voices
Now , soon or never ?
John Roese , global CTO at Dell Technologies , on knowing when to innovate and how to overcome the inevitable roadblocks
If learning and innovation go hand in hand , the last few years have been a doozy in more ways than one .
And still , knowing when — and how — to innovate isn ’ t always straightforward . A recent Forbes Research study identified key areas of debate among business leaders , the top three most common being technology investment ( 28 %), where to focus digital transformation ( 27 %) and pace of innovation ( 26 %).
At Dell , we intimately understand the nuance that goes into effective innovation . We ’ ve helped advance industries ranging from space exploration to manufacturing , and advanced technologies from predictive analytics to sustainable hardware and packaging design . We ’ ve done this through a constantly evolving economic climate , using a steady , pragmatic approach .
In my time overseeing some of these initiatives as CTO , I ’ ve learned that change is rarely an easy thing , and consensus can be hard to come by . But just as progress is inevitable , innovation gridlock is surmountable .
Roadblocks that hinder progress Today ’ s business leaders understand that lingering in innovation limbo puts their organizations at risk of lagging behind the competition — which is arguably stiffer than ever before . Let ’ s address some of the roadblocks that can hinder innovation .
1 ) Lack of clear , measurable benefits and adequate allocation of resources . The impact of the innovation must be measurable and relevant to your business . You also have to reorient precious corporate resources toward the future — both start with a top-down decision-making model and a top-down resource allocation model .
Innovating without being able to clearly communicate a new technology ’ s measurable benefits risks a lukewarm — or worse — reception from employees and customers alike . This is often a recipe for diminishing returns down the line .
2 ) Institutional inertia . Innovation momentum can be challenging for even the most nimble of organizations — let alone huge , multinational enterprises .
Inevitably there is a conflict between dedicating energy to existing work or future work . It helps to define early and often what those swim lanes will be — what you ’ re willing
08