When it comes to implementing any new innovation, no matter how rock solid the value proposition or business model, there is no guarantee that it will be successful. That’s because innovation, by definition, disrupts the status quo. In short, change scares people.
Customers, employees, partners – they could all resist (or flat-out reject) your latest effort or breakthrough simply because it’s different than what they’re used to. That’s fear of change, and the way to overcome it, is by educating the “fearful”.
Customers – Companies need to be creative, but forthright about how they educate consumers and clients about new products. While it’s not prudent to use your new product marketing efforts to explain every implication and nuance of a new offering, that information needs to made available to the public at large, even if it contains some negative connotations.
Create a space on your website where customers can take a deeper dive into the product, answer their concerns, and learn the details honestly from your company. Much better to do this that to have a competitor or disgruntled customer exposing bad information that you tried to hide, and simply can’t refute. Companies need to be proactive and cover all the bases in their communications with the public.
Business Partners – When you introduce a new idea or product to market, your partners may fear consquences that your organization is not even aware of. If the product is seen as a revolutionary replacement for something they already offer, or something that closes the gap between your existing product and a service that they provide, then you could have a mutiny on your hands.
Smart innovative companies keep the channels of communication clear with partners to expose any potential oversights or conflicts of interest. Create proactive communications materials that offer all the facts, explanations and comfort to your partners. Make sure you have lots of personal contact with them before and during the rollout, and schedule meetings to discuss any objections and feedback they have. This way you can uncover any unseen negative aspects of your new offering, and smooth over any rough spots before they strike out on their own, or begin looking for another company to cohort with.
Employees – Some of the strongest resistance to change you’ll ever encounter can come from the inside – directly from your employee base. Trying to implement a more streamlined process in your organization, or taking something away in an effort to save money, is risking serious consequences to morale and productivity.
Companies that do these things successfully do so by making a concerted effort to communicate to employees that management is fully aware of all the threats a new innovation poses. Don’t try to enforce an overt “Do it or else” policy, unless you absolutely must. Instead devise ways to “enlist their willing participation”. Put employees in charge of projects and give everyone a stake in suggesting or voting on the ideas and programs your company implements.
One of the ways companies have achieved major success in this area, is by implemeting and ”all-hands-on-deck” approach to innovation. You can easily get this jump-started with a system like Flagpole (http://www.flagpole-software.com) where employees (and even customers and business partners) can have their input, submit ideas, leave feedback, and interact. You’ll find that by listening to your stakeholders, and empowering them to help you solve internal issues, they’ll feel more invested in the outcome. Everyone gets excited to see their own seed projects and programs gain acceptance and come to life.
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