Putting the report together is hard work so I think I deserve taking a little break to (hopefully) enrich your day with a quick reflection on the evaluation of ideas in the early stages of an innovation process.
Many people, especially in large organizations with a strongly goal focused culture, are bothered by the fact that during the early stages of an innovation process focus seems to be on the quantity of ideas rather than the quality. Being used to working in linear processes with a clear goal, creating a large number of ideas just for the sake of it, not being in control of the usefulness and viability of the ideas in the current operations, can of course be disturbing. This often leads to ideas being evaluated at a very early stage. As I see it the evaluation itself is not a problem. It is when the ideas are evaluated in terms of viability and suitability for the current business that is becomes a problem. Ideas at this stage of an innovation process shouldn’t be suitable for the current business. If they are the process has been a failure and has to start over to create ideas that are useful for the process itself. The only evaluation of ideas that should be carried out in the earliest stages of an innovation process is evaluation in terms of how useful the ideas are for functioning as a basis for further ideation and creation of radical ideas. Of course even this kind of evaluation is only allowed in between and after ideation sessions since evaluation during the session ruins the creative environment.Not until the stage where the idea or concept is to be pushed out into the organization to be developed and brought to market should evaluation in terms of viability and suitability in the business be carried out.
To be able to be innovative an organization will have to accept the fact that lots of ideas have to be generated, many of which will NEVER reach the market. Evaluating them and trying to force them into the mold of the business too early will not ensure their usefulness. It will kill them.
...DRIVEN INNOVATION 