Idea in Brief
The Problem
Many corporations don’t see good innovation returns on the billions of dollars they spend on R&D.
Why It Happens
Executives tend to view truly novel ideas as aberrations and resist them. Throughout the innovation process they will try to water down original ideas to make them less threatening or crush them altogether.
The Solution
Executives can successfully foster innovation by finding and mobilizing catalysts in external networks who help launch ideas, engaging with internal sparring partners to turn those ideas into viable business propositions, and selectively sequencing the introduction of ideas within their social circles in the company to stress-test them and gradually gain buy-in.