Not scared of the dark: why embracing the unknown is necessary when delivering innovation
For those of us in project management, understanding unknown quantities and risks has always been a critical part of the process — the sub-text being that anything we don’t know is a potential threat. So we log risks and mitigation strategies in a RAID log at the start of the project and more often than not, they’re never looked at again (other than by us hopefully).
On the other hand, when it’s at its best, project management focusses on helping teams deal with the impact of the unknown. By identifying risks we can facilitate the right conversations and ensure appropriate solutions are found.
The overarching narrative here is that any ambiguity is undesirable; but, the reality is that it’s unavoidable. And certainly in the context of innovation or bringing new products and services to market, it’s ubiquitous. For disruptors or challenger brands, there are questions around the addressable audience, what will resonate with them, how best to reach them. For existing players, it’s a conversation around embracing new ways of working, unfamiliar challenges and new strategies.
So does ambiguity have to be a negative influence on delivery? Well, not necessarily. And in some circumstances I would go as far to suggest it’s an essential component for success. It’s important to keep things strategically “fuzzy” in early stage NPD. We want to keep thinking at the right level, rather than leaping to unvalidated solutions. As long as we’re starting from clear customer insight, then we don’t need more than a hypothesis of the output.
But, what does this mean for those of us responsible for delivery, if we re-cast ambiguity as an essential part of the process? We still have budgets and timelines to manage don’t we? In my experience the difficulty is dealing with that feeling of just not knowing how we’re going to get from A to B. It’s not a comfortable feeling for a great many people; and that’s where the delivery role can be really powerful.
At a principle level that means focussing on outcomes and the overall trajectory rather than incremental progress, so that we can ensure there is a shared focus on a common goal. But that doesn’t have to mean abandoning the pragmatism and the reality of delivery; on the other hand, it does mean designing programmes of work which explicitly allow space for exploration. It also means facilitating an environment that allows for reflection and re-work.
In practise, these are the things I keep in mind when running these sort of projects:
- Set projects up for success with honesty:
Be honest with clients and teams about what projects with complex problems engender. Our clients very rarely come from organisations with these ways of working (that’s why they hired us right?!), so it’s important to recognise this at the start of a relationship. Take the opportunity to be clear about the very purposeful role that ambiguity plays in NPD processes, and set clear expectations about what that means for them. - Don’t stress about the day-to-day, but keep one eye on the next milestone:
It’s tempting to obsess over day-to-day progress. It’s important to trust teams to get to the answers their way. Delivery roles can help by focussing those efforts on the overall trajectory. Make sure teams know where they need to be, and if things are slipping, then facilitate conversations about how to reset. - Identify where ambiguity is desirable and where its not helpful:
It’s easy to confuse the need for strategic fuzziness, with a lack of clarity around objectives and what’s possible / not possible to implement. Work with your teams and stakeholders to identify the things you absolutely need to know vs. the things you still have scope to influence. - Binning ideas is a (positive) part of the process:
As my colleague says: “Be brave enough to suggest an idea on Day 1, and humble enough to throw it away on Day 2”. Pursuing blind alleys to rule them out, is an invaluable part of the process — it’s not wasted work and should be built into the programme. - Use customer research as progress markers:
I’ve been using this chart a lot recently. Customer research is an intrinsic part of NPD and a great opportunity to get perspective on where you are. And, remember that a negative steer, can be just as useful as a positive.
