Enterprise Innovation

From John Hagel, Harvard Business Review:

The “edge” takes many forms. Generally speaking, edges are peripheral areas with high growth potential…Technology edges take shape as technological innovations begin offering new capabilities.

The “core,” by contrast, is where the money and resources are today…the core symbolizes the inside of the enterprise, its principal capabilities and primary revenue streams.

Promising edges have a number of characteristics. They offer significant headroom for performance improvement and a large potential user base. Ideally, they also require modest investment for participation at the outset and offer the prospect of significant short-term returns.

Imperatives for Information Managers
Lots of IM functions are under fire. Meeting that challenge with a business-as-usual philosophy is deadly.
User behaviors, information technology, and enterprise needs are changing, and so must IM’s way of doing business. Exploring new operating models, reacting to changing users in meaningful ways, and getting as nimble as possible will all contribute to the value and efficiency of information management functions.

1. Let Go of Legacy Models
Outsell doesn’t advocate change for the sake of change, but outright resistance is a dead-end. Examine
your strategies, methods, and structures for delivering information in today’s modern organization. Review
your function’s model regularly, and be ruthless in jettisoning what doesn’t work or isn’t necessary. Look at
emerging models, such as those called out in this Briefing, and talk to colleagues about what’s working for
them. If you’re missing the mark, be bold about revamping and revitalizing your operation. Don’t shy away
from experimenting and trying new things. Creativity is what separates survivors from roadkill.

2. Climb Aboard the Technology Train
Although many of the 2.0 technologies that have proliferated come from the consumer market, don’t dismiss
them as inappropriate for the enterprise. Follow users to new ways of interacting with information, or lead them there if they haven’t already adopted them. Master and experiment with the leading technological
innovations. Better yet, as one information leader we know recently said, “Hire people with a passion for
this stuff and then just get out of their way.”

3. Focus on the User Experience
Outsell has long espoused staying close to user requirements through needs assessments, advisory councils, project debriefs, and the like. An agile, 2.0 model is user-centric. Understanding users’ information and communication flows, preferences, and behaviors is imperative if IM functions are to be agile, remain
relevant, and thrive.