Everyone says they want innovation in their organization, but when an ambitious employee offers it to the CEO, for example, the idea is often shot down, said Dr. Neal Thornberry, faculty director for innovation initiatives at the Naval Postgraduate School in California.
“Senior leaders often miss the value-creating potential of a new concept because they either don’t take the time to really listen and delve into it, or the innovating employee presents it in the wrong way,” said Thornberry, who recently published Innovation Judo, based on his years of experience teaching innovation at Babson College and advising an array of corporate clients.