A New Year's Resolution to Innovate

To start the new year, many people will develop a
set of resolutions to improve themselves, their lives, and their
welfare. While I can offer no advice on how to accomplish this in
your personal life, I have some thoughts on how
to achieve your resolutions in your product
development process:

Resolve to a Worthy
Cause
Making a resolution should be for a purpose.
Hollow resolutions stand little chance of being followed up on. For
example, for those that said “I will be a nicer person in 2008″ I
applaud the effort. But why are you doing it? There has to be an
underlying reason or goal. And, in a cynical way I believe that is
can’t be entirely altruistic but has to provide benefit to you.
Product innovation can be considered a bit like “being nicer”
because it’s hard to touch and feel being “innovative.” But
enhanced product innovation leads to enhanced
profitability, according to our
research at Aberdeen, which turns it from
just a noble cause to one that is worth the time and attention of
the organization.

Set Goals, and Make it
Measurable
If the resolution is worth achieving, it is worth tracking. Product
innovation is a tough thing to measure, but leading companies are
doing it more frequently than average performers. By setting
specific goals, progress can be tracked so that 2009 doesn’t come
with another empty promise to be more innovative. I am not sure how
to measure being a nicer person, but product innovation and product
development - and the associated impact on profits - can be
measured.

Have a Plan
A resolution without an action plan is not a resolution. At best,
it’s a wish. Even if the plan at this point is to develop a plan,
that is something that can be calendared. There are proven process,
organization, and technology approaches that help companies improve
innovation. A resolution to get in better physical condition
without a plan for a better diet, more exercise, cleaner living, or
some other approach will fall short. A resolution to improve
innovation by maintaining the status quo will also fail.

We’ll explore this a bit more over the next week
or so. We have just published a benchmark at Aberdeen on
the
Product Innovation Agenda 2010: Profiting from Innovation Today and
Tomorrow  and I will share what I can with you of it.
Note, the link takes you to free, but sponsored access.

My best wishes for you personally and
professionally in 2008. I look forward to your comments, what have
you resolved to do this year?