Comments on: Experimentation + Risk (+ Failure) = Improved Environment for Innovation http://www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com/blogs/experimentation-risk-failure-improved-environment-for-innovation.html Create and Sustain Innovation Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:42:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Joe Blank http://www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com/blogs/experimentation-risk-failure-improved-environment-for-innovation.html/comment-page-1#comment-13 Joe Blank Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:36:34 +0000 http://www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com/?p=213#comment-13 Failure is too often equated with waste (time, people, other resources), opportunity cost, hard dollar cost. Trusting that failure(s) will eventually lead to innovation, which will lead to enhanced revenue/reduced costs/increased market value is a huge leap of faith for most companies. Even with prudent testing, failures can potentially have a negative impact on customers or partners. That is a risk few businesses will take. Playing it safe, leveraging detailed internal and external analysis, and making small incremental changes is the norm for most business cultures. The culture always wins! Building a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, risk taking and trust is a tall order for most companies which focus primarily on minor improvements to current capabilities, short term financial gains, and risk avoidance. Failure is too often equated with waste (time, people, other resources), opportunity cost, hard dollar cost. Trusting that failure(s) will eventually lead to innovation, which will lead to enhanced revenue/reduced costs/increased market value is a huge leap of faith for most companies. Even with prudent testing, failures can potentially have a negative impact on customers or partners. That is a risk few businesses will take.

Playing it safe, leveraging detailed internal and external analysis, and making small incremental changes is the norm for most business cultures. The culture always wins!

Building a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, risk taking and trust is a tall order for most companies which focus primarily on minor improvements to current capabilities, short term financial gains, and risk avoidance.

]]> By: Linda Jakubus http://www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com/blogs/experimentation-risk-failure-improved-environment-for-innovation.html/comment-page-1#comment-12 Linda Jakubus Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:51:06 +0000 http://www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com/?p=213#comment-12 Wonderful Blog. It's uplifting. I need to post this in my lab to read on a daily basis! Linda Jakubus, Owner Jaku Bodycare Inc Wonderful Blog. It’s uplifting. I need to post this in my lab to read on a daily basis!
Linda Jakubus, Owner Jaku Bodycare Inc

]]> By: Kimberly A. Johnson http://www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com/blogs/experimentation-risk-failure-improved-environment-for-innovation.html/comment-page-1#comment-11 Kimberly A. Johnson Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:09:35 +0000 http://www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com/?p=213#comment-11 The response from Retired 3M Corporate Scientist, Dave Braun: Hi Kim and Art............Hello from sunny AZ where we have been hitting 100F for the last few days. Kim, thanks for the quote. It is good for most people since the risk part encourages experiments with unpredictable outcomes. Realize that many people won't do that kind of thing due to fear of "failure". The (+ Failure) part is OK for many people who think that if their desired outcome is not met they "failed". But something always happens when one experiments so I have always looked at the "failed result" as learning something new which at times is more useful than the hoped for outcome. Dave The response from Retired 3M Corporate Scientist, Dave Braun:

Hi Kim and Art…………Hello from sunny AZ where we have been hitting 100F for the last few days.

Kim, thanks for the quote. It is good for most people since the risk part encourages experiments with unpredictable outcomes. Realize that many people won’t do that kind of thing due to fear of “failure”.

The (+ Failure) part is OK for many people who think that if their desired outcome is not met they “failed”. But something always happens when one experiments so I have always looked at the “failed result” as learning something new which at times is more useful than the hoped for outcome.

Dave

]]> By: Kim Johnson http://www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com/blogs/experimentation-risk-failure-improved-environment-for-innovation.html/comment-page-1#comment-10 Kim Johnson Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:24:47 +0000 http://www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com/?p=213#comment-10 Great blog Robert! I sent it on to two of my fellow Corporate Scientists from 3M and one of them is Art Fry the Post It Note inventor! Creative regards, Kim Posted by Kimberly Johnson Great blog Robert! I sent it on to two of my fellow Corporate Scientists from 3M and one of them is Art Fry the Post It Note inventor!

Creative regards,

Kim
Posted by Kimberly Johnson

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