Innovation Best Practices 3m

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Innovation Best Practices - 3M Case StudyIntroduction

We have been working with a number of global organiations on innovation!ractices for "ew Product Introduction #"PI$ and have found in com!anies like% S&P'Microsoft' Bell Canada' Siemens etc' - that o!erationaliing innovation from its early

creative stages is a staccato like tango( Balancing creative tension to ensureinnovation downstream e)ecution traction re*uires tremendous leadershi!navigation and skill(

It is so di+cult for multi-nationals to avoid !utting !ressure too early on the creativedesign !hases in their short-term hunger for ,I results that more often than notnew innovation ideas at the conce!tual or ideation stages are s*uashed or soheavily restricted that the creative and e)!ansive energy is so diluted that resultsare im!ossible to achieve(

What we do know is the front end creative !rocess at the ideation !hase is a thornin many organiation.s side as they strive to im!rove front end e/ectiveness to

ensure ideation to e)ecution is achieved( 0his re*uires more leaders to develo!skills and com!etencies in leading innovation e/ectively to achieve sustainablegrowth in their organiations(

1ess than 24 of organiations in "orth &merica are con5dent on theirorganiation.s ability to innovate or have a cleared de5ned new !roduct or serviceinnovation ca!ability that is robust and adds business value(

Services or "PI Innovation 6uestions we hear consistently in our client e)!eriencesinclude%

7($ 8ow does my organiation innovate more e/ectively92($ 8ow does my organiation 5lter and track what we fund93($ 8ow do we avoid 5ltering ideas out too early or lose track of them9:($ 8ow much disci!line do we need to drive innovation forward9($ 8ow we evaluate more e/ectively early stage service innovation conce!ts9;($ 8ow do we get our leaders more comfortable in dealing with ambiguity'uncertainty' the messiness of creativity9


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and o+ces in more than ;? countries( In 2??2' the com!any celebrated a century ofinnovation since its founding(

Innovation a @oundational Core Aalue of 3M

@or com!anies to innovate more e/ectively' cultural ca!abilities are critical with

leadershi! e/ectiveness to engender con5dence in em!loyee minds and hearts(m!loyees need to know they can take risks to be creative' e)!eriment' thinkoutside the bo)' and be rewarded for demonstrating innovation thinking( 0hey needto believe they are encouraged to be life-long learners' and enabled to continuallylearn and im!rove work !roducts or services(

&s the retired chairman of 3Com said% Innovation is the key to our growth as itdelights our customers and it.s the basis for long lasting customer loyalty(

3M Innovation Best Practices

0he 5ve best !ractices that 3M !rides itself in are%

7($ Si) Sigma2($ 3M &cceleration3($ eProductivity:($ Sourcing /ectiveness($ Indirect Cost Control

What is im!ortant to understand about 3M is their DM and Innovation !rogram o+cewhich su!!orts the com!anies business units !uts a tremendous amount of focuson culture and guiding !rinci!les(

0he !illars of 3M.s innovation !latform are%

7($ Shared World-class 0echnology2($ Shared Customers' Channels and Brands3($ Shared Manufacturing:($ Shared Elobal Infrastructure' and($ Shared Cultural Innovation Aalues' Practices' Processes and 0oolkits

& best !ractice for cultural innovation is to use stories for ra!id cultural di/usion tocelebrate heroes of innovation who !assionately and consistently !ursue new ideasor 5nd new conte)t to discover new meaning and ra!idly share their knowledgecreating social energy networks to co-create collaboratively(

0hey have a freedom rule for ins!iring creative im!eratives as any !erson in a labcan s!end 74 of his or her time e)!erimenting on any new idea that could addvalue to 3M( 0his creative Fa time is not trackedG it is a freedom role to reHect'think' and learn to encourage ideation in its earliest stages of creativity -unencumbered by re!orting !ractices(

3M.s success has been !redicated on its ability to foster collaboration in both formaland information a!!roaches' and their cultural norms are very mature in su!!orting


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knowledge sharing - a core re*uirement to foster and seed innovation ca!acitydevelo!ment(

0echnology nablers

0he com!any has a number of technology enablers to su!!ort innovation( 0hey use%

- streaming videos to collect learnings and make them available for global access'- Com!rehensive lotus notes databases for collaboration and knowledge access' and- an Idea ho!!er which ca!tures and hel!s 5lter ideas to move from conce!t tofunding !hases of im!lementation' etc(

0he library and information services grou! has as its core mission to hel! 3Mem!loyees worldwide create' share and use knowledge more e/ectively throughoutthe organiation' so there are strong lectronic 1ibrary solutions' virtual hel! desksto source know-how' etc(

Strengthening Peo!le Innovation

3M uses a number of talent management techni*ues to su!!ort innovation such as%

-sta/ rotational assignments to develo! new skills to strengthen innovation talentca!abilities'- ,eward and recognition !rograms for !eo!le to share ideas and receive !eerrecognition'- connecting its scientists with its customers'- 0raining talent on !roblem solving a!!roaches such as ;Sigma' and also- !romoting story telling as a leadershi! com!etency to hel! on cultural di/usion tocelebrate innovation successes' and celebrate talent moments of creativity(

0he com!any also leverages communities of !ractice and learning techni*ues tosu!!ort the continual How of internal knowledge(

What o!!ortunities must 3M !ursue for new innovation robustness9

Based on our analysis of 3M.s 5nancial re!orts' innovation !atents' and research'3M is like many global com!anies not as e)ternally integrated with its customers toleverage ne)t generation collaboration and organiation of the future !racticeswhich are highly web 2(? and social mediated driven(

0here are maFor o!!ortunities to bring in solutions for social network analysis'collaboration e)!eriences leveraging new collaboration !latforms' like Minga'!roviding !roduct managers with collaboration labs with customers using blogs' andwikis' etc((((

With the s!eed of knowledge di/usion and know-how outdated often in less than 72months -- a!!lying more real-time and on demand ways of develo!ing andsustaining innovation will be critical to 3M.s future growth(

What 3M does have to constitute world-class leadershi! attributes%


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- charts the course - or sets the vision- raises the bar - creates tension to achieve !erformance e)cellence- energies others - creates !assion to motivate others to create and follow- resourcefully innovates - values creativity but also balances accountability toe)ecute

- lives the 3M values #which go back 7?? years and hold true today - satisfycustomers with su!erior *uality' value and services' !rovide investors an attractivereturn through sustained *uality and growth' res!ect the social and !hysicalenvironment' and be a com!any that em!loyees are !roduct to be !art of- and delivers results(

0hese attributes combined with business acumen' functional e)!ertise andcor!orate knowledge su!!orts 3M.s overall leadershi! model(

Conclusion

Innovation is a core com!etency at 3M and is at the heart of the com!any.s culture(

0hey a!!reciate the fragility of innovation in its weakest creative design moments'but also reinforces shareholder value which needs to be to! of mind to ensureaccountability in the culture(

&t the same time' 3M allows freedom for ideation 7??4 unencumbered from stiHingand controlling business !rocesses which is a rarity in business today(

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Innovation Best Practices 3m