How do you balance the need for innovation with the stability of existing program strategies?

Balancing innovation with the stability of existing program strategies involves fostering a culture of continuous improvement while respecting proven methods. Encourage experimentation in controlled environments, integrate new ideas gradually, and evaluate their impact. By combining adaptability with a strong foundation, you can drive growth without compromising the stability that sustains long-term success.

A great approach I still find very effective, even if dates back to last century, which encompasses and supports all typical dimensions of a transformation (strategy, process, organization, people and tools) is Hoshin Kanri and it's main tool A3-X. It allows to provide evidence of balancing existing vs new initiatives, create coherence vs strategic objectives, thanks to the catch-ball approach get people onboard, leveraging both top-down and bottom-up approach. And to prove its effectiveness makes use of pilot projects.

We have to remember, innovation is not always geared to disrupt programs and services. Rather, it can be used to better move forward towards effectively implementing these programs and achieving related gosls. Innovation is about adding value to your work and it can be incremental and cumulative. Yes, when disruption comes to the seen then it is important to perform a full account of risk analysis, especially for those connected to continuity of services, and those who have significant impact on stakeholders.

All too often we think of strategies, when we should be thinking of tactics. Choosing a strategy or alternative strategies is choosing an outcome in some time frame. Then one considers the various tactics one can take to realize the strategic objective. Tactics can be a series of sequential innovative steps that minimize the risk of disruption, or a number of parallel innovative steps that can support each other in progressing to the strategic objective. A strategist needs great tacticians to achieve the implementation of the strategy. there are lots of examples.

Pilot projects are an effective way to test new ideas without overhauling your entire program. By starting small, you can evaluate the success of an innovative strategy and make adjustments before scaling up. This approach allows you to gather data and learn from the experience, reducing the risk of negative impacts on your program's stability. Pilots serve as proof of concept, demonstrating to stakeholders and team members alike that innovation can be integrated smoothly into existing operations. Carefully managed pilot projects can pave the way for broader implementation, ensuring that stability is maintained while innovation thrives. Proof of product is a great platform to showcase the results.

It’s always important to adopt a dual mindset of continuous improvement with innovation. Having a portfolio approach and if possible have a team for each. Testing and learning is best approached being guided by data and analytics, and insights from important stakeholders including customers 😊