Leading for Innovation: And Organizing for Results

18.6. Protocol 3: Incubation

Ideas that pass the impact screen merit additional attention through incubation preserves, where experiments occur. Experiments may be set up where ideas are piloted, tested, and adapted. Product incubations may include target customers who validate new products or services. Strategic incubations may include customers or investors who confirm strategic assumptions. Administrative incubations may be experiments with groups of employees to determine the viability of the administrative action.

Innovative leaders create these incubation preserves, where pilot tests ensure proof of concept (whether the innovation makes sense to a customer or employee audience), technological feasibility (whether the firm has knowledge ...