The challenge

Create and guide an engaging 100% virtual market driven innovation program where cross-functional teams from different global business units tackle innovation challenges with strategic relevance and learn new approaches and tools on the job. Next to getting concrete results on the chosen topics, fostering a new mindset around market driven innovation was expected.  From how to reduce uncertainty in early stages by verifying assumptions with customers for a better and faster exploitation of market potential until the topic of monetizing of innovation.

Our approach

• Set-up a stringent timeboxed 120 days program with fixed milestones for Cross-GBU learning
• Innovation coaches interact with their teams on a weekly basis
• Innovation method learning with workbooks and video nuggets
• Dedicated learning path for the sponsor community

The results

• 52 employees explored 14 selected strategic innovation challenges in focused, cross-disciplinary teams to validated decision points
• 23 top levels managers experienced to act dedicatedly as innovation sponsors besides classical management
• All participants learned to apply customer centric innovation tools and act in highly uncertain circumstances
• Cross-GBU networking on business opportunities and competencies
• Effective 100% virtual collaboration in global teams