The Innovation Formula

CHAPTER 8 SENIOR LEADER SUPPORT How not doing what's expected can reap results

Derek O'Donnell is an energetic and passionate Irishman. Long before innovation was a buzzword, O'Donnell, a senior leader in the supply chain division, was convinced of its importance for Coca-Cola Amatil. He engaged executive sponsors and created and developed Coca-Cola Amatil's Innov8 program, which fosters a bottom-up approach to identifying great ideas from the organisation's 6000-odd employees. Eight years on, O'Donnell still plays a role in championing innovation.

One of O'Donnell's original intentions for Innov8 was to encourage as many people as possible to bring forward ideas, but not give the false promise that every idea would be implemented — so that focus on idea quality was maintained at the same pace as quantity of ideas. Getting this message out to the organisation was challenging, as staff worked in geographically spread out manufacturing plants and warehouses, and those working the night shift never really had the chance to speak to those in head office. Rather than just choosing the easy target of those in head office, O'Donnell made it his mission to ensure Innov8 was an inclusive program and that everyone, no matter what their role and no matter where in the business they worked, would be encouraged to participate in innovation.

O'Donnell recalls a time back in Innov8's first year when one of the Brisbane warehouse team leaders put forward an idea. The employee worked night shift ...