The Importance of Execution: IBM’s Innovation Man Commercial

Posted on January 22, 2008
Filed Under Gregg Gallagher, Innovation, Management, Strategy Execution |

Have you seen IBM’s “Innovation Man” commercial? I think it’s a real hoot and for those of you who haven’t seen it, I’ll try to capture it’s essence…
Scene: Outside an office building, female business professional walking away from building towards an inbound middle-aged, rather paunchy guy in a superhero outfit with a large “I” across his chest.
Says she: “So what does the I stand for?”
………………………………………………..”Innovation”
………………………………………………..”Ideation”
………………………………………………..”Imagination”
She: “Implementation?”

………………………………………………..”Darn! I knew I forgot something!”
And he turns around, running back toward the direction from which he came.
The implementation issue is one of the key components of quantum innovation: without the processes and supporting culture which emphasize execution, there is no true innovation, for no customer value is being created.
We all have had examples from our work experience where truly excellent ideas were never implemented…looking back, what would you have done differently?

Gregg Gallagher
Director, Strategic Marketing & Innovation Practice
Quantum Leaders, Inc.

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