{"id":138557,"date":"2018-10-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-29T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qmarkets.net\/4-ways-to-beat-innovation-management-anxiety-how-to-get-past-the-fear-and-find-your-next-big-idea\/"},"modified":"2018-10-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-10-29T22:00:00","slug":"4-ways-to-beat-innovation-management-anxiety-how-to-get-past-the-fear-and-find-your-next-big-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/resources\/article\/4-ways-to-beat-innovation-management-anxiety-how-to-get-past-the-fear-and-find-your-next-big-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to Beat Innovation Management Anxiety – How to Get Past the Fear and Find Your Next Big Idea!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The philosopher Aristotle <\/strong>diagnosed fear as \u2018pain arising from the anticipation of evil\u2019. Over 2000 years later, C-suite executives at major companies <\/strong>the world over are certainly feeling this specific pain when it comes to innovation. Many anticipate the possibility of leaping towards news heights, only to plummet down to unknown depths\u2026. However, it doesn\u2019t have to be this way.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to see why corporations feel incapacitated by fear when it comes to innovation. After all, their fear is often fuelled by concrete realities, such as the complex company bureaucracy and infrastructure that innovation campaigns have to be tailored to. Some companies also fear innovation will compromise corporate security<\/a> and intellectual property.<\/p>\n

While this kind of trepidation is understandable, the complacency some companies have towards innovation is not. Especially when you consider that it is predicted that digital disruption is estimated to wipe out 40% of Fortune 500 firms in the next decade.<\/p>\n

The good news is that fostering a thriving and fearless culture of innovation isn\u2019t the monumental task it might first appear to be. This is largely thanks to the development of corporate idea and innovation management software<\/a>. Although this software has been available for over a decade, its modern iterations are proving increasingly effective at addressing the concerns of the companies who are still yet to experiment with it.<\/p>\n

Just in time for Halloween, we\u2019ve compiled the top 4 fears associated with corporate innovation and attempted to \u201cexorcize\u201d the demons commonly associated with them…<\/p>\n

1. Preparation Anxiety<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

A major fear many companies face arises from the prospect of correctly allocating time, energy, and resources to ensure their innovation effort succeeds. Failing to prepare sufficiently could cause major problems down the track, so it's clear to see why preparation anxiety is so prevalent.<\/p>\n

The first step to conquering this fear is settling on a clear target for the innovation initiative. This may sound like a no-brainer, but a comprehensive study conducted by PA consulting<\/a> found 53% of respondents said they used the term 'innovation' to describe different things \u2013 revealing that a lack of clarity and focus can drastically stymie innovation efforts.<\/p>\n

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A study by PA consulting<\/a> found that inefficient decision making, a risk-averse culture, and an inability to scale up ideas and embed change in a sustained way were significant barriers to innovation within organizations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Confucius once said, \u201cthe man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones\u201d. In a similar way, the best way to kick-start a thriving innovation culture is to launch a pilot focusing on a specific department or team. \u00a0After the innovation pilot<\/a> is completed – revealing where efforts could be most productively concentrated – a 'proof of concept' will be established. This can, in turn, serve as the template for innovation campaigns that can be replicated across the company.<\/p>\n

2. Fearing Loss of Control<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

For many managers, the idea of giving employees carte blanche to contribute suggestions and share feedback is enough to cause serious reservations about launching an innovation campaign.<\/p>\n

In the 2017 Forbes article<\/a> \u2018The Real Reason Your Employees Can't Innovate\u2019, author Liz Ryan observed that \u201cin some organizations, only managers are allowed to have ideas. CEOs talk about the fact that great ideas can come from anywhere, but in real-life departments are protective of their turf.\u201d<\/p>\n

To maintain an employee base that is committed to taking your company to new heights, encouraging innovation is critical. A study by ReportLinker<\/a> found that 78% of employees who say their organization promotes creativity and innovation are committed to their employer.<\/p>\n

"Innovation means letting go of prescribed notions about what will work and what won't.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/h2>\n

– <\/em>Liz Ryan,\u00a0Founder and CEO of Human Workplace<\/h2>\n

To achieve a balance between giving employees a broad remit for ideation and retaining control over innovation trajectories, it\u2019s important to have a clear-cut process in place. With innovation management software<\/a>, managers can refine the focus of innovation challenges, monitor employee collaboration, and develop idea submissions so they align more closely with key company objectives.<\/p>\n