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Updated: May 27, 2021 Ask ACE

Ask ACE: How to innovate successfully

By Jim Milliken, Consultant

Q: My clients are bedeviled by missed deadlines and cost overruns any time they try to accomplish anything new, no matter how many people join the effort and how much time they spend. What can I tell them?

ACE advises: The first thing to tell them is that any innovation is, by definition, a project — and should be treated that way. We typically err by sliding into the effort with the attitude, skills and practices of our regular day-to-day activities.

Such a business-as-usual approach guarantees that we’ll miss the mark on all three essential metrics: schedule, cost and quality.

The secret to success is to study the matter in detail, working out with all key participants just what is expected, the specific actions it will take to achieve it, the challenges to be met, who is going to do what — and especially how progress is to be measured.

It is really important to surface and analyze all assumptions that underly the expectations, and how they are to be verified in practice.

Everything is put in writing, and endorsed explicitly by all the key stakeholders.

In every project (read: group effort) of my experience that was disappointing in some respect, some or all of those factors were skipped or ignored on the assumption they were unnecessary and/or too time-consuming.

Invariably in such cases, the price paid is the time required to catch up later, the cost of overruns and the shortfall in quality — if not outright failure of the effort.

Success in innovation is earned by planning, communication and collaboration. Doing it right once equips an organization with skills that permanently upgrade its performance. With practice, they find high quality is achievable in less time with lower cost.

Jim Milliken is a solo practitioner of project management and a trainer in communication, leadership and organizational effectiveness. He can be contacted at millikenproject@gmail.com.

About ACE

The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a nonprofit association of independent consultants who value “Success through Collaboration.” The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com.

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