Kathy Harris

In a Gartner research meeting, we discussed how the IT organization can help the business innovate. One of the topics that generated most discussion is that IT is often stifled and unappreciated when they bring well-developed ideas or well-designed prototypes to a business unit or manager. Apparently, this happens quite often — IT takes the initiative to build out an idea before suggesting it – then, they take it to the business users and are surprised when the business doesn’t readily accept the innovation.

Even if an idea can cut costs or improve revenue or productivity, the issues of “not invented here” or “didn’t know you were working on this” get in the way of the business considering an idea generated outside their organization. This is not exclusive to IT of course – these turf battles are a routine occurrence in organizations when a person in one department suggests an improvement in another. Put simply, the success in promoting an idea to another part of your organization depends more on the quality of the relationship than on the quality of the ideas.

Two rules of engagement can enable IT to proactively participate in business innovation:

• Invest first in building (even improving or innovating) your relationships with key business leaders. Innovation in these key areas is critical to the business, so neither IT nor the business unit can afford to pass on great ideas. Open a conversation on innovation and discuss how to propose ideas and bring them to the business. They must perceive your ideas as supporting the business rather than telling them how to do their job.
• Keep in mind that IT does not own the business processes and therefore, it cannot the own business process innovation. IT organizations are filled with smart (often brilliant) and energetic people who genuinely care about the company, the users and their success; however, IT must succeed in a world where others own the decisions about using great IT work. In most cases, IT must find its business innovation success through the success of its business partners.