Like everything else in today’s business environment getting your message across is key. Whether you are marketing a new offering, an internal memo to your staff for new business objectives, or technical specs for a an exciting invention, having a proper communications plan in place is essential to getting your message across. With that in mind, having a cohesive communications plan in place for an Innovation program is critical for the long term success of innovation within your organization.
In Order to communicate your Innovation program to your staff there are 4 main stages to structuring your communication plan. These stages are;
Pre-Launch
Pre-Launch communications is one of the most important phases. If an organization is launching an innovation program (for the first time) it is vital that senior management communicate to its employees what their expectations are for the program. Employees should be advised of the goals for the program and how they are expected to contribute to the innovation initiative. Measurable targets should be set, and this information should be shared with all staff members. Measurable targets would include items such as expected cost savings in dollars (or percentage of revenue), revenue generating goals and improvements to existing processes (in terms of time saving).
Rather than communicating your program with an e-mail, go back to the basics. Use posters in areas frequented by employees. Have merchandise such as coffee mugs and pens with the url to the innovation platform. Company newsletters are also an excellent vehicle to create buzz around the upcoming program.
Launch
The day has arrived! You are ready to go live with your innovation program. At this phase of communications you want to change the focus on what tools you will be using and what the submitter should expect in terms of her user experience. Highlight the process. What actions will trigger email notifications, what are the different stages of your process and what is the time frame for these stages. It is important that the user knows what their expectations are and when they should be advised of changes to the stages of their submission. It is very important that the user understands the process and does not feel that submitting an idea will just go into a black hole.
Post Launch
During this phase you want to communicate the successes realized as a result of your program. Show how an employee’s suggestion resulted in savings, improved a process or generated additional revenue. For a innovation program to be successful transparency is key. If there are changes to the innovation process or awards structure make sure that these changes are communicated in a timely fashion. Make Sure a user’s expectation are met at all times.
Additionally you innovation software should always have a fresh look. Changes to the home page of the platform should be done on a regular basis. If your platform has content housed on it ensure that the content is updated regularly.
Challenge-Driven
Introducing challenged driven campaigns and theme based idea generation and development is an effective way of keeping things fresh and interesting. It also enables you to address relevant and timely issues in a responsive, opportunistic and proactive fashion. Challenge Driven Innovation is an excellent mechanism to sustaining a high level of user engagement. Challenges should be frequent and communicated to the employee base via your company’s intranet or newsletters.
Implementing these simple yet effective steps in communicating your Innovation program and process will yield tangible results. A little planning will go a long way!
About the Planbox:
Planbox is the pioneering provider of cloud-based Agile Work Innovation software solutions. Planbox mission is to help organizations thrive by transforming the culture of agile work, continuous innovation and creativity across the entire organization. Our family of products include Collaborative Innovation Management and Work Management applications. Planbox is designed to be the work and innovation tool for everyone, built for companies and teams of all sizes and trusted by some of the world’s most recognized brands including Bridgestone, CGI, Nestlé, Sempra Energy, Starbucks, Stanford, Philips, The Salvation Army and Verizon with millions of internal and external users.
