Publications

Innovation is at the heart of every company’s ambitions - yet most organizations struggle to translate their innovation efforts into measurable outcomes. While over 80% of executives name innovation a top priority, fewer than 10% are satisfied with their company’s innovation performance, according to a survey conducted by McKinsey. Many innovation initiatives fail to deliver ROI due to a lack of strategic alignment, missing focus, fragmented execution, and internal resistance to change.
In today’s fast-changing, highly competitive world, failing to innovate effectively is not just a missed opportunity - it’s a critical risk. According to PwC’s 28th Annual CEO Survey, four in ten CEO’s believe their company will be out of business within 10 years if they fail to reinvent their business models.

To bridge the gap between ambition and execution, this white paper introduces a structured, pragmatic approach to strategic innovation. It integrates proven methods, including Strategyzer’s Portfolio approach, the Blue Ocean® Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, and the Strategic Choices Cascade by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin, to provide a comprehensive, and actionable approach. It focuses on four strategic activities, each interconnected to ensure focus, adaptability, andexecutional excellence:

1. Strategy Alignment: Ensuring innovation efforts are directly linked to an organization’s strategy

   
2. Portfolio Management: Prioritizing and advancing only those ideas that offer real potential.

   
3. Structured Execution: Managing innovation initiatives with discipline, expertise, and a results-driven mindset.

   
4. Diplomacy Thinking: Navigating internal politics to align stakeholders and drive transformation.

Strategic innovation is not about stopping at the idea stage - it’s about making the right, evidence-driven choices and following through to drive success. By aligning innovation efforts with strategy, managing portfolios effectively, ensuring structured execution, and applying diplomacy, organizations can increase their innovation performance, drive ROI, and build long-term competitive advantage. All of this requires hard work and discipline. But in a fast-changing, intensely competitive world, operating without a strategic approach to innovation is far harder and riskier. Use and adapt the strategic innovation approach outlined in this white paper to elevate your innovation performance.