I am listening to a podcast from the Harvard Business Review with A.G. Lafley. He is the CEO of of P&G and recently wrote a book about innovation. He is discussing innovation at P&G and how it permeates all the way through the business. It is far beyond just innovating product and extends to shopping experience, cost and supply chain. Of course, for anyone who has worked with P&G, this is very believable. I have dealt with their transportation people before and it showed clearly they were trying to innovate even in a "back office" function.
In talking about how to review innovation, he discusses the following:
- Develop with the consumer. Develop products with people who most likely will buy the product.
- Use posters not briefing books. He discusses how their innovation process is actually fairly low tech and simplified. Think of the "high school science fair" where you walk around the poster and talk / discuss and not brief.
- Use of an "innovation team leader".
- Are we dealing with the "killer issues". Don't go to the easy solution first. Go to the one or two issues which will either make the project win or kill it.
I have always been amazed by the P&G culture and how they continue to be a great company. This is one way they have shown their strengths.
Tags: Proctorand Gamble, Lafely, innovation



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