Synchrony: A Framework for Management Innovation

Innovating within an organization is not an easy task: each company needs a tailor-made solution for its particular innovation problem. However, despite the fact that many companies dedicate significant efforts to the development of their products or services, very few have a specific process for Innovation in Management. Therefore, in today’s conversation I am going to talk about Synchrony, a management innovation framework that I have developed throughout my professional career and that has helped me launch innovation initiatives in areas as diverse as marketing, sales and operations.

Contrary to what many people may think, in practice, it is not usually the scarcity of good advice and ideas that prevents us from innovating. It is true that, on many occasions, we need mechanisms to encourage new ideas and initiatives. But in other circumstances, the challenge is not in the lack of ideas, but in how to protect innovation initiatives – generated by the most innovative people in the organization – from the previous legacy, which not only does not help to launch the initiatives, but, on many occasions, does everything possible to resist the changes in personal power that innovations cause. At other times we need to emphasize the ability of our organization to execute to make innovation a reality. That is why it is not difficult for us to remember experiences of good ideas for which we did not find adequate funding channels; others to which we did not dedicate adequate resources; and occasions in which we were not sufficiently disciplined in their execution. The bottom line is that different innovation challenges require different solutions, and another company’s best practice doesn’t always work for us to solve our own innovation challenges.

Synchrony: a framework for innovation in management.

The proposed framework considers the innovation process as a set of chain actions that are necessary to translate innovation into value for the organization. Practice teaches us that there may be one or more steps that have been performed very well, and one or more steps that have been performed poorly. Seeing the innovation value chain as a whole, as managers we can identify the steps that have been done poorly and correct them. The starting premise is that synchrony is necessary to create value in the innovation process. In organizations, this synchrony requires the alignment of the three key aspects for management: the strategic part, the organizational part, and the operational part. We must draw a perfect triangle: if a company wants to innovate, it must launch concrete innovation initiatives that are capable of transforming the organization through new business processes; it must align the organization and create a shared vision by all of the changes that are required; and it must have sufficient execution capacity to turn these new business processes into operational results. In other words, in order for innovation to create value in terms of new management practices, new business processes and new operational structures, we must achieve organizational synchrony at all three levels:

Strategic Synchrony consists of transforming leadership into concrete innovation initiatives. Organizational Synchrony consists of developing a vision shared by all, aligning capabilities and resources with innovation initiatives. Operational Synchrony is based on the ability to execute, and consists of transforming processes into concrete and measurable results.

Strategic Synchrony: Translating strategy into action

We must make sure that the innovation strategy is clear, that it is shared and executable, and that the company’s leaders are ready to contribute to its objectives – synchronized “in cascade” with the objectives of the organization – until they become facts. Within Strategic Synchrony we find 3 basic aspects:

Align organization and strategy. We must design a clear communication plan, which reaches from the commitment of the management team to the last actor necessary for the execution of the strategy.

Translate strategy into action. It is essential to create an operational infrastructure that is capable of managing the growth and execution of new business strategies. The goal is for the strategy to become a shared work by all, and not just a decision of the top management.

Change management. It is necessary to make sure that the management team is clear about the strategy, that they assume the effort that will be involved in putting it into practice, and that they are really committed to obtaining the expected results.

Organizational Synchrony: empowering digital talent

Organizations must prepare for the challenges of Enterprise 2.0 and the future, always taking into account risks and internal barriers. They must be able to use Web 2.0 technologies to improve collaboration, talent and knowledge generation, and productivity. Leadership 2.0 is built by leveraging new capabilities. Here are some key aspects:

Raise awareness. A powerful message must be provided to managers and other key members of the organization to help them understand the importance of effective execution within the innovation process.

Enhance skills. We must be able to build executive skills in all the people involved in the change process. We can use tools such as coaching or the application of related projects.

Develop expert knowledge. It is essential to build expert internal knowledge, preparing key agents and teams so that they become fundamental resources for the organization in their role as leaders, specialists and coaches.

Create innovation systems. On many occasions, it is advisable to establish internal processes and teams that support the execution of innovation projects.

Operational Synchrony: Develop Execution Capacity

Theory is useless without practice. The company must develop its execution capabilities to meet current and future challenges, employing the best practices and the most appropriate tools to achieve business operational results. Here are some key aspects:

Executive management. We must effectively monitor the innovation project to ensure that it is on track. It is important to create a reference system that provides us with objective and adequate information. It is also vital to identify risks and needs, and analyze them before making key decisions. To implement these decisions, we must be able to orchestrate all resources, including suppliers and vendors. In short, it is about ensuring that business objectives are achieved. Application or execution. The implementation or execution phase comprises all the activities that start after the initial experimentation and reach the point where innovation in management is, for the first time, fully operational. This phase can be difficult to manage, and significant internal resistance may arise, as is the case with any major change management program within a large organization. To manage it effectively, it is necessary to have supportive conditions within the organization, and the assumption of an active role by the internal and external actors involved

The human side of change. The ultimate goal is to make innovation and leadership a shared work for all. We must apply a disciplined and structured approach to identify risks within the team and reduce them to a minimum. It is very important to ensure that support for change is implemented and well established. To achieve this, you must work with both the business and development teams, highlighting and enhancing the human side of change.

By way of summary

• Innovation in management involves the application of a new management practice, a new business process or a new operational structure that significantly modifies the way in which management work is carried out in organizations.

• Innovation in management involves both the invention of new management models and their effective execution , so that they truly generate positive results and sustainable competitive advantages for the innovative organization.

• Innovation in management generates significant changes in the organization that adopts it, so the execution of these changes entails – like any innovation process – a significant level of experimentation and risk.

• Innovation in management aims to promote and deepen the objectives of the organization. It seems obvious, but it is important to highlight it, since this is the main reason why companies are willing to get involved in the sometimes risky process of Management Innovation.

*You can see the content of this post summarized in the following presentation: