By Matthew Pearson, PhD
April 2, 2023
Volunteer Trap
The ealry bird gets the worm, but it is the second mouse who gets the cheese.
Innovation efforts often exist in one of three states: Full Support of the organization, Full opposition to the organization, in a state of conflicted priorities. Top talent is already assigned to other projects
Refugees
Some volunteers for a new innovation initiative come from less desirable areas of the organization. While these employees are motivated to transition, their reasons for joining a innovation effort may not be striaghtforward. This type of employee may in fact just be looking for a safe harbor until they can secure something better.
However, there is an understandable counterpoint to this position, if an innovation initiaitve is a new undetaking in the orangization then, there may be many employees seeking refuge from poor management practices and stagnant growth opertunities. If this is the case it may be nessessary to equip these refugees with the tools of innovation instead of an invatation to participate directly on on the improvement effort.
Sabtures
Once an innovation project has been disclosed to a larger group of people, it is possbile that some of them will have a negitive opinion of the effort. This may be for a number of reasons such as fear of losing a
Tourists
One of the interesting things about begining an innovation initiave is that it attracts attention from other areas of the both inside and outside of the organization. If the nature of the innovation effort has a high enough profile, then the courious will seek oppertunities to get a closer look.
There are are a few ways to manage the dynamics of this situation. However, what some may regard as a disruption, can also be an asset. Many innovation tourists are bored with the lack of novelty in their own domains and simply want to see something that excites their imagination. Other tourists are interested in learning if some asspect of the innovation effort can be applied to a different scource of pain they have identified or must endure. For the most part tourists don't mean harm, but their presence can be an ongoing distraction. Therefore it is important that some thought be given to managing how these requests for access or information are accomdated.
Providing some carefully selected details of an innovation effort may generate more resources for the initiative.