You've been there. Call it "Show & Tell" or "The Pitch" or "A Presentation." It's an awful lot like Shark Tank.
All of your hard work and preparation on an innovation project culminating in this brief moment when you step into the limelight and hopefully get stakeholder buy-in on your product idea.
The reason it's so nerve-wracking is that there's a very real chance your stakeholders disapprove and maybe even criticize your idea.
We believe that if we understand WHY stakeholders don't greenlight innovations, we have a much better chance of conceptualizing innovations that DO get approved.
Here are 3 big reasons we see as to why stakeholders aren't greenlighting your innovations:
1️⃣ They don't think your innovation is a good idea.
-You obviously think your innovation is a good idea, but will they?
-Does your innovation solve a painful problem for your customer?
-Have you shown proof your innovation is desirable, viable, and feasible?
-Is your innovation actually innovative?
2️⃣ They don't really understand your innovation.
-Of course, you understand your innovation, but do they?
-Have you communicated your concept in a way that showcases the big idea?
-Are you presenting your concept in a fidelity your stakeholder understands?
-Is your concept illustration compelling enough to hold their attention?
3️⃣ Something else is more important to them.
-This is sometimes out of our control, but something we can strive to understand.
-What's the most urgent issue on their mind currently?
-What are their general priorities, given their role in the company?
-As an individual person, where do their interests lie?
❓What are the other reasons you've run into? Bonus points for sharing a story. 🤓