Read about the Innovation Audit in Profiler Magazine.
(If you’d like to see a full size map click on the image below. It will open in a new window.)
The Innovation Audit Tool
Definitions:
Implementing People (IP) – This represents anyone (or group) that is doing a task, whether it’s people in the C-Suite, Finance, R&D, Operations, etc.. It’s intentionally vague but it’s put at the center of the map as it is the starting point for an innovation audit. Pick a group you want to analyze and they are your IP.
Internal Customers (IC) – These are people the IP interact with on a regular basis. This can include stakeholders.
External Customers (EC) – These are your customers, users, patients, clients. They are people or organizations that are not part of your organization. They are people you serve or provide products to.
The Innovation Checkmap highlights the working relationships that should be present in healthy, innovative organizations; a visual checklist to guide an audit of the innovation capabilities in your organization. The map is simple to use:
- Pick a group (and/or individuals) as your Implementing People (IP).
- Walk your way around the map asking the questions in bold with reference to your IP.
- Repeat steps 1-2 for every entity in the organization.
If you can’t really answer a question, it shows that your organization is most likely weak in that area. Make sure that you actually have data of some type to back up your answers. If all you have are your opinions, (as in, “Those people don’t need to have access to the order system. Why would they?”) that’s a problem.
Tips
- Look for disconnects between what people need to feel and what they actually feel; what they need to have and what they actually have; what people say they do as compared to what they are actually doing. These are opportunities for improvement.
- Another way to look at this map is as a source of metrics for gauging your innovation effectiveness. Traditionally, most metrics are in the financial realm (ROI, Gross Profits, etc.) with a few from the Creativity side (Number of patents, etc.). Push your organization to have metrics of some type for each node/question in this map.
- This chart can also be used as a culture change guide. Changing how nodes work and the relationships will impact your culture.