Grabbing Lightning: Building a Capability for Breakthrough Innovation

Chapter 2. ASSESSING YOUR ORGANIZATION'S CAPACITY FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

Rita (a fictitious name but a real person) was an assistant manager of project engineering for a large multidivisional firm's corporate engineering function. While attending an annual professional meeting of R&D managers, she heard a speaker on the subject of managing for breakthrough innovation (BI). Rita became aware, through further reading and correspondence with the speaker, of the challenges and different management approach required for managing for breakthrough innovations compared to traditional project management. She was enthralled with this new approach, which she believed could help her company plow new ground and move away from the faltering, risk-averse ...