The document presents 17 statements that represent common barriers to innovation in companies. It prompts the reader to pick 3 statements that relate to their company's innovation capability and identify which failure each implies. The statements cover a range of failures such as not involving consumers, lack of clear goals, lack of resources for innovation, risk aversion after past failures, and disorganization. The reader is asked to reflect on which failures apply to their own organization.

1. Introduction: Warm Up
The innovation imperative: quick self test
Review a number of situations that represent common
barriers in companies.
Pick three statements that relate to the innovation
capability of your company
1

2. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
Let the
new guy do
innovation, he is
young, he should be
creative!
2

3. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
Don’t
ask the consumer!
“If I had asked the
consumer, a Ford would
have
a
3

4. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
“All right, if you think your
idea is better...
let’s ask the consumer which idea
is the best.”
4

5. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
His first day in office,
the new CEO hung a
banner in the canteen:
“We are going to re-
invent ourselves!”
5

6. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
“Our innovation is perfectly
aligned around clear goals.”
6

7. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
The innovation team
steers their ideas through the 7
step process, until the CEO sees a
first design:
“I don’t think that can be done,
haven’t you thought of X, Y and
Z?!”
7

8. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
“We
have direct access to the latest
scientific work at university
labs.”
8

9. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
The innovation budget sits under
the marketing managers budget.
9

10. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
We expect 15% of our
growth to come from
innovations,
but spend less then 1% of our
revenue on it
10

11. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
The Finance Director is head of
the innovation steering committee
11

12. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
“our execution standards are
second to none”
12

13. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
“We tried that, it didn’t work,
the guy spent thousands.
No wonder he got fired.”
13

14. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
3 out of the 57 projects we run on
innovation have been successful.
That’s quite good.
Look how many new products fail in the
market!
14

15. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
“Great, its done, lets see what the
retailer thinks of it!”
15

16. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
“We have a diverse team
looking at
innovation from all possible
angles”
16

17. 1. Which statement do you identify most with?
Which common innovation failure is implied? Does it apply to your organisation?
“I know I have that information
somewhere,
but where-o-where?”
17