Innovation Management In Projects

Most companies are using AI for efficiency. Some are accelerating value creation. A great case study is how Colgate-Palmolive is driving innovation. Here are specific ways they are embedding GenAI across innovation processes to substantlly improve research and product development. These come from an excellent article in MIT Sloan Management Review by Tom Davenport and Randy Bean (link in comments). 💡 AI-Driven Product Concept Generation Accelerates Ideation By linking one AI system that surfaces consumer needs with another that crafts product concepts, Colgate-Palmolive can swiftly generate creative ideas like novel toothpaste flavors. This AI-augmented workflow produces a broader product funnel and allows rapid iteration, enabling more employees to participate in the innovation process under guided human oversight. 🔍 Retrieval-Augmented Generation Enhances Data Reliability The firm’s use of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) integrates company-specific research, syndicated data, and real-time trends from sources like Google search data. This approach minimizes the risk of hallucinations and ensures that responses are deeply grounded in verified, internal content—delivering more accurate market analysis and trend detection. 🤖 Digital Consumer Twins Validate and Refine Concepts Moving beyond traditional focus groups, the company has developed “digital consumer twins”—virtual representations of real consumer behavior. These digital twins rapidly test hundreds of AI-generated product ideas. Early evaluations show a high level of agreement between virtual feedback and actual consumer responses. This innovation speeds up early-stage concept validation and reduces reliance on slower, more limited human panels. 🔐 Democratizing AI Through a Secure Internal AI Hub Colgate-Palmolive’s AI Hub provides employees with controlled access to advanced AI tools (including models from OpenAI and Google) behind corporate firewalls. Mandatory training on responsible AI use, including guardrails and prompt engineering best practices, ensures that employees harness these tools safely and effectively. Built-in surveys and KPI tracking further enable the company to measure improvements in creativity, productivity, and overall work quality. 🌐 Bridging Traditional Analytics with Next-Gen AI for Measurable Impact By integrating traditional machine learning with cutting-edge generative AI, Colgate-Palmolive is not only boosting operational efficiencies but also driving strategic growth. This seamless blend supports tasks ranging from market research and innovation to marketing content creation—demonstrating a holistic, value-driven approach to adopting AI that is a model for other organizations.

The Overlooked Growth Lever: Structuring IP & Partnerships the Right Way. Securing Intellectual Property or IP and structuring robust partnerships are crucial to driving product success and ensuring long-term growth. Here’s how to make them work for you: Safeguard Key Innovations: Protect patents, trade secrets, and trademarks to prevent competitors from capitalizing on your ideas. Draft Rock-Solid Agreements: Clearly define IP ownership and usage rights in every partnership. This prevents future disputes. Focus on Improvements: Include terms for ownership of improvements made during collaborations. Leverage Strategic Licensing: Use licensing agreements to monetize your IP while retaining control. Align Incentives: Create win-win partnerships by including shared revenue models or exclusivity terms. In sum, IP without protection is just an idea. IP, especially when it comes to partnerships, is more than legal necessities—it’s your competitive advantage. Have you secured yours? What’s one way you’ve used IP or partnerships to support your product’s success? Share your insights below! -------- 💥 I’m Olga V. Mack 🔺 Expert in AI & transformative tech for product counseling 🔺 Upskilling human capital for digital transformation 🔺 Leading change management in legal innovation & operations 🔺 Keynote speaker on the intersection of business, law, & tech 🔝 Let’s connect 🔝 Subscribe to Notes to My (Legal) Self newsletter

Stop making this gamification mistake! The mistake is to start with the mechanics first - meaning you sit with your team and ideate on how points, badges, or streaks are going to be implemented (because they seem to work for that language app or competitor) The promise is that these gamification mechanics will transform your product - yet after implementing them - the product falls flat and barely anyone uses it. Money, resources, and time are all wasted and most importantly the stakeholders are now saying that gamification is a waste of time and now basically a failure. However, it does not have to be this way! If you want to get the value of gamification, you have to start with understanding the psychological needs of your users and the behaviors you want to enable. Once you understand this, you can think about what to implement, and if gamification is the right approach given the context - because if done well, it can increase success. We like to couple our gamification to intrinsic motivation and account for: -Purpose -Autonomy -Competence -Relatedness There are many resources and frameworks out there for gamification - some are very detailed and comprehensive - and some give you just enough to use as a thinking tool to enhance your current products or services. If you interested in a good overview - you can get this book: Actionable Gamification by Yu-kai Chou It includes something called the Octalysis Framework The book also talks about the 8 Core Drivers of Gamification: 1. Meaning 2. Empowerment 3. Social Influence 4. Unpredictability 5. Avoidance 6. Scarcity 7. Ownership 8. Accomplishment We don't use all in our work, but this can give you a good idea of what can help you drive intrinsic motivation in gamification. And remember: Just because you can gamify something doesn’t mean you should.

🧠 “How We Brainstorm And Choose UX Ideas” (+ Miro template) (https://lnkd.in/eN32hH2x), a practical guide by Booking.com on how to run a rapid UX ideation session with silent brainstorming and “How Might We” (HMW) statements — by clustering data points into themes, reframing each theme and then prioritizing impactful ideas. Shared by Evan Karageorgos, Tori Holmes, Alexandre Benitah. 👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾 Booking.com UX Ideation Template (Miro) https://lnkd.in/eipdgPuC (password: bookingcom) 🚫 Ideas shouldn’t come from assumptions but UX research. ✅ Study past research and conduct a new study if needed. ✅ Cluster data in user needs, business goals, competitive insights. ✅ Best ideas emerge at the intersections of these 3 pillars. ✅ Cluster all data points into themes, prioritize with colors. ✅ Reframe each theme as a “How Might We” (HMW) statement. ✅ Start with the problems (or insights) you’ve uncovered. ✅ Focus on the desired outcomes, rather than symptoms. ✅ Collect and group ideas by relevance for every theme. ✅ Prioritize and visualize ideas with visuals and storytelling. Many brainstorming sessions are an avalanche of unstructured ideas, based on hunches and assumptions. Just like in design work we need constraints to be intentional in our decisions, we need at least some structure to mold realistic and viable ideas. I absolutely love the idea of frame the perspective through the lens of ideation clusters: user needs, business problems and insights. Reframing emerging themes as “How-Might-We”-statements is a neat way to help teams focus on a specific problem at hand and a desired outcome. A simple but very helpful approach — without too much rigidity but just enough structure to generate, prioritize and eventually visualize effective ideas with the entire team. Invite non-designers in the sessions as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised how much value a 2h session might deliver. Useful resources: The Rules of Productive Brainstorming, by Slava Shestopalov https://lnkd.in/eyYZjAz3 On “How Might We” Questions, by Maria Rosala, NN/g https://lnkd.in/ejDnmsRr Ideation for Everyday Design Challenges, by Aurora Harley, NN/g https://lnkd.in/emGtnMyy Brainstorming Exercises for Introverts, by Allison Press https://lnkd.in/eta6YsFJ How To Run Successful Product Design Workshops, by Gustavs Cirulis, Cindy Chang https://lnkd.in/eMtX-xwD Useful Miro Templates For UX Designers, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/eQVxM_Nq #ux #design

🔌 Innovation as the Key Driver in the BEV Market ⚡ New data from the Center of Automotive Management (CAM) clearly shows: Automakers with strong innovation performance significantly outperform in global BEV sales. 📊 The correlation between global BEV sales and innovation strength is a robust 0.73. Industry leaders like Tesla, BYD, and Volkswagen are not only technology pioneers in range, charging speed, and efficiency – they also dominate BEV volumes. 🔄 Key trends: Tesla is still a leader but shows a decline in innovation (2016–2020: 149.6 ➡ 2020–2024: 114.9 index points), BYD (31.5 ➡ 69.9) and Volkswagen (124.1 ➡ 184.2) are gaining ground. Geely stands out with one of the most significant innovation leaps. 📈 Bottom line: Technological strength pays off – often with a time lag. Those who invest in innovation today are likely to lead the market tomorrow. 👉 The full CAM study / AutomotiveINNOVATIONS dashboard offers valuable insights for OEMs, suppliers, and investors shaping the future of electric mobility (see links in comments). #EV #Innovation #AutomotiveIndustry #BEV #Tesla #BYD #Volkswagen #Geely #ElectricVehicles #CAM #FutureOfMobility

Navigating Team Conflicts In team dynamics, some level of conflict is inevitable—even healthy. However, understanding the nature of the conflict can help leaders manage and resolve it more effectively. Here are four common conflict patterns and strategies for handling them: 1. The Solo Dissenter This conflict arises when one individual disagrees with the rest of the team. Whether due to personal differences or a challenge to the status quo, isolating or scapegoating this person is counterproductive. Instead, leaders should engage in one-on-one conversations to better understand their perspective and address any underlying concerns. Open communication can transform a dissenter into a valuable source of alternative viewpoints and broader system awareness. 2. The Boxing Match This frequent form of conflict involves a disagreement between two team members. If the issue stems from a personal relationship, external coaching may be helpful. However, if it’s task-related, the disagreement may benefit the team by introducing diverse ideas—provided the discussion remains civil. Leaders should avoid intervening prematurely, as genuine task-based disagreements often lead to more innovative solutions. 3. Warring Factions When two subgroups within the team oppose each other, an "us versus them" mentality can develop. This type of conflict is more complex, and solutions like voting or majority rule rarely resolve the issue. Leaders should introduce new options or third-way alternatives, encouraging both sides to broaden their thinking and find a compromise that addresses the core needs of both groups. 4. The Blame Game This challenging conflict involves the entire team, often triggered by poor performance. Assigning blame worsens the situation and creates more division. A more effective approach is to refocus the team on collective goals and explore strategies for improvement. Shifting the conversation from blame to team purpose and collective problem-solving can unite the group around a shared vision. By recognizing these conflict patterns and applying the right strategies, leaders can guide their teams through disagreements, fostering a more cohesive and productive environment.

Wheel for Sustainable Business Innovation 🌎 The sustainability landscape is evolving rapidly, and businesses are increasingly expected to integrate environmental and social considerations into their innovation processes. However, traditional innovation frameworks often fall short by focusing solely on customer needs, financial returns, and technical feasibility, leaving critical planetary challenges unaddressed. A more comprehensive approach is needed—one that embeds sustainability at the core of value creation. The 130+ Value Proposition Types Wheel is a practical tool that helps organizations frame innovation efforts across four key dimensions: People, Planet, Profit, and Progress. It provides over 130 value types that businesses can leverage to ensure their projects contribute meaningful solutions to global challenges such as climate action, resource efficiency, social inclusion, and technological advancement. This approach shifts the focus beyond immediate customer needs to include long-term sustainability impacts across entire ecosystems. By using structured frameworks like this, companies can link their innovation projects directly to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing critical issues such as climate resilience, biodiversity, and social equity. The tool also encourages the use of metrics to track progress, making sustainability-driven innovation more actionable and measurable across industries. It helps businesses unlock new forms of value while addressing both environmental risks and opportunities. The tool is adaptable to different phases of the innovation process, from identifying unmet needs to scaling solutions in the market. It guides organizations in understanding how their innovations create value in areas such as climate action, circularity, supply chain management, and stakeholder engagement. This makes it relevant for both B2B and B2C companies aiming to enhance their impact while future-proofing their operations. Originally developed by Explorer Labs, this tool has been referenced in the past and continues to remain highly useful as businesses advance their sustainability journeys. As 2025 begins, leveraging tools like this can help organizations move from incremental improvements to transformative solutions, embedding sustainability into innovation processes that deliver lasting value. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #innovation #SDGs

When we hear “play” at work, we think of Fun Fridays, team lunches, or a table tennis table, and those moments matter. But there’s another kind of play we talk about far less. It’s what happens when teams are free to experiment, think beyond the obvious, and adapt on the fly. That kind of play matters most when roadmaps shift, priorities change, and ambiguity is part of the job. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. They help teams practice tough decisions and unexpected shifts without the real-world risk. It’s a safe way to build confidence under pressure. 𝐎𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. Things like mandatory trainings or help desk ticket resolution. When you turn them into team challenges—with leaderboards, clear goals, and public shout-outs in the all-hands meeting—or role-playing exercises, these low-engagement tasks become visible wins. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭. Imagine creating a system where every employee can submit ideas anytime, not just during annual innovation drives. But here’s the twist: ideas don’t just sit in a database. They get visibility through peer voting, expert review, and transparent feedback. And the best part? Top teams/ideas earn rewards: time to lead pilot projects, budget for testing, or public shoutouts from leadership. 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. When learning is playful, people retain more, participate more, and most importantly, care more. If we want teams to take initiative, grow into owners, and lead from the front, we have to give them room to play. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭: 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲. #Leadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork #PlayatWork

In today’s fast-evolving banking environment, CROs face the dual challenge of navigating an increasingly complex risk landscape while meeting the expectations of boards, business leaders, and regulators. The 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗘𝗬/𝗜𝗜𝗙 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 highlights how banking CROs are rising to this challenge by embedding agility into their strategies. From leveraging cutting-edge technologies to expanding scenario planning and enhancing talent acquisition, CROs are taking decisive actions to ensure their institutions can swiftly adapt to emerging threats and market shifts. Here are five key strategies outlined in the latest report that CROs are using to drive agility and resilience in the banking sector: 🔍𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: CROs are increasingly using scenario analysis to assess risks like geopolitical instability, financial volatility, and climate change. Notably, 58% of CROs say scenario analysis and stress testing are key for managing climate-change risks. 🤖 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: AI is becoming essential for more efficient risk management. 59% of CROs are using AI to address operational fraud, 44% for compliance risks, and 40% for credit risk management. Interestingly, banks in Latin America are prioritizing AI for automating operational tasks (59%) more than their peers globally (41%). 💰 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: With shifting risk priorities, CROs are enhancing financial risk measures while addressing the increasing significance of non-financial risks. Despite geopolitical and climate risks taking center stage, 62% of CROs are reducing risk appetite and curtailing lending to high-risk industries. 👥𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁: As risk management becomes more technology-driven, human talent remains critical. 63% of CROs are prioritizing digital acumen, with 54% seeking talent that can adapt to an ever-changing risk environment. A blend of technology and skilled professionals is crucial for managing today’s complex risks. ⚙️ 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹: To meet increasing demand, 64% of CROs plan to add more risk management resources in the frontline over the next three years. The future also points toward greater reliance on outsourcing and right-shoring in the coming years. These strategies underscore the need for CROs to adopt a forward-looking, agile approach in risk management. By integrating these CROs can position their organizations to swiftly adapt to the challenges ahead. Nigel Moden, Karl Meekings, Saket Chitlangia, Sachin Sharma, Dhruv Ahuja, Maureen L. Do Rego, Smita P., Ankit Srivastava #RiskManagement #AI #Leadership #Banking #DigitalTransformation

Not all "inefficiencies" are bad for business. Yes- you heard correctly- a Lean practitioner saying these words 🙊 Let me explain. And take note of the inverted comma's above... When processes are too tightly controlled and streamlined, they can be restrictive. 🤔 "Inefficiencies" such as having free time or slower periods might seem unproductive, but they can provide important "thinking time". 💡 For example, Google’s famous "20% time"—where employees were encouraged to spend 20% of their time on projects they were passionate about—led to the creation of successful products like Gmail and AdSense. As Lean practitioners, we are taught to root out waste, and get rid of it! Many people are using the 8 wastes framework to help them spot and cut wastes like "waiting" and "defects", but you know what...some of these "wastes" can have the potential to be beneficial! 👉 Waiting gives people breathing space! Time to think, brainstorm or solve problems in innovative ways. 👉 And defects...well, learning (and quality) often requires a trial-and-error process, which inherently involves inefficiencies. When employees are allowed to make and learn from mistakes, they gain practical knowledge and insights. Of course we want to catch the mistakes and learn from them before our product or service reaches the customer- but often, we don't actually do this because people are afraid to say they made a mistake...because of how that would be viewed. Sometimes I think the failure to be curious and positively leverage inefficiencies is the biggest lost opportunity in organizations...Google sees it...Amazon sees it...we need more companies to see it! ⚠️ I'm not advocating here for the acceptance of inefficiencies- this just leads to complacency. I'm saying it's time to choose what to optimize as well as what to eliminate. 👉 So if waiting cannot be cut out in a process (and it can't always), consider how this time could be used more productively. 👉 If mistakes are being made and it's not clear why, it's a chance to spend time exploring why the defect occurred and how the process can be improved and optimized to prevent future occurrences (Think preventative not just corrective). 👉 This even extends to talent management!! A focus on eliminating underutilized talent often leads to punitive measures whereas when we focus on optimizing talent, we are more likely to develop staff through training, new roles, or opportunities- which enhances productivity and innovation. Peter Drucker famously said "Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things". We need to take a deeper look at what is being accomplished rather than just how quickly or cheaply it is being done. Navigating this challenge requires a thoughtful approach. It's crucial to gather input from people at all levels of the organizations through regular review of all processes with the people who do the work. #lean #leanmanagement #leadership #innovation