I saw a great post this weekend, “How we fly: Aircraft as Career Metaphors” by Venkat and it got me thinking about Innovation programs. How does your innovation program handle behind the wheel? Do you have a couple of Lamborghinis in your innovation garage, or are you a Herbie fan? Is speed important to you, the way your program appears on the outside or are you more concerned with long term results?
Incidentally, my personal view is that you need a fleet of vehicles – no one size fits all! That being said, what vehicles would you budget for?
Lamborghinis: You have one or two superstars in your innovation garage. They have speed and agility, but lack capacity and are expensive to runTanks: You have a couple of heavy hitter teams that have won some major battles, but unfortunately the rest of your teams are following behind on footPublic Transportation: You have a fleet of fast moving buses that build consensus, take everyone along for the ride and create real momentumHerbie: You are the proud owner of an award winning innovation program. Not only do you win the race with style and panache, you add unique valueRolls Royce: Your program is beautiful to look at, but can’t keep up in this era of change as fast as change. Lacks capacity, speed and agilityPolice Service: Are you busy enforcing the rules in your program? Your vehicles are fast, and ready for action, but do your teams want to be involved?Sixties hippy van: A bit out there, you have the capability to bring others along, but somehow the message isn’t being accepted by all. It’s slow and not agileMotorbike: Fast. agile and powerful, bikes can go off road or weave through dense traffic. Unfortunately, they also lack capacity & have a tendency to crashFord Focus: Fast, easy to park and agile, so why doesn’t everyone buy one? Are they distinctive? Do they add unique value? Can they build consensus?
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