Here's how you can navigate obstacles to innovation in process design.

If you set out to change culture, you will have work for a lifetime. Therefore I personally focus on those who have the mandate and passion for driving change. Your group of stakeholders might be bigger and also consists of opponents of change, but if your change is meaningful and valuable, they in turn will either see the light or get out of your way. Just like technology adoption there are innovators and early adopters as well as the late majority and laggards.

Nurture a frame of mind that celebrates change. Support you and your team to perceive change as a chance to develop and perfect, as an alternative to disturbance. Promote an environment where vibrant schemes are invited and tentative approach is suggested. Altering the attitude towards change will enable you to counter resistance and frame a world that privileges innovation in process design.

The project triangle dictates exactly the relationship between resources, scope and time. Lacking resources? Perhaps extending time or reducing the scope might do the trick. However, it is in communication with the steering committee this shall be considered. It is also here where value of the project shall be evaluated in comparison to other activities. If it provides enough value, then the resources will be allocated. If not, then you have either not succeeded in communicating the value or you should kill your darlings and move on.

Ensure adequate allocation of resources. Innovation in process design requires time, budget, and tools. Secure the necessary resources to support your initiatives, including investing in technology, training, and dedicated project time. Prioritize projects that have the potential to significantly improve efficiency and quality. Proper resource allocation enables your team to explore new ideas and implement innovative solutions without being constrained by limited resources.

Establishing clear and attainable goals for innovation is crucial. You should set precise objectives and desired outcomes for your process design efforts. These goals must be communicated clearly to your team, so that everyone understands the intended direction and purpose. With well-defined goals, you create a clear, laser-focused pathway for your innovation to take shape. This will help to measure progress and to ensure that overall business objectives are not forgotten or abandoned. Clear goals will help you to prioritize ideas and allocate resources to the innovations that will have the most impact.

Proper risk management I find to be a key differentiator between a successful project and failing projects. Identification and mitigation of risks enables you to continue in your efforts without hesitation as key concerns are addressed. This will shine through in your communication to your stakeholders, and in turn their confidence in the project will grow. It will make securing funding easier and exponentially propel the project for success. Good risk management is the equivalent of starting the spiralling journey upwards, as it has positive outcomes throughout the whole project.

Instituting strong risk management strategies is essential. Identify potential risks associated with your innovative process design project and develop plans to mitigate them. Conduct a thorough risk assessment and develop contingency plans to address potential setbacks. Encourage an environment where calculated risks are embraced as a part of the innovation process, but have systems in place to manage and reduce these risks. By proactively managing risks, you can handle obstacles more effectively and maintain your innovation momentum.

One way to improve the process design is by establishing continuous feedback loops. It is important to ask for feedback from team members, end-users, and stakeholders through the innovation lifecycle of the process design. Take that feedback and improve on the design and make adjustment as consumer needs change. Build in mechanisms such as regular review meetings, suggestion boxes, and surveys, organize all valuable customer inputs to ensure that the developed innovation stays in line with users needs and quickly uncover any shortcomings or blockages, and keep track of the progress speed. In this case, customer inputs act as the control barometer.