What do you do if your boss is resistant to new product innovation ideas?

In tackling resistance to new product innovation, data is indispensable. Initially, I gather market research and trends, laying a foundation. Next, I showcase case studies to illustrate innovation's impact elsewhere, building credibility. Finally, I provide financial projections, quantifying potential ROI. Demonstrating ideas in a crawl-walk-run fashion, with data as our compass, builds momentum and consensus for innovation. #DataDrivenInnovation #BusinessStrategy

Having been in this position before, I find the best way to overcome a scenario like this is to go with a solution rather than an idea. Factual benefits to innovating the product, desirably with a client sponsor who equally sees the benefit in making the change. Bosses are notoriously risk averse, therefore, speaking of benefits rather than features, keeping everything high level and discussing remunerative returns are ideal ways to get new ideas across.

Como parte de la asertividad que debemos tener en la comunicacion empresarial es importante conocer las expectativas de cada miembro del equipo en linea ascendente (nuestro lider) y en linea descendente (nuestros liderados); toda iniciativa debe estar alineada a los objetivos de la organizacion y debe cumplir con las metricas de rentabilidad que exige la empresa, formar parte de las prioridades estrategicas del negocio y apuntalar en el crecimiento de la gestion del lider y del resultado esperado como negocio global. En la presentacion del mismo debemos adaptar el Storytelling de la propuesta resaltando como contribuiria a lograr los objetivos y alcanzar los desafios que conlleva la iniciativa...

1. Difference in perspectives usually arise when the goalpost is blurry or different: Make your boss see how the product innovation ideas are in line with his business/team objective. 2. Reiterate Incrementality: What is the size of opportunity you would bring in with this idea or conversely, by not doing this, what is the cost of opportunity lost? 3. Product Market Fit: Bring in consumer insights esp. around your target audience and target market that this idea will solve for. Support with relevant data. Data drives credibility. 4. Tell a story: When you can paint a captivating picture of 'Start to finish', it drives intrigue & belief.

Seems to be an "Innovator's Dilemma" (see Clayton Christensen). Existing organizations will fail to innovate, as the role of existing management teams includes protecting current revenue streams. It is not a matter of empathy... Kodak's empathizing strategy left it out of the digital era... The challenge shouldn't be seen as an opportunity led effort, demanding every single opportunity to be prioritized. It is the way our companies approach innovation that should be changed first. End goal should be convincing our CXO staff to develop the capabilities of an ambidextrous organization, allowing core teams to focus on the existing business verticals and a smaller one to focus on new business opportunities, which sometimes end up in spin-offs.

Preparing a compelling case to convince your boss may sound cliche but it is usually an effective way to get his / her buy in. The 3 usual bottlenecks would be as follows: 1. Is the innovation concept attractive and relevant enough to consumers which you would need to verify via thorough market research. 2. From a Topline and bottom line aspect, what would the innovation bring to the table? If it is a sizeable innovation it would be to good of an opportunity to pass up especially if verified by market research. 3. How long would it take to bring the innovation to life and are competitors working on something similar? Speed to market would provide an edge and aid in convincing your boss about having the 1st mover advantage.

Large companies resist change internally. They always prefer to buy it. I pushed for a new idea for 2 yrs at Pfizer and eventually was able to start a whole new function that led to incredible growth. But it was brutal. My suggestion if you have a brilliant idea and no one in your company is listening—-leave and start your own company or startup or go to a smaller firm where they need your idea. Don’t wait for them to value you. Prove your value outside. Get into the arena and build something useful for the world. Stop hopping for someone senior to value you because they won’t. Get out and build it.

It's crucial to consider its alignment with organizational goals and ensure it complements the company's brand position and core competencies. Innovation can stem from both internal and external capabilities, through creation, acquisition, or partnerships. I usually say we can “make, buy or rent” innovation. Each avenue presents unique strengths and weaknesses, contingent upon the situation at hand. You must also identify the risks associated with not pursuing or delaying innovation; competitive risks, potential financial opportunities, etc. Lastly, (very last option) be open to negotiating innovation on a smaller scale or proposing incremental steps, such as piloting or concept testing, demonstrating flexibility and meeting halfway.

Me inclino por recomendar la preparación de un caso de negocio convincente y bien sustentado con datos, pero sobre todo poniendo al consumidor al centro en la recomendación, en donde se evidencie que esa idea o proyecto de innovación responde a una necesidad real del mercado potencial. Es recomendable acompañar estas recomendaciones con estudios de mercado que validen / respalden las ideas de innovación o nuevos proyectos.

Articulate a clear connection between your product innovation idea and the company's overarching strategy and vision, demonstrating how it supports key business objectives and contributes to long-term growth and success.

Utilize storytelling principles, relevant examples, and compelling visuals to captivate your boss's attention and effectively communicate the essence and impact of your product innovation idea, leaving a lasting impression and fostering buy-in and support.

I agree but is always important to take note of your boss’ perspective and include his ideas to make it more palatable. It has to be a coordinated effort to help sell the innovation and make it seem or is an idea that belongs to each stakeholder.

Design an interactive presentation format that encourages active engagement and participation from your boss. Incorporate elements such as polls or interactive exercises to stimulate discussion and feedback during the presentation.

After prepping your case, it’s all about how you present it to your boss. Pick a good time and the right way to communicate. Keep it simple and clear, sticking to the main points and perks of your idea. A bit of storytelling or some visuals can really make it pop and stick in their mind. And don’t forget to really listen to what your boss has to say. Show you’re open to their thoughts and ready to tweak your idea. This approach keeps things friendly and collaborative.

Build a short and concise presentation building your case, but before that, make sure you anchor your story to an insight your boss has provided. Make her believe this was her idea, so she will have a much harder time objecting to it ;)

🤝 Building consensus is an important step in "getting to yes" from a decision maker. Your product innovation idea needs external support during its incubation period (customers, partners, and prospects), and internal support (key stakeholders, team members, vendors). Spend the time demonstrating the value of your product innovation idea to build trust, credibility, and interest.

During your research and while you're building the case, visit as many stakeholders as possible to collect their insights. Explain to them your idea in as few details as possible "so you can hear their views about it". Once you've finished your round, include these feedback into your business case and share it in person with these same people. Point out how their feedback was included in the rationale and insist on how much value they brought to the idea conceptualisation. By the time you seek approval for this idea, everyone involved will already know about it, contributed to an extent and hence pitch for you.

I will coordinate with like minded and people who share same interest. With team will evaluate the product idea, its needs, customer pain point study and how this idea will help address the need and Customer study. And then will evaluate the impact of new product on expected revenue gain

In the project's early stages, it's crucial to identify a tangible benefit that will be achieved upon completion. Quantify this benefit by demonstrating the potential earnings for the company, and 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁. This will help to secure a project advocate who can support your efforts.

Your relationship with stakeholders is paramount to your success in getting a case approved and in the success of your product in general. We need to consider ourselves part of a team, working towards the same goal, and act as such. Consistency in this area builds trust, and favors can be called in.

Focus first on how the innovation connects to a shared aspirational state - such as the organization’s purpose and future market positioning. Present it in a way that evokes positive emotions, inspiration and the possibility to create a future that is better than the present. Then, highlight why the timing is ideal now for such a product Innovation, given the research you have done on the needs from your target audience. If you can also get preliminary commitments for your new product innovation from your target audience, it demonstrates the validity of the opportunity and reduces the perceived risk and resistance from your boss.

Grit is essential in the process. So is time. So either create the right timing for you idea to be adopted or be patient and wait for it to come. Never forget about your idea. In the meantime, make it alive as much as possible even only by speaking about it. When the right time is finally here : push it !

If you hit a wall with your boss on your product idea, don’t throw in the towel. Keep that passion alive and show you’re all in. Take any feedback, tweak your idea, and experiment to make it better. Then, bring those updates and successes back to your boss. Also, consider sharing your idea with customers, partners, or even investors to get more backing and validation. It’s all about staying driven and showing you’re in it for the long haul.

Technological innovation is also a culture transformation. Let you POC's, prototypes and ideas be tested by all kind of users, don't just expect the feedback to come itself you have to search it. Remember that ideas evolve, try to be humble even if you love your idea it might not be as good so try a lot. To have just 1 idea and 1 success is very difficult, take into account that you might reach success rates so the more expermites you di ideas will appear easier. Develop a clear strategy of what outcome you expect of your ideas. One of the main reasons why products won't evolve is that they are not adopted by users or are not aligned to real needs.

I've noticed that new ideas are more readily accepted when they're backed by solid data & analytics. Ensure that your peers & team share your perspective. When presenting your case, emphasize the potential impact & remain persistent. Persistence demonstrates confidence & encourages others to reconsider before dismissing an idea. It reflects your dedication, & sometimes, this dedication to your ideas can yield positive outcomes or even secure funding for projects. Proposing a low-cost, high-impact pilot plan strategy, without any disruption, can be effective. Remember, there are 3 pillars: sponsors, buyers, and users. It's critical to gain agreement & alignment from all three to ensure success.

Share the importance of embracing change and find new solutions on an Open and collaborative way, it is now about who brings the idea but the implementation process. It is not about the idea or technology to develop but the people behind.

Consider finding a new boss. Or better still. Resign and create a start-up that disrupts your boss's business. Pitch your idea to potential customers. With their co-funding of your vision and public grants get moving with your innovation.

The most powerful thing you can do: Make it his/her idea. Especially if you report to a C-level or founder (e.g. as the VP Product reporting to the CEO), you might face someone as your boss, who is full of self-confidence and automatically more drawn towards their own ideas than the ones of others. To cope with this, you can for example invite your boss to a workshop, where you already know where you want to end up beforehand, but you take your boss along the journey and at the end give him/her the feeling, they came up with the idea themselves. Managing stakeholders is one of the key competencies of a product manager and you can apply typical stakeholder tactics also with your direct superior.

If despite your best efforts, your boss remains resistant to new product innovation ideas, consider exploring alternative approaches such as proposing smaller experiments or initiatives outside of your direct team's scope, seeking opportunities to collaborate with other departments or seeking support from higher-level leadership