the years and continue to do so – but it’s only effective when the everyone participates. Dedicated time allows the quantity of ideas to grow exponentially, building on each other and creating momentum that fragmented sessions cannot replicate. But in a world where committing a day to a project – much less two or three – seems daunting, this takes work.
How ITG Makes Space for the Work
You may be saying, “I get it, garbage in, garbage out… but so much of this is out of my control!” We hear you! Many of us were once in your shoes! In ITG projects, you don’t have to deal with the process of innovation; we will handle all of the “how” so you get to exclusively focus on the challenge, the consumer experience, and the ideas. Part of that “how” is helping you make space for the work required:
We design the project – and can even help select your project team – for maximum engagement.
We work with you to modify phases, dates, and locations to ensure maximum focus and participation.
We clarify commitment expectations in advance of the project, to both the team and those depending on them. Not only can calendars be cleared, but people can physically and mentally budget the time/work in advance.
Any other barriers to being present that exist on your team? We love a challenge and we are really creative. We can help!
I’ve been in the innovation mix for about 15 years now. I’ve been through all types of processes. I’ve seen many, many teams go through ITG’s process, across the full spectrum of hyper-engaged to painfully opposite. And one thing remains clear: like important relationships, exercise, resolutions, and self-reflection, you get out what you put in. If innovation is a priority at your organization, make it a priority. Priorities deserve time, effort, and work. So do the work.