Tim Hanlon’s Post

PortXL’s October 14th ‘Innovator in a Day’ Masterclass is just around the corner! There are just a few seats left for this year’s 4th and last gathering of Innovator in a Day; don’t miss out! What will you learn in the masterclass? You’ll take a deep dive into the world of open innovation and how to work with start-ups and scale-ups to integrate new and cutting-edge ideas into your business. During Innovator in a Day, you will learn how to… • 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 into your business strategy. • 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 and an internal culture of innovation. • 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 with startups and scale-ups. • 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, governance and methodology. Innovator in a Day classes are limited to only 15 people in order to keep to an intimate setting for personalized learning and networking. You’ll get expert guidance from innovation consultants who are leaders in their field and want to help you learn how to implement strategic insights and innovations into your business while giving you the opportunity for hands-on learning. This masterclass is designed for businesses in the maritime sector who want to do more to incorporate innovation into their workflows. Sign up today! With only a few spots left, they will go fast! Join us in Rotterdam on October 14th! Click here: https://lnkd.in/ehjNbPg4 #innovation #innovationmanagement #startups #maritimeindustry

In a competitive marketplace, the need for transformative ideas has never been greater. Whether you are a startup, scaleup or a large organisation, innovation is essential to ensuring you maintain a competitive edge against an often-uncertain economic backdrop. This is where a robust Innovation Ecosystem comes into play 🚀🧠🤝 But what is an Innovation Ecosystem? And how does it support the future of innovation in the North East? 🤔 Graeme Miller, Head of Innovation at Innovation SuperNetwork explains what an Innovation Ecosystem is and how a robust one could help your business thrive. https://lnkd.in/eEzpkdjv #innovation #ecosystem #sme #businesssuport

🔍 "Innovation happens in systems—networks of ideas, talents, and resources—where every link must be cultivated." 🌱 I’ve written about how we can truly accelerate innovation. I invite you to read my thoughts!

In a competitive marketplace, the need for transformative ideas has never been greater. Whether you are a startup, scaleup or a large organisation, innovation is essential to ensuring you maintain a competitive edge against an often-uncertain economic backdrop. This is where a robust Innovation Ecosystem comes into play 🚀🧠🤝 But what is an Innovation Ecosystem? And how does it support the future of innovation in the North East? 🤔 Graeme Miller, Head of Innovation at Innovation SuperNetwork explains what an Innovation Ecosystem is and how a robust one could help your business thrive. https://lnkd.in/eEzpkdjv #innovation #ecosystem #sme #businesssuport

How do you know when you have a good idea or product? Or how do you invest as a shark in the HQDA innovation shark tank? Two of my mentees asked me variations on this question today, and it got me thinking how to answer, and how to answer that in a broad context. In the innovation space, we get this a lot. For what it's worth, here's how I judge products and initiatives, and select the things my teams are going to take on. And I invite your critique! 1️⃣ Do your homework. Understand your ecosystem. Who are your stakeholders? What are the existing challenges and opportunities? How does your product or idea fit into the bigger picture? I listen to SO many pitches. Researchers, vendors, current and former Army folks with ideas to fix our system. There are a lot of amazing things out there. But there are so many passion driven projects out there I can't invest in because they're prohibited by law and statute, or because there's already something performing that function. Everyone complains that the DoD is problematic for innovation because of this, but I think it's less because we can't bring on new ideas and more because we are bad at communicating what ideas we already have in the pipeline, and communicating why other ideas are rejected. I supported the founding of Army Junior Officer Counsel (AJOC) largely because of this, so we could give more creative talent better access to leaders to discuss problems and learn the ecosystem, so we can co-create solutions that actually fit the space. 2️⃣ Know the story and the "ask." Every good product tells a story. What problem does it solve? Why should others care? And most importantly, what are you asking of the people you're pitching it to? Whether it’s resources, support, or buy-in, clarity is critical. One of my previous deputies used to never let me go to a meeting if I couldn't finish the statement, "This meeting will be successful IF..." You should prepare for a pitch that way. What does your product solve and your product and your ask will be successful IF... I have a template I give many of my folks that asks what this product brings 1) to the individual, 2) to the unit, 3) to the Army. If you can't provide value in those three entities, it's hard for me to take on. 3️⃣ Think like your decision maker, who is a sort of venture capitalist (but...without the capital). What problems does that person need to solve, to the point that they will invest what they can in your solution? I wish I could swoop in with investment across the board, but I can't. But I do have some powerful capital in the form of my voice and my reputation, and I use those with intention. Why should I invest my capital in you? That's my true "pitch" ask. What about you? How do you know when you’ve got a “good product”? #ArmyInnovation #ArmyTalentManagement

💪 The Innovation All-Stars vs. 🤝 The Status Quo Squad: who's winning in your company? 😞 Does internal resistance kill your best ideas? Established companies sometimes struggle with innovation management. That’s normal - medium and large corporations tend to limit their exposition to risks. They prefer certainty. They prefer stability. And that’s normal. Even large “innovative” companies like Google are not delivering like startups anymore. ➡️ How to continue to innovate anyway? 💡 By empowering innovation champions. 🚀 Create a dedicated structure for innovation, with its own set of rules. Keep the efforts related to stable products for the teams that are made for that, and that love it! Give innovation, scrappiness, and uncertainty to the teams that are wired for that, and that enjoy it! -- I am talking about innovation, positivity, positive impact, and way more things soon 😁. If you like this post, please drop a "Like", a comment, follow, or connect with me - that's like a "Thank you", and it means a lot to me 💛

The Missing Link Between Strategy and Innovation Established companies know they must innovate to find growth in the digital era. So, in recent years, large companies have set up innovation labs, accelerators, hackathons, and open innovation programs to look beyond their core, pursue disruptive ideas, iterate, and experiment. Yet, most of these efforts produce little in the way of results. Corporate teams are outrun by startups. Innovation labs are shut down after failing to deliver growth at a scale that matters to the business. https://lnkd.in/gzUq6HYY

An insightful article by Ivanka Visnjic and Ronnie Leten about how to accelerate innovation for large corporations when they are less flexible and risk prone compared to smaller firms. The article explains the benefits of collaborating with key partners, cultivating ones with potential, increasing commitments to ones that show breakthroughs, and then scale rapidly with the necessary resources required. #innovation #breakthrough #collaboration #accelerate Harvard Business Review #startup Link: https://lnkd.in/edNytMvr

Here are some of the most common corporate innovation programs we've seen. Have we missed any? Do you have any of these in your organisation? • Intrapreneurship programs • Innovation lab • Internal accelerator Read the full article here: https://hubs.la/Q02HXB_w0

Open Innovation is no longer just a buzzword, it’s a business imperative. As companies mature in their innovation strategies, effective KPIs are critical to measuring the impact on corporate culture, skills, and strategic alignment. The future belongs to those who embrace open collaboration and measure results effectively. Are we ready to rethink how we track innovation? https://lnkd.in/efb8TskF