Jeffrey Phillips wrote at Blogging Innovation an article about “The W’s of Innovation”. Here they are:
credit: Dept. of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin
- What: What are we trying to accomplish with the innovation effort? What are the goals and measures we’ll use? What risks are we willing to face? What sacred cows should we avoid?
- Why: Why are are innovating? Why not keep doing what we are doing? Why does an innovation effort make sense? Why innovate around this particular issue or opportunity?
- When: When do you want results? When can we have the people and budgets we need? When can we get started?
- Where: Where should we focus our efforts? Where in the future is our target? Where are the prospects and customers we should consider?
- Who: Who is the financial sponsor? Who will adopt or commercialize the ideas? Who is the ultimate customer of our ideas? Who is the final arbiter in case of disagreements? Who will staff this project?
- How: How should we work? How will the existing tools and techniques be helpful? How can we use new techniques? How do we deploy innovation in our business?
As often the striking things are good guidelines not just because they are easier to remember. I would really recommend to answer these questions when seriously thinking about realizing an innovation idea.
