The last imperative of Robert’s Rules of Innovation is Net Results, Net Reward, meaning recognizing the people who contributed to the development of a new product. It’s important to reward actions with incentives for sustainable effort.

Rewards for a successful New Product Development process can be monetary – often the key stakeholders get a product launch reward or a percentage of sales from new products. But all members of the staff need to be rewarded, and motivation isn’t always about money. In fact, non-financial motivators can rise above other incentives. Praise from managers, the attention of leadership and the chance to lead projects are strong motivators that can top even monetary rewards. People mostly want to feel recognized and appreciated for their contributions. If those needs are met, employees stay engaged until after the new product launch and for more development processes to come. Rewards enhance an employee’s commitment to the company, boost workplace morale and motivate future efforts.

The fruits of your team’s labor benefit all. These successes must be rewarded – and in the appropriate manner. Here are some tips on why you should reward your employees and how:

• Innovation and ROI: True Innovation results in value creation for all stakeholders – in terms of financial return, increased market share and enhanced profitability; this is the ultimate goal of your sustainable Innovation program.
• The Right Rewards: Rewards and recognition systems can take many forms, from a bonus percentage based upon new product sales to peer acknowledgment and awards.
• Recognition: Pride…a thorny problem solved…the personal satisfaction of a job well-done – these are some of the intrinsic motivators that make creative people tick.

For more tips on Net Results, Net Reward and other Rules of Innovation Imperatives, see Robert’s Rules of Innovation™ by Robert F. Brands with Martin J. Kleinman published in March, 2010 by Wiley.

Training and coaching doesn’t stop after the initial phase. Continuity is key. New techniques, processes and best practices should always be shared to foster a constant culture of Innovation. From top to bottom, from executives to managers to newcomers, everyone must be included in training and coaching programs to be on the same page and for the New Product Development process to go as smoothly as possible. In fact, even the trainers and coaches themselves need ongoing training and coaching to prevent their practices from going stale. Sustained Innovation is a constantly evolving process.

It is not without reason that Whirlpool Corporation established that the “How To” training is the most important need for corporate Innovation to succeed, from top to bottom. At Whirlpool, innovative thinking is considered the responsibility of each of its 80,000 employees. They continue to be the primary source for new ideas that meet consumer needs. It’s such an important part of their culture that they have a corporate initiative in place to sustain the commitment company-wide.

To reinforce and enhance a creative company culture and mindset, effective training and coaching must not be forgotten. Any company that wants to stay in business needs a sustainable Innovation program. Here are some Training and Coaching tips to help your product development process:

• Share the Joy: As well as the frustrations – communicate what is working and not working.
• Pick the Right Coaches: Not everyone has the psychological makeup to be the coach.  Knowledge is key, obviously.  But the coach needs to be able to motivate, mediate, and create camaraderie and a sense of selflessness.
• The One-On-One Touch: Individual coaching provides the privacy and attention that breeds success.  I’ve found that discussions regarding areas for improvement are received and acted upon much better in a private session, away from peers listening in.  This can be especially critical with new employees and/or team members.
• Basics First: Make certain project management basics are taught, applied and re-taught.

For more Tips, see Robert’s Rules of Innovation™ by Robert F. Brands with Martin J. Kleinman published in March, 2010 by Wiley.

The Stage-Gate innovation process has two key elements.

1. Stage. The “stage” refers to the critical activities that need to take place during a certain stage of product development. It is important that the New Product Development process be cross-business to give balanced ownership. So “stage” content should be divided amongst all business functions.
2. Gate. The process of “gating” involves ownership, decision makers, degree of flexibility, criteria and prioritization. This includes a selection of ideas and concepts from the hopper.

During the New Product Development process, build a system of metrics to monitor progress. Include input metrics, such as average time in each stage, as well as output metrics that measure the value of launched products, percentage of new product sales and other figures that provide valuable feedback. Important for an organization to have agreement of these criteria and metrics.

Even if an idea doesn’t turn into product, keep it in the hopper because it can prove to be a valuable asset for future products and a basis for learning and growth.

Remember that it is possible to nurture both creativity and structure! Here are some tips for how:

• Open Wide: Keep the idea funnels wide open, find and fill the product “white spaces” – untapped marketplace opportunities.

• Sharpen Those Teeth: Make sure your Go/No-Go decision checkpoints have “teeth.”

• Widen the Innovation Highway: Make the system lean, adaptive, flexible and scalable, in order that you can simultaneously process different types and risk levels of projects and increase sped to market.

Robert Brands is a professional Speaker, the founder of InnovationCoach.com, and the author of “Robert’s Rules of Innovation”: A 10-Step Program for Corporate Survival, with Martin Kleinman published in March, 2010 by Wiley.

Some of the most successful product development managers are often successful salespeople in the company, because their talent is building consensus around a brand new, untested idea and convincing others to wholeheartedly work towards that cause with an uncertain outcome. It is the champion’s job to empower and inspire the team towards Innovation.

That’s why it is essential to have a leader for every product development team – a powerful, respected champion for the cause, a passionate leading advocate and ultimate decision-maker.

Next, it is important to establish and maintain regular New Product Development meetings. Here are some key points for these meetings:

• Face to face (in person) is best.
• Keep a regular date, time and duration.
• Clearly state the meeting objectives in a written, predistributed agenda.
• Include cross-functional teams in the meeting: marketing, sourcing purchasing, sales, operations, quality assurance, etc.
• Review New Product Development by priority level (high/medium/low).
• Set next steps and a clear-cut action plan. Follow through and instill accountability.

Everyone on the team should feel like they are part of the process to get a sense of Ownership. To test Ownership, here are some questions you should ask:

• Who’s Driving This Thing?: Your program for sustainable Innovation must have a champion, a true driver of the process.
• Where’s the Passion?: Select associates who care and are truly passionate about the product and the effort.  Kick disbelievers off the bus – this is too important for naysayers to derail.
• Different Strokes for Different Folks: Assign a specific task to a dedicated “owner” – this is critical to unleashing the best performance out of each member of the project team.
• Is incentive compensation aligned? : Make sure the incentive and recognition programs are supporting and rewarding the results and those involved.

Ultimately, Ownership must extend beyond a single person to be embraced by the whole organization. The true test of Ownership is simple. Ask them, “Excuse me, is this yours?”

Robert Brands is a professional Speaker, the founder of InnovationCoach.com, and the author of “Robert’s Rules of Innovation”: A 10-Step Program for Corporate Survival, with Martin Kleinman published in March, 2010 by Wiley.

Every company culture needs accountability. Actually, for any company to succeed accountability is an imperative. Members of a corporate team need to feel responsible for their work – to meet deadlines and to deliver what was agreed upon. Holding others accountable begins with clear communication of what is expected of them and even getting the agreement in writing if necessary.

So to expect creativity in developing new products at your company, hold your team accountable. Schedule New Product Development meetings.  Set clear action items and expect follow-through to keep the program moving along. Team members need to feel responsible for delivery.

Now there’s the left brain/ right brain argument that creative people cannot be organized – that creation loves chaos and therefore creatives are not able to deliver on a set schedule. But for a group of creatives who feel responsible for the outcome of their project and accountability for what happens within the company, Robert Brands assures you that in his years of experience leading project development teams that he has seen plenty of people who are creative and competent in delivering work on schedule. If you struggle with accountability, monitor and have your team report on smaller, interim steps in between monthly meetings. These tips should be helpful in encouraging accountability in your organization…

-  Give Them Enough Rope To…: The natural tendency is to dictate terms – deadlines, methodologies, etc.  Let the team members decide upon the “how it’s going to get done” elements.  Should they go a bit off the track, you can always fine-tune.  Or, better yet, lead a discussion on how they can fine-tune.

-  It’s Expected: State clearly, from the outset, that the team members will be expected to develop the answers to work-related issues – it will be their responsibility.

For more tips, visit Robert’s Rules of Innovation’s Accountability page and click on “Tips“.

Ultimately, it’s about people knowing their roles and that there are limitless possibilities and positive rewards for jobs performed in an organization that insists on Accountability.

Then, competition arrived, and the simple pizza pie simply wasn’t enough.

Delivery companies began a string of innovations. Hand-tossed, thin-crust, “Chicago-style,” stuffed crust and “Meat Lovers” were among the pies du jour. Then one chain rolled out cheesy sticks. Another offered various desserts. Then, a line of pasta – in plain tin pans, or in bread bowls.

Most recently, the New Product Development team at Domino’s posed a remarkable innovation: It created what it called a “better” pizza. Aggressive marketing hyped its culinary research into its new taste, and the company rolled out its new pie – seemingly same as the old pie, only tastier.

Innovation in the delivery pizza category is as circular a process as pizzas are round. This doesn’t include sit-down pizza restaurants, like California Pizza Kitchen or the string of “coal-fired” pizza chains.

Innovation, in pizza or Corporate America, is a double-edged sword. Pizza companies invest immense time, energy and brain power conjuring up the next innovation. With industry sales softening and competition razor sharp, a simple innovation can turn the tables. Yet, innovation done “Just Because” can fail miserably.

Innovation extends beyond mere product. A broad approach to innovation based on consumer needs or habits can invite loyalty and deliver long-term returns. Look at brick-and-mortar companies that have introduced online innovations – beyond the du rigeur services like online ordering – like the ability to list and keep lists and favorites. This brings customers back, and boosts the relationship between company and customer.

Domino’s recent move toward taste is a noteworthy innovation for a number of reasons. Essentially, the company went back to the foundation of its business: “Build a better pizza, and they will come.” Domino’s – even the entire $22 billion pizza delivery category – needed something. At a time when sales across the category were as soft as unbaked dough, the market responded. The company recently reported a 14.3% rise in comp sales among stores open at least one year – a remarkable, almost unheralded feat in the fast-food business. Christopher Muller, a professor of hospitality the University of Central Florida in Orlando, told USAToday, “No one in the industry thought it was going to be this successful.”

But innovation trends continue. One of the most recent “innovations” revolved around pricing. Five-dollar pies, or $5.55, or three for $15. Buy one, get a bottle of soda. Toss in some bread sticks with the latest dipping sauce. But pricing alone isn’t innovation. In fact, pricing doesn’t drive long-term loyalty or differentiation. Pricing just begets lower pricing from the competition, which drives down margins and profitability.

Alas, price and taste alone aren’t long-term fixes, either, especially when a company is public and answers to Wall Street as much as it does its Main Street. Though its stock had been up 70% over the past year, Domino’s stock dipped almost 13% soon after news of its double-digit sales growth. It seems some had projected even stronger growth following the chain’s marketing and discounting.

Then there’s the issue of the original brand or concept promise delivery pizza heralded: Speed and service. Domino’s was built on a 30-minutes-or-free mantra. The idea was, it’s hot, or it’s free. Over time, it seems they’ve strayed from this commitment. Although this is historically has been an imperative in many delivery chains’ success, they must stay focused on this.

So does the customer really want a $5 pie? Or a tastier pie? Or meat, pasta or cheesy sticks?
Or does the customer want a hot pizza fast? (Hint to pizza delivery companies: That might be the next game-changing innovation).

Between the recession and innovations in the frozen pizza business, forces have been brutal on delivered pizza companies. This makes Domino’s taste “innovation” all the more noteworthy.

Will this sort of innovation continue. Given market competition, it will have to. These companies will have to find new lures to hook customers. But few innovations seem to deliver long-term allure. As Doyle conceded to USAToday, “If we did this every quarter for seven years, we’d be bigger than U.S gross domestic product.”

If you’re an innovation officer or employee charged with new product development, there’s much to learn from the pizza industry’s example.

If you’re a pizza lover, you can only hope the industry’s pursuit of innovation continues.

By Robert Brands with Jeff Zbar

Robert Brands, expert Speaker on Innovation and the author of “Robert’s Rules of Innovation”: A 10-Step Program for Corporate Survival, with Martin Kleinman, published March, 2010 by Wiley.

But is innovation alone the answer? Is the end – innovation – capable of surviving solely as a mandate?

Or is innovation a process, journey that seeks a destination refined and polished along the way? “Total Innovation” is a sojourn that mandates a total approach philosophy.

However, to create the Culture, foster Ideation and sustain a focus on thoughtful New Product Development, innovation requires a complex combination of and continued adherence to imperatives that must be introduced, embraced and nurtured. Innovation imperatives must start at the top, the CEO. They must be written into the Mission Statements; “Innovation” must have the backing in the strategic plan.

To thrive, Innovation must have the support of long-term growth objectives and capital support. Beyond support, Innovation must gain Inspiration from leadership, who will create and foster a Culture of innovation and motivate the organization. Leadership must acknowledge the role of Risk, and understand the possibility and benefits of failure.

For without such inspiration and continued communication, Innovation will not survive. It will become little more than a once-promising concept left to wither on the vine of fanciful corporate initiatives that never quite took root.

Therein lies the paradox of innovation. Companies cannot succeed without innovation. Yet few executives understand how to introduce, nurture, or capitalize on the promise of innovation within the organization.

Planned well, the Imperative of Innovation can impact the New Product Development process. It can encourage fertile Ideation, welcoming input from associates to customers and users alike. It feeds the machine, providing methods of collecting, vetting, ranking and considering the Next Big Idea or future new products or processes.

The Innovation Imperative insists on Ownership and Accountability. It requires a Champions – and Chief Innovation Officer, if you will – be named to oversee teams Trained, coached and mentored to shepherd projects through the system, all the while adhering to each Imperative.

The Imperative requires Observation and Measurement of performance and results to ensure they deliver Net Result and Reward, and that they meet or remain focused upon an established set of objectives – and those involved are recognized accordingly.

Ultimately, innovation done well leads to Value Creation – for the organization, its stake holders and customers.

To learn more, visit see www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com or look for “”Robert’s Rules of Innovation ™” by Wiley, March, 2010
Robert F. Brands is President and founder of www.InnovationCoach.com

Is the “product” actually a product? Or can it be a process? Is it a mandate from the C Suite? Or can it be a suggestion from the factory floor, the retail showroom, the Idea Box or a customer tip?

How wide is your idea funnel? And how do you treat ideas once they land in the organization’s “idea hopper”? (see the blog post on “Innovation and Idea Management” to discover how to handle in-bound ideas).

Answer these questions, and you’ve placed your finger on the pulse of how your organization embraces new product development .

NPD best blossoms in that place where creativity commingles with structure – where fresh thinking is fostered in a nursery of structured liberation. Think of ideas as if they were offspring: They should be free to roam and explore, but they need fences – structure – in their lives to ensure safe maturation in a controlled environment.

The same is true for NPD – regardless of whether products are widgets for sale or processes envisioned to improve the organization. For the concepts of “creative” and “structured” are not mutually exclusive. Creativity is the thinking that goes behind the ideation of a new product. Structure helps define and determine the vetting process that NPD must go through.

Keep in mind that each step of this entire process has distinct “sub-steps,” if you will, that must be accomplished even before a Go / No-Go decision can be made. These often are done together – and simultaneously. This vetting and completed steps will than determine which products pass the Go / No-Go decision – regardless of the source or even the potential “profitability” of any new product.

These are important distinctions. When creating a foundational NPD process, all ideas should be welcomed from all sources – from the customer service rep to the C-level exec. No short-shrift or free pass here. If the structured vetting process, one established by the Chief Idea Officer and his/her team, gives a Thumbs-Down to a new idea, the source should not spin that determination.

Regardless of whether a product is seen as a revenue source, or just an internal concept or process, that, too, should have little impact on a product’s viability or survivability in the organization. Good “products” don’t have to result in revenues; they can enhance processes, that in turn, can boost profitability.

As you’re pondering your NPD capabilities, consider whether your pipeline accommodate simultaneous multiple product development streams? A new, physical product for sale should not force a process-focused product to be shelved. This level of scalability ensures a wide “innovation highway” – one that is lean, adaptive and flexible, and can handle various products at the same time.

Finally, is your organization prepared to measure the results – not of the NP, but of the process itself? Do you have a system in place to gather, measure and share both the success and the stumbling blocks? Are you prepared to ask yourself, how did the process work?

The truth is, future success can be closely tied into past accomplishments – if you’re willing to ask the right questions, create the right environment, and learn along the way.

For more ideas read “Roberts Rules of Innovation” (Wiley) available in March 2010 or visit www.InnovationCoach.com