Stop the Innovation Wars

by Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble

IT WAS JUST AN INNOCENT COMMENT. While working with a client at a Fortune 500 company, we proposed the formation of a special group to execute a new growth strategy. “For now, let’s just refer to the group as the innovation team,” we suggested.

The client rolled his eyes. “Let’s call it anything but that,” he said. “What is this so-called innovation team going to do? Brainstorm? Sit around being creative all day? Talk condescendingly about a superior organizational culture? All of this while operating with neither discipline nor accountability? All of this while the rest of us get the real work done?”

Wow. All it took was two words: innovation team.

In our experience, innovation ...

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