Ideas Labs | Scaling Up Innovation | Johanna Mair

TL;DR

Social Innovation needs to be enacted by organizations, and two key challenges are developing continuous innovation capacity and scaling successful innovations.

Transcript

Innovation is about finding novel solution to unmet and persistent social problems over the last decade we have become used to associate social Innovation with heroic individuals who so our hopes change the world around us and for us let me be a little bit provocative and in the context of this particular Forum also slightly old-fashioned or retro ... Read More

Key Insights

• 😤 Social Innovation should be enacted by organizations and teams, not just individuals.
• 🤩 Developing continuous innovation capacity and scaling successful innovations are key organizational challenges.
• ❓ Innovation and scaling are interrelated but require different approaches.
• 🤔 Exploring new ideas and ways of thinking is necessary for successful Innovation.
• 🍝 Scaling focuses on creating value from past innovations.
• ❓ Innovation pathologies can impede productive Innovation.
• 🖤 Factors such as too many bad ideas or a lack of innovation DNA within traditional organizations can derail innovation.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the perspective of the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society on Social Innovation?

The Stanford Center views Social Innovation as an organizational challenge, focusing on developing continuous innovation capacity and scaling successful innovations.

Q: How do Innovation and scaling relate to each other in an organization?

Innovation is about experimentation and finding novel solutions, while scaling is about creating value from past innovations. Acting on successful innovation requires committing to the operating model to deliver value.

Q: What are some factors that can derail an organization from productive Innovation?

Innovation pathologies are factors that impede productive innovation. These can range from individuals having too many bad ideas to traditional organizations struggling with innovation or funders pushing for more innovative projects rather than focusing on scaling.

Q: Why is diagnosing Innovation pathologies important for social Innovation and scaling?

Diagnosing Innovation pathologies helps organizations understand and overcome factors that impede innovation, enabling them to scale social innovations productively and successfully.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Social Innovation is often associated with individuals, but it should be enacted by organizations and teams.

• The two key organizational challenges in Social Innovation are developing continuous innovation capacity and scaling successful innovations.

• Innovation is about exploration and experimentation, while scaling is about creating value from past innovations.