Newsletter No. 7 | Guiding Innovation | Strategies for When the Path Is Anything but Straight

During a recent lunch with a friend, something she said struck a chord: "I don’t feel like we’re making any progress—there are so many unanswered questions." Her frustration mirrored many of my own experiences in innovation management, where progress often feels elusive. I could sense the weight of uncertainty in her words—a common sentiment for anyone deeply involved in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Reflecting on the projects I’ve overseen, one truth has become clear: the feeling of being stuck—where challenges and uncertainties seem overwhelming—is not just common; it’s an essential part of the innovation journey. However, while this sense of inertia is inevitable, there are strategies to minimize how often and intensely we experience it.

One Insight from Me

Overcoming Innovation Fatigue: My Strategy

Innovation fatigue can creep in unnoticed until suddenly, progress seems to have ground to a halt. The sense of being bogged down by too many questions and not enough answers is all too familiar, especially in environments that are constantly pushing for breakthroughs. But there are ways to navigate through this stagnation. Two strategies that have consistently proven effective for me are:

1 | Document Your Process & Track Your Progress

I’ve found that documenting each step of the innovation process creates a tangible record of progress. This record not only provides clarity but also boosts morale by highlighting incremental wins that might otherwise go unnoticed. It’s easy to lose sight of these small victories when we’re deep in the trenches, so making them visible is crucial.

You don’t need sophisticated tools for this; something as simple as digital whiteboards and decision trees can be incredibly effective. By collecting data, formulating hypotheses, and systematically working through them, you maintain a clear view of your journey. This approach has not only helped me but has also proven valuable for my clients. Below is an extract from my strategy work with one such client.

2 | Incentivize the Right Stakeholders

Engaging stakeholders by aligning their incentives with your project’s goals is key to maintaining momentum. Who is driving the project, and how are they incentivized? What roles do they play? Are they internal or external?

For example, as an external innovation manager, my goal is to create momentum and speed. This alignment with my clients' goals helps build trust and leads to continued and new projects. External partners, by design, often keep us more accountable. This alignment fosters a collaborative environment where momentum is maintained, and innovation thrives.

One Question for You

As you think about your own innovation journey, how are you currently documenting your process to track progress and ensure clarity? And what steps could you take to better align your stakeholders' incentives with your innovation goals to maintain momentum?

One Opportunity for Us

To combat innovation fatigue and inject fresh energy into your organization, I also recommend exploring academic partnerships. For example, in a previous newsletter, I offered a collaboration with the ITEM Chair of the University of St. Gallen for Business Model Innovation. While that opportunity has since been taken, I have explored additional partnerships with OST (Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences) and ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences).

These collaborations can be a powerful way to inject fresh perspectives into your innovation process, helping to document your progress and align incentives more effectively. If you’re interested in pursuing such collaborations, I would be happy to leverage my network to help facilitate the right connections.