Best Practices for Engaging Executives in Innovation

Execs: "Our teams are experimenting, why aren't we finding new growth?" Me: "Well, you started out strong by organizing teams around ideas, giving them access to customers, providing them with tools and had them start running experiments. The teams are only relying on interviews and surveys and don't know how to find stronger evidence on their own." Execs: "So let's teach them more experiments." Me: "That will certainly help and the teams could use a customized playbook based on your industry. This isn't only a skill issue though, it is a system issue. Even your best trained teams will fail if they don't have the time and support to apply what they've learned. They need coaching help for their experimentation if you are to find new growth. Instead of squeezing this into a few hours a week, they more dedicated time. Think of this like a portfolio, not a series of one off teams or projects experimenting with a few customers." Execs: "OK, we'll make sure all of these systems are in place." Me: "That's a good step, and we'll need to go beyond giving this lip service, because you aren't simply setting up a process, you are building a culture of experimentation. This requires communicating the vision of why you are undertaking this challenge. You'll need sponsors who can make decisions on these ideas based on evidence and alignment to your narrative. You'll need metered funding to invest in the ideas that show promise and retire the ones that don't. You'll need to scout for opportunities to drive new growth. And with all of that, this initiative will stall without an incentive system that rewards teams for working this way." Execs: "This sounds like an overwhelming amount of work." Me: "This is a shift. We don't need to build all of this at once. We just have to start, based on where you are today, and build the support system that will allow innovation to stick."

What support can you provide your executives across the lifecycle of an initiative to put them in the best position as a sponsor, line the initiative up to deliver outcomes, and help the people of the organization align? In 2024 Prosci completed a fantastic (but under-publicized) study on elevating executive engagement. While my favorite sections of the research might be on making a strategic case for the ROI of change management and on adapting to the unique situation and sponsor, there was one whole section on the support that change practitioners can provide across the lifecycle of the effort - Initiation, Planning, Execution, Launch, and Sustainment. With five lifecycle stages matching the five columns on a #2025Bingo card, this finding seemed like the one to pull forward. Here is the support sponsors need (and #ChangeManagement practitioners provide) to deliver change outcomes by catalyzing adoption. The full "Elevating #Executive #Engagement" report is available in Research Hub in the Prosci Portal. 1 - Initiation Build Key Stakeholder Connections Define Clear Project Goals Define Team Member Responsibilities Support Organizational Priorities Show Early Project Successes 2 - Planning Involve Key Stakeholders Throughout Convey Information Clearly and Timely Identify and Mitigate Challenges Report Progress Frequently and Concisely Define Goals and Outcomes Clearly 3 - Execution Communicate Clearly Including Status Updates Actively Engage Stakeholders Prosci - your partner for change success! Identify and Manage Risk, Proactively Demonstrate Progress Clearly 4 - Launch Secure Key Players’ Active Support Prepare Organization for New Processes Update Status Regularly and Concisely Proactively Address Potential Launch Issues Establish Key Performance Indicators 5 - Sustainment Develop Long-Term Sustainability Strategies Report Project Progress Consistently Monitor Project Outcomes Achievement Gather User Input Continuously Reinforce Change Through Messaging

Are you a Lean Startup evangelist looking to put #leanstartup into practice at your company? Here’s how to do it: 1. Identify one senior executive sponsor who’s willing to sponsor a team for a 10-week Lean Startup pilot 2. Ask the sponsoring executive to select a small number of projects for the pilot (1-6) 3. For the selected project(s), fill out a project charter and hold a kick-off meeting to ensure alignment 4. Train team members and executives on their roles and responsibilities in the Lean Startup approach 5. Over 10 weeks, support teams and executives to run build-measure-learn loops to generate validated learning 6. At the end of the 10 weeks, have the team(s) make a pivot-persevere-kill recommendation to the sponsoring executive based on the body of validated learning they generated 7. Have the sponsoring executive make an investment decision based on the team’s recommendation 8. Hold a retrospective session to document proof points and decide if and how the pilot should be expanded to other initiatives Tips: 1. There’s an adoption curve for Lean Startup inside your company. Don’t try to tackle the whole curve up front by trying to convince everyone of the merits of Lean Startup. Trying to convince everyone won’t work, nor should it. Rather, start by identifying one early-adopter executive who is willing to sponsor the pilot. Then let the results of the pilot do the convincing for the next executives on the adoption curve. 2. Take the time necessary to charter your teams carefully. Make it clear who is on each project team and how much time each one will be asked to dedicate during the 10-week pilot. Choose cross-functional team members who have the skills and connections each project needs for the 10 weeks. 3. Make sure the sponsoring executive is trained on their role. They need to make it clear they expect pivot-persevere-kill recommendations from teams based on validated learning. #innovation #innovationmanagement