4

From Recognition to Support

Gaining a Foothold

Key Topics Covered in This Chapter

  • The critical role of the idea champion and other supporters in gaining broader recognition and support
  • The importance of timing in gaining recognition and support
  • How to build a business case for the innovative idea
  • Overcoming resistance and maintaining momentum

“ONE SCIENTIST HAD been running around evangelizing the technology for two or three years. He hadn’t been able to build a case that got it recognized and funded. What we had here was a corporate research fellow, one of the smartest guys in the world, but he couldn’t get the attention to tilt this thing up.”1

That’s how an IBM business development manager described the problem faced by one of his company’s ...

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