Both of these disciplines must be adopted for success.

In my first article for Inc last year, I wrote about "convergence." I'd like to offer another example of convergence that's taking place these days: the convergence of design and innovation. Just as most approaches to process improvement (e.g., PDCA, Six Sigma) pretty much have the same roots in the scientific method which has been around for a hundred years, so too can most methodical approaches to design be seen as pretty much covering the same bases.

Structured approaches to innovation have been popping up over the last few years as well. Innovative "buzz" started some years ago, leveraging creative techniques that have been around for decades. But it's only in the last five or so years that a new element has been added to most definitions of innovation. Some say innovation is "bringing new ideas to life," or "the act of conceiving new ideas and bringing them to market," or "commercialization of differentiating technology."

The common approaches to design have always had a flaw, though. They focus on how to "design it right the first time," but they don't address the answer to this question: design what? Design methods assume you have a design in mind. Similarly, most approaches to innovation lack an answer to the question of how to bring the creative idea to life -- or to market. So as with most things -- they start discretely and ultimately converge. Today we are seeing the convergence of innovation and design. Innovation (or creative techniques) fills the gap of "what" to design, and design methods allow us to solve the problem of "how" to bring the creative idea to life.

The most popular approach to design in business over the past ten years has become known as "designing for six sigma." There are a few different variations of design for six sigma, but they're all fundamentally the same. On the other hand, there are no widely accepted methods for innovation yet. Some have tried, but nothing has really taken hold -- until now. For the past year my firm has been applying a methodology we call, D4. The four D's in D4 are: Define, Discover, Design and Demonstrate.

We bill D4 as a new methodology, but I have to share a little secret: only the first two D's are really new. The second two are just the old Design for Six Sigma methodologies condensed into two steps instead of a more common four or five. That's because, while it seems obvious to us now, it took quite a bit of time, research and testing with clients for us to realize that we didn't need to start from scratch, but rather just needed to combine design and innovation. The result is D4, and what we've come to learn is that neither design -- nor innovation -- as others know it can really stand on their own. Convergence was inevitable . . . and now you know, too.

Examine the many ways that the perennial business term is misunderstood.

In several of our columns, we have discussed ROI and its use as a measure to show the contribution of a particular project or program. Unfortunately, the term ROI is subject to much abuse and certainly a lot of misunderstanding. In this column we will capture some of the key culprits.

How's Your ROI?

Unfortunately, many people refer to ROI as a concept of benefit. Some who ask, "What's the ROI on that project?" are not necessarily asking about financial returns but merely the benefit. When someone claims a huge ROI or suggests that you can achieve a very high ROI with a project, they're not necessarily thinking about the financial return on investment. This line of thinking can pose a problem, because the ROI concept comes from the finance and accounting professions, to which ROI means financial ROI. Using the term improperly could undermine a relationship with that key person in the organization, the chief financial officer.

Continue reading "Use and Abuse of ROI"

To COL-LAB-O-RATE. The American Heritage Dictionary defines collaboration as: "to work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort."

Through my research over the past few years, I have come to appreciate the power of collaboration in ways I never did before. I have been amazed to learn of some collaborative efforts of the past -- mostly by people that history has painted as great individual writers such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien who years later were discovered to have worked together.

I've also come to learn -- or perhaps realize would be a better term -- that I accomplish nothing without collaboration. My study of how innovation really occurs, how we generate new ideas and how we make decisions, has convinced me that a deeper understanding of collaboration will help us all become better at just about anything that requires the use of our intellect. That's because the belief that we simply figure it out when called upon, or that we just come up with great ideas out of the blue, is a pure fallacy.

Continue reading "Collaboration"

If certain data cannot be converted to money, are they still important?

Many organizations are realizing the importance of intangible measures. Sometimes labeled soft data, intangibles can be powerful, elusive, and mysterious. Some believe they cannot be measured; others believe they cannot be converted to money. In most cases, both of these viewpoints are misguided. Intangibles are part of what drives organizations and their projects. What makes them important is the fact that they're often linked to more tangible measures.

Consider these intangible items:

* Adaptability
* Awards
* Brand awareness
* Career mindedness
* Caring
* Collaboration
* Communication
* Conflict
* Cooperation
* Corporate social responsibility
* Culture
* Customer complaints
* Customer response time
* Customer satisfaction
* Decisiveness
* Employee complaints
* Engagement
* Execution
* Image
* Innovation and creativity
* Job satisfaction
* Leadership
* Networking
* Organizational climate
* Organizational commitment
* Partnering
* Reputation
* Resilience
* Stress
* Talent
* Teamwork

These items drive projects such as leadership development, product development, marketing, promotion, certain external programs, technology, quality, and many others. They're also linked to tangibles. For example, customer satisfaction is often linked to sales growth; employee engagement can be linked to productivity; and job satisfaction can be linked to customer satisfaction.

Continue reading "Intangible Measures"

Business is not an either/or proposition -- a cycle of innovation and analytical operation is needed to succeed.

Is it an art or a science? I don't even have to tell you what "it" is for you to identify with the perennial debate. Leadership: art or science? Innovation: art or science? Effective time management? Compose a symphony? Write a book?

In their 2007 best seller Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning, Thomas Davenport and Jeanne Harris argue and explain the value of science through the analysis of data. On the flip side, Malcolm Gladwell argues in Blink that intuition, built on years of experience, can often be the best decision making tool. Which is it? The answer, of course, is both. But no one likes that answer, because it seems like a cop-out.

There is, of course, a better answer than "both." And that answer is, "it depends." It's not so much that it depends on "the situation," but rather it depends on where something is in its evolutionary process.

Continue reading "Art or Science?"

Not all data is created equal -- here's how to know what kind to gather and how to use to make the most of the data process.

We live in a world where data is literally everywhere. And if it is not readily available, we can collect it easily. The challenge is collecting the right data for the purpose. For example, when you implement a program, project, or policy, success is always a goal. So, what type of data would you collect to determine if it was successful? The answer is not always readily apparent. It is best to think of data not only in different categories but actually at different levels. The concept of data levels is helpful to appreciate the relative value of the data sets. For example, if a new software package to help reduce shipping errors is implemented you want to measure success. Obviously, the first thing to check would be the errors. Are they lower? If they have not been reduced then we are left wondering why the software did not work, or if the shipping department did not use it? To address this situation appropriately, let's examine four types of data that should be considered.

The first is reaction (Level 1). As the name implies, this data set is collected by asking the individuals who are involved with the project about their reaction to it. This is not necessarily asking if they like it, but did they find it to be necessary, useful, relevant to what they are doing, or important to their own success. Employees need to see a new project as something of value to either them or the company or, ideally, both. Deciding what reaction we want dictates the type of reaction data that we capture. The process is simple. As the project is implemented, we take a brief survey. Simple questions are asked, such as, "Is it useful? Is it helpful? Can we use it? What are the problems?" and "What will keep us from using it?"

Continue reading "Collecting the Right Data"

Many factors determine the success of a new strategy. But which one is responsible for real results? Here's how to find out.

One of the most challenging issues in reporting the value of a particular project or program is isolating the effects of that project. Often managers and professionals involved will make this comment, "There are just too many factors to understand the impact of this project; we cannot separate these other influences." This can actually be done in a credible way. Much of our efforts in the last two decades have focused on this issue and there are a variety of methods to accomplish this important part of showing project results.

Consider this scenario: you have just implemented Salesforce.com on-demand customer relationship management (CRM) application tool. The goal is to ensure that the tool helps develop consistency in practice and ultimately boost sales, increase market share, and improve customer satisfaction. However, when it is implemented there are many other influences driving success in these key measures. In fact, most dynamic market situations involve multiple influences at the same time -- some implemented during the same period of this CRM implementation. So the question is, "How do we show impact of the CRM application?" The good news is that it can be done credibly with minimum effort.

First, let's discuss why it is important. Some may argue that all of these resources are working and increased sales, market share, and customer satisfaction have resulted. So, why do we care what caused it? Today, executives need to know more. They need to know what is causing success, and therefore, we must understand the cause and effect relationship between the variety of projects and programs implemented to move key measures. Doing nothing about this is an unacceptable strategy.

So, what can we do?

Continue reading "Taking Credit When Credit Is Due"

New ideas are what will help your business remain competitive. Be sure you aren't killing them before you consider bringing them to fruition.

In 1962, after listening to four young, unknown musicians named Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best, the head of Decca recordings declared, "I don't like their music. Besides, guitar groups are on their way out." This executive was the successful industry expert of the day. He was the decision maker. He passed on the Beatles.

How many other great ideas has someone passed on? How many have YOU passed on? By some estimates, 99 percent of the best new concepts and ideas get killed before anyone ever hears of them.

Are you an idea killer? Is your organization filled with idea killers? How would you even know?

Now to be sure, some ideas don't die so easily. They get a reprieve because someone just wouldn't give up. The Beatles didn't give up. Neither did George Lucas after having multiple film producers pass on his silly sci-fi movie with the lame title (aka, Star Wars).

But here's the worst part: When an idea you've killed comes back from the dead -- YOU don't benefit from it. The resurrection happens in someone else's backyard. Either they take the ideas and start a new business in the proverbial garage; or the idea is allowed to develop elsewhere because you dismissed it as an "under-funded startup" that couldn't possibly challenge your company's dominance; or you rationalize why you shouldn't worry and don't even pay attention. But one thing is assured -- once you pass on a great idea, your chances of capitalizing on it later are slim to none.

Continue reading "Beware of the Idea Killers"

Walking into a project with ROI in mind will ensure the project delivers.

In previous columns, we discussed how ROI has been used in nontraditional settings to show the financial payoff of a project or program. Let's examine a case study to show how "Thinking ROI" at the beginning of a project can make a dramatic difference in the end results.

The setting is a manufacturing company that produces medical devices and sells them to hospitals and clinics throughout the world. This is a small organization with a sales force of 74, including sales reps, district sales managers, and vice presidents. Joe Lockhart, CEO of Medical Devices, Inc., is concerned about a request from Carla Wilson, vice president of sales.

Carla wants to take the entire sales force off the job for a three-day business development conference. The cost for the conference is about $400,000, considering travel, hotel, and meeting expenses, and time out of the field for the team. This is expensive. Joe calculates that with current profit margins, $3 - 4 million would need to be generated to pay for the conference. His concerns are simple: "Is this worth it? Is this needed? Is there a better way to do this?"

Continue reading "Think ROI at the Beginning of a Project"

It's one of the most important questions you'll ever ask yourself while running your business.

"What's the problem?" Sounds like what a parent says to a child in distress. Turns out, though, that this might be one of the most important questions you ever ask. That's because little happens in business unless there's a problem to be solved. In fact, with all the emphasis on innovation these days, I've been keeping an eye out for an innovation to arrive that didn't directly result from an effort to solve a problem. So far, I haven't found one.

Here are some interesting examples of innovations. Can you name the problem each solves?

* Self-waxing skis
* Halal baby food
* Foldable cutting board
* LED faucet light
* Non-drip ice cream

Let's see how you're doing.

Continue reading "What's The Problem?"