Best Practices For Innovation Strategy Rollout

Banks talk about innovation. But how many actually execute it? For years, I've seen banks struggle to turn innovation into action. They know they need to evolve, but the roadblocks are everywhere: 🚧 Fear of fintech competition: Instead of seeing fintechs as enablers, they see them as threats. 🚧 Overcomplicated pilots: Too many internal hurdles stall momentum before innovation can even take off. 🚧 Lack of clear success metrics: Without defined KPIs, how do you know if your innovation efforts are working? But here is the truth: Innovation isn't just a project - it's a *strategy* Thats why I created the Banking Innovation Roadmap - a simple, tactical framework to help banks move from concept to market leadership. This isn't about adding another buzzword to your strategy - it's about real execution. A strategic approach to innovation includes 👇 ✅ Discovery & Roadmapping: Understanding your bank's goals and aligning innovation to real business outcomes. ✅ Proof of Concept Development: Testing real solutions with fintech partners in a way that's controlled and measurable. ✅ Strategic Partnerships: Banks, fintechs, and organizations like FIS coming together to create new solutions that don't exist today (ahem, FIS + Affirm collab!) ✅ Modernization & Open Banking: Without the right infrastructure, innovation can't scale. ✅ Market Insights & Thought Leadership: Staying ahead of trends and leveraging industry expertise to guide decision-making. The banks that succeed don't wait for innovation to happen - they structure it, measure it, and operationalize it. I'll be diving more into this framework as I continue to iterate it. Most importantly: I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Am I missing anything? What's the biggest roadblock you see when banks try to innovate? Drop your thoughts in the comments! #bankinginnovation #fintech #innovationstrategy

Blending IO psychology with digital innovation flipped the results of our last tech rollout. Most teams never connect these dots—here's why it changes everything ↓ Tech implementations often fail not because of the technology, but due to human factors. The deployment to a large international pharma company was heading for disaster until we brought in IO psychologists. They helped us understand: - How different personality types interact with new systems - The impact of change on team dynamics - Ways to reduce resistance and boost adoption We tailored our approach based on these insights: - Customized training for different learning styles - Change champions selected based on influence networks - Communication strategies aligned with team cultures The results were staggering: - 94% adoption rate within 3 months - 40% increase in user satisfaction scores - 25% boost in productivity post-implementation Key takeaway: Technology and human behavior are deeply intertwined. By considering both, we unlocked synergies we never thought possible. Next time you're planning a tech rollout, remember: The most powerful integration isn't between systems, but between tech and human psychology. Embrace this approach to transform your digital initiatives. PS - and if you know this story, you also know how it set me on the path for my PhD in IO Psychology.

Best and Worst Practices: GenAI Strategy and Implementation Since 2015, I’ve been immersed in the world of AI, representing the world’s largest law firm, speaking on AI Ethics for the ABA, founding a GenAI company in 2022 aimed at improving critical thinking, and teaching AI Ethics at UC Berkeley. I’ve spoken with hundreds of CEOs in 15 countries and analyzed nearly every major GenAI study over the past five years. Top 5 Mistakes Companies Make 1. Rushing Under Pressure CEOs, driven by board pressure, launch GenAI initiatives without a clear strategy, creating misalignment 2. Delegating to IT When GenAI is seen purely as a technical tool, IT leads often default to pilots and vendor solutions (often Microsoft-based), missing strategic and cultural integration. 3. Over-Reliance on Consultants Consultants often offer predictable playbooks, task automation, short-term cost savings that fail to drive lasting value. 4. Ineffective Pilots Many companies spend $3–5 million on slide shows and pilots that statistically fail 70–85% of of the time.¹ 5. AI-First Announcements Companies issue AI-focused press releases to signal innovation while lacking a a real plan Top 5 Best Practices 1. CEO-Led Initiatives The most successful GenAI transformations are led directly by CEOs who recognize the need to lead from the front² 2. Strategic and Cultural Shift Effective leaders see GenAI not as a tech project, but as a communications and organizational challenge that demands alignment from top to bottom.³ 3. Inclusive, Cross-Functional Engagement By involving legal, compliance, operations, and frontline teams from the outset, successful companies create a shared sense of purpose and resilience against resistance.⁴ 4. Preserving Customer and Brand Integrity Visionary companies avoid placing bots between their organization and its most valuable assets, customers and brand reputation. 5. Holistic Transformation Winning strategies integrate GenAI/ML into open-source, multi-LLM hybrid platforms that unify ecosystems, refine structured and unstructured data, not just to cut costs, but to drive revenue, and enable long-term advantage. Leadership. First Principles. Cross-Functional Inclusion. Technology as a platform. A combined automation and augmentation approach. And aggressive CEO communications and thought leadership. Generative AI doesn’t need to be a fear-driven event. Done right, it’s an opportunity to put the organization first and set a foundation for long-term success. ******************************************************************************** The trick with technology is to avoid spreading darkness at the speed of light Stephen Klein is Founder & CEO of Curiouser.AI, the only Generative AI platform and advisory focused on augmenting human intelligence through strategic coaching, reflection, and values-based decision-making. He also teaches AI Ethics at UC Berkeley. Learn more at curiouser.ai or connect via Hubble https://lnkd.in/gphSPv_e

Planning something new? Clients of the Umbrex Innovation Practice asked us to compile a set of tools, frameworks, and templates needed to drive innovation from ideation to execution. The result is the Corporative Innovation Playbook. Whether you’re launching a centralized innovation hub, deploying design thinking at scale, or building an ecosystem of startup partners, this guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step roadmap. Learn how to structure innovation governance, fund portfolios, build capabilities, and scale impactful initiatives—while avoiding common pitfalls and aligning with enterprise strategy. Table of Contents: Chapter 1. Foundation and Context 1.1 Purpose and Scope of the Playbook 1.2 Definitions and Taxonomy of Innovation Types 1.3 The Innovation Imperative in Corporations 1.4 Common Barriers to Innovation 1.5 Quick‑Start Assessment Checklist Chapter 2. Innovation Strategy and Governance 2.1 Aligning Innovation with Corporate Strategy 2.2 Setting Innovation Ambition and Goals 2.3 Governance Structures and Decision Rights 2.4 Strategy Development Step‑by‑Step Guide 2.5 Governance Charter Template 2.6 Executive Steering Committee Checklist Chapter 3. Portfolio Management and Funding 3.1 Portfolio Segmentation Framework (Core, Adjacent, Transformational) 3.2 Stage‑Gate vs. Venture Portfolio Approaches 3.3 Funding Models and Budget Allocation Methods 3.4 Portfolio Management Step‑by‑Step Guide 3.5 Investment Committee Checklist 3.6 Portfolio Dashboard Template Chapter 4. Culture and Leadership 4.1 Attributes of an Innovative Culture 4.2 Leadership Behaviors that Enable Innovation 4.3 Incentives and Recognition Systems 4.4 Culture Diagnostic Checklist 4.5 Leadership Activation Step‑by‑Step Guide Chapter 5 . Innovation Operating Model 5.1 Organizing for Innovation: Centralized, Hub‑and‑Spoke, Dual 5.2 Roles and Responsibilities Matrix 5.3 Process Governance and Stage Definitions 5.4 Operating Model Design Step‑by‑Step Guide 5.5 RACI Template Chapter 6. Ideation and Opportunity Discovery [abridged due to character limit] Chapter 7. Concept Development and Validation Chapter 8. Incubation and Experimentation Chapter 9. Acceleration and Scaling Chapter 10. Open Innovation and Ecosystem Partnerships Chapter 11. Corporate Venture Capital and M&A for Innovation Chapter 12. Technology and Digital Innovation Chapter 13. Metrics, KPIs, and Performance Management Chapter 14. Risk, Compliance, and Intellectual Property Chapter 15. Talent, Skills, and Capability Building Chapter 16. Infrastructure, Tools, and Platforms Chapter 17 . Communication, Change Management, and Stakeholder Engagement Chapter 18. Continuous Improvement and Innovation Maturity Chapter 19. Implementation Roadmaps and Templates

If you deploy it, they will come. Nope. They won’t. Too many companies release new features and assume customers will just find them, use them, and love them. Reality? Half the time customers don’t even know the feature exists. New product ≠ instant adoption. If you want customers to actually use what you’ve built, you need a rollout strategy. If you are getting ready to release and roll out new product into your software, here’s how to do it right: 1️⃣ Announce with intention Don’t bury it in release notes. Create a clear, customer-facing announcement that explains what it is and why it matters. 2️⃣ Educate customers Offer videos, walkthroughs, and guides tailored to different learning styles. 3️⃣ Enable through practice Run webinars, workshops, or sandbox sessions where customers can actually try it. 4️⃣ Empower champions Identify and activate customer advocates who can showcase real use cases. 5️⃣ Measure adoption Track who’s using it, how, and what value they’re seeing. Use that feedback to refine. 6️⃣ Keep reinforcing Fold it into business reviews, customer stories, and ongoing comms so it becomes part of the core product experience. If you don’t guide customers to it, your ‘big release’ is just another hidden button. How does your company roll out new features today? What have you seen work really well?