In this short video, Alex Slawsby of InnoLead interviews Gina O’Connor, Professor of Innovation Management at Babson College, about the importance of patience and persistence when pursuing long-term innovation projects.
One big issue is that senior executives may not understand “that it’s really the sticking with it that is important, because strategic innovation usually has longer time horizons,” she says. “We’ve got to stick with it through at least one cycle before you can start to see what the outcomes are.” When programs shut down and then start again several years later, knowledge and talent are both lost. She also touches on the downside of rotating “high potential” executives through the innovation program.
This is the final video in a four-part series of interviews with O’Connor. Babson College is one of InnoLead’s strategic partners; more info here.
(Featured image by Werner Du plessis on Unsplash.)
