Innovation is driven by constraints — limitations that force people to rethink a problem and come up with new ways to solve it. You can encourage innovation by adding constraints to a project, but those constraints must be handled carefully.
- Outcomes: Define what a good solution would accomplish for users, customers, and other stakeholders. Work backwards to identify the process and workflow that will help you get there. What you need to be careful about is how each stakeholder group is affected. What may work well for one group could be negative for another. When focusing on stakeholder results, be sure to balance the needs of the various groups.
- Deadlines: Deadlines push people to focus and work faster — as long as the timeline doesn’t trigger stress or other performance-killing reactions. The key is to set deadlines that are appropriate for the outcomes you’ve established. Being realistic is more important than being ambitious when it comes to timing.
If you effectively combine constraints around outcomes and timeframes, you’ll get the best chance at developing a truly innovative solution. To find out how a Modern Observer Group coach/consultant can help you develop innovative products and solutions, schedule a call here.
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