All companies desire growth. But without some innovations, the opportunities may be
limited. And even if the firm does have a few successful innovations, failure can still
occur if the company focuses on past successes without developing a culture for continuous and sustainable innovations. Today’s industry leaders can become tomorrow’failures without constantly challenging results.
If continuous and sustainable innovation is to occur, then innovation leadership and
project management must be married together and with a clear understanding of each
other’s roles. Innovation defines what we would like to do, and project management
determines if it can be done. The marriage also may require that both parties learn neskills and create a corporate culture that supports idea management practices. As discussed in several of the chapters in the book, companies are developing organizational units dedicated to innovation activities and idea management.
Understanding each other’s roles is the first step in making a company more innotive. This requires that the project managers and other innovation personnel understand
what they do not do now but must do for long-term successful innovation. This also
includes understanding the interfacing with marketing personnel and customers.