Summary
Organizations create efficiency by choosing one project over another. But is that really the way to innovate?
Problem
Leadership wants to support one initiative, not twenty. As a result, everyone's fighting. They can't agree on a single project because each wants to do it his or her own way.
Okay. Let them.
Solution
- Catalog all the projects working toward a solution to the problem
- Publish the efforts in a central location along with contact numbers for the project managers
- Create an open forum for the sharing of information and best practices
- Encourage but don't force collaboration by creating mechanisms for other projects to be rewarded for rewarding other projects (e.g. a project may be funded just because they are good at acknowledging and borrowing ideas from other projects)
- Open up a fund and accept nominations for projects that seem interesting
- Pay out funds for those projects that are stirring the most interest
- Dispense with formal, top-down, planning initiatives. Instead: read and listen.
- Publicize the most promising efforts beyond the walls of the organization
- Sponsor conferences and seminars for those working on the projects
- Help connect projects with each other and with funders
November 5, 2010 at 9:28am
Laura, this certainly feels like a good plan. The hardest part seems to me carving out the will and the time to do it -- particularly in departments and companies that may be stretched due to recessionary layoffs. I would like to see examples from people who've done things like this. I just posted to MIX's facebook and twitter, calling on people who've had experience funding internal startup ideas, to see if we can get them to join this discussion and tell us how they've worked it.
Thanks for getting this started.
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