Innovation for All: A Step-by-Step Guide for Non-Tech Savvy Stakeholders

Being tech-savvy means being able and willing to use new technologies in creative ways to solve problems. Someone with deep technical knowledge, like working on mainframe computers in 2023, has a strong technical background but may not necessarily be tech-savvy.

Within organizations, adopting new technologies involves weighing many considerations, including perceived and actual risks. A company may have legitimate concerns regarding technology, platform, operations, and other risks associated with new technologies to address their existing problems. For some organizations, the peace of mind that comes with maintaining the status quo is worth compromising the potential benefits of adopting new technologies. While being tech-savvy and an early adopter of new technologies can lead to competitive advantages, it also introduces risks that must be carefully evaluated.

The most tech-savvy solution is not always the right choice. To decide if the potential benefits of new technologies are worth the risks, organizations must figure out how much risk they are willing to take and what their top priorities are. With careful planning and risk mitigation strategies, even non-tech savvy companies can successfully innovate and benefit from new technologies. But they must go in with their eyes open to all the considerations at play.

Here are some ideas for guiding non-tech savvy organizations through innovation using minimum viable products, hackathons, and other low-risk experimentation methods:

• Start with the “why”: Help stakeholders understand the potential benefits of innovation and new technologies to motivate them and address their concerns. Focus on their priorities and key problems that innovation could help solve.
• Suggest low-risk options: Propose low-cost, low-risk methods for experimenting with new technologies without large upfront investment, such as hackathons, proof-of-concept projects, and minimum viable products. These allow organizations to learn by doing in a low-risk environment.
• Highlight risk-mitigation strategies: Work with stakeholders to identify risks and concerns, then develop risk mitigation plans to address them. For example, limiting access to sensitive data during initial experiments. This can help increase comfort levels with new technologies.
• Share success stories: Share examples of similar organizations that successfully innovated through new technologies. This helps demonstrate the potential benefits and addresses the perception that only tech companies can leverage new technologies.
• Offer guidance and expertise: Work directly with stakeholders to guide them through innovation, address questions, and provide technical expertise. This helps them feel more supported and capable of navigating new technologies.
• Start small and scale up: Begin with small experiments that deliver limited functionality to a select group of users. This allows the organization to gain hands-on experience with new technologies in a controlled setting before expanding to larger groups. They can then scale up and spread innovation more broadly across the organization.

To introduce innovation to non-tech savvy organizations, start by explaining the potential benefits of new technologies to address key problems. Suggest low-risk experiments like hackathons or minimum viable products to learn by doing at low cost. Highlight ways to mitigate risks and share examples of similar successful companies. Provide guidance and start small by testing with select users before scaling up more broadly across the organization.

Start with the “Why”

When introducing new technologies and innovation to stakeholders, it’s important to focus on their priorities and key problems that innovation can solve. By doing so, you can effectively demonstrate how these new technologies can improve their key metrics and achieve their strategic goals. It’s also essential to highlight the major pain points that innovation can remedy, so stakeholders can see the direct benefits to their key performance indicators and goals.

To motivate non-tech savvy stakeholders and convince them that the potential rewards are worth the risks, it’s crucial to make the “why” behind innovation compelling. This can be achieved by focusing on specific problems that innovation can solve, such as improving customer service or streamlining workflows. By providing concrete examples of how new technologies, like AI-based chatbots and voice assistants, can provide 24/7 customer support or automate mundane tasks, you can effectively illustrate the benefits to stakeholders.

By connecting the “why” of innovation to stakeholders’ priorities and pain points, you can make a strong case for new technologies. While addressing risks and concerns is important, a shared vision of the potential benefits will make stakeholders more receptive to experimenting with new technologies in a low-risk manner. With a clear purpose and targeted results in mind, stakeholders can evaluate the options and determine how to apply innovation in a way that aligns with their organizational goals.

Suggest Low-Risk Options

Proposing low-cost and low-risk methods for experimenting with new technologies is an effective way to introduce innovation to an organization. This can include hackathons, proof-of-concept projects, and minimum viable products, which allow organizations to gain hands-on experience with new technologies without making a large upfront investment. These approaches can help mitigate the risks associated with adopting new technologies and lead to more successful outcomes.

Hackathons are a popular way to test out new technologies in a low-risk environment. At these events, people from different departments work together to make prototypes and find solutions to business problems. By participating in a hackathon, organizations can experiment with new technologies, collaborate across departments, and foster a culture of innovation. Hackathons also provide an opportunity to identify and recruit talent within the organization that may have previously gone unnoticed.

Proof-of-concept projects are another low-risk way to experiment with new technologies. These projects involve building a small-scale version of a solution or product to test its feasibility and potential. This approach allows organizations to determine if a new technology will work as expected before investing significant resources into a larger project. Proof-of-concept projects can also provide valuable data and insights that can inform larger-scale implementations.

Giving organizations low-risk ways to try out new technologies, like hackathons, proof-of-concept projects, and MVPs, can help them reduce risks and get good results. These low-cost and low-risk methods let organizations learn by doing in a safe setting, which can lead to better technology implementations in the long run. By using these methods, organizations can encourage a culture of innovation and stay ahead of the curve in a technological world that is always changing.

Highlight Risk-Mitigation Strategies

Highlighting risk-mitigation strategies is an essential aspect of introducing new technologies and innovation to an organization. Working with stakeholders to identify potential risks and concerns can help develop risk mitigation plans to address them. This approach can help increase comfort levels with new technologies and create a more favorable environment for experimentation.

One risk mitigation strategy is to limit access to sensitive data during initial experiments. This can help alleviate concerns related to data security and privacy. By working with stakeholders to figure out which data is the most important, it's possible to come up with a plan that lets people try out new technologies but limits access to important data. This approach can help build trust and increase comfort levels with new technologies.

Another risk mitigation strategy is to establish clear guidelines for experimentation. Organizations can establish a framework for experimentation that reduces risks and mitigates potential problems by outlining expectations for data privacy, security, and other key concerns. This approach can help ensure that all stakeholders know the risks and work together to minimize them.

Overall, highlighting risk-mitigation strategies is essential for successful technology implementations. Organizations can make it easier for people to try out new technologies by working with stakeholders to identify risks and concerns and devise plans to deal with them. Limiting access to sensitive data during initial experiments and establishing clear guidelines for experimentation are just a few examples of risk-mitigation strategies that can help increase comfort levels and build stakeholder trust.

Share Success Stories

The success stories that are shared between teams can shape the culture of an organization, especially when it comes to innovation. When introducing new technologies, it’s essential to share success stories from similar organizations that have successfully innovated through the use of these technologies. By sharing these examples, teams can be inspired and motivated to explore new possibilities and embrace change.

The impact of success stories cannot be underestimated. New technologies have transformed many industries, and sharing these stories can provide inspiration and motivation for organizations that are looking to innovate themselves. For example, the healthcare industry has seen significant benefits from the use of electronic health records and telemedicine. Similarly, the retail industry has been transformed by e-commerce and data-driven personalization. These success stories illustrate the potential impact that new technologies can have on an organization, regardless of the industry or sector.

Moreover, sharing success stories can help create a culture of innovation within organizations. Organizations can build excitement and momentum around new initiatives by demonstrating the potential benefits and showing that innovation is not limited to tech companies. Sharing these stories can help overcome skepticism and resistance to change and encourage stakeholders to embrace the potential of new technologies. In turn, this can lead to a more innovative culture where teams are more willing to explore new ideas and take calculated risks to achieve success.

In the end, success stories are a key part of how an organization's culture changes when it comes to innovation. By showing how similar organizations have used new technologies to innovate successfully, teams can be inspired and motivated to try new things and accept change. In turn, this can lead to a more innovative culture where teams are more willing to take risks and experiment with new ideas.

Offer Guidance and Expertise

In addition to sharing success stories, it’s important to offer guidance and expertise when introducing new technologies and innovation to an organization. Working directly with stakeholders to guide them through the innovation process can make them feel more supported and able to use new technologies. Organizations can make sure that stakeholders have the tools and support they need to successfully implement new technologies by answering questions and providing technical expertise.

Set up a cross-functional team with people from different departments and areas of expertise. This is a good way to give advice and share knowledge. This team can help make sure that everyone with a stake in the innovation process is involved and can give input and advice on important decisions. This approach can also foster a culture of collaboration and innovation, where teams are working together to achieve shared goals.

Another way to offer guidance and expertise is through training and development programs. Organizations can help people get the skills and knowledge they need to use new technologies successfully by giving them targeted training and development opportunities. This can help people feel more confident and comfortable with new technologies, which can lead to better implementations in the long run.

Overall, offering guidance and expertise is essential for successful technology implementations. Organizations can make sure that all stakeholders have the resources and help they need to succeed by working directly with them to guide them through the innovation process. Organizations can help stakeholders by putting together cross-functional teams and giving them opportunities for targeted training and development, among other things. By doing so, organizations can build a culture of innovation and stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing technological landscape.

Start Small and Scale Up

Innovation is not just about introducing new technologies to an organization; it’s about igniting a spark of creativity to light the way toward a brighter future. To achieve this, it’s important to start small and scale up. This method puts teams right in the middle of the technology, letting them explore its full potential and get hands-on experience in a safe environment.

By starting small, organizations can find and fix possible problems, improve their approach, and make sure that innovation fits with their needs and goals. It’s important to use emotive language to convey the passion behind innovation and inspire teams to take action. Think of the potential impact that new technologies can have on the organization, the exciting possibilities that lie ahead, and the endless opportunities to create something truly transformative.

As you grow, you can start to use new technologies to their full potential and get more out of them. It’s important to use storytelling techniques to illustrate the benefits of innovation, and to share examples of organizations that have successfully innovated through the use of new technologies. This approach can help build momentum and excitement around new initiatives as stakeholders see the tangible benefits that new technologies can deliver.

Overall, by igniting a passion for innovation and embracing the potential of new technologies, organizations can build a culture of creativity and stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing technological landscape. So, start small, dream big, and let your imagination take flight. The future is yours to create.

What Next?

Innovation is a powerful force that can transform organizations and create a better future. It’s not just about introducing new technologies but about igniting a passion for creativity and exploring the endless possibilities that lie ahead. By starting small and scaling up, organizations can gain hands-on experience with new technologies, identify potential issues, and align innovation with their needs and goals.

Using emotive language and storytelling techniques can help convey the passion behind innovation and inspire teams to take action. By sharing examples of organizations that have successfully innovated through new technologies, organizations can build momentum and excitement around new initiatives. As they scale up, they can begin to realize the full potential of new technologies and achieve greater impact and ROI.

Ultimately, by embracing the potential of new technologies and building a culture of creativity, organizations can stay ahead of the curve and shape the future. The possibilities are endless, and the future is yours to create. So, start small, dream big, and let your imagination take flight. The world is waiting for the next great innovation, and it could be yours.