The Delicate Art of Unauthorized Innovation (HBR-Michael Shrage)

Article by author Michael Shrage (Serious Play), covers the loss of nimble, gray market initiatives, and the resulting stifling of innovation.

The ability of individuals and small groups to steal time and "bootleg" a project has become notably more difficult. Not unlike Mad Men's three martini lunches, under-the-radar gray market innovation has become a virtual anachronism.

... it becomes more difficult for line managers with gifted subordinates to get away with squirreling a few extra dollars for let's-give-it-a-shot new product development. The out-of-sight, off-in-a-corner alpha test is not just a dying breed — it's being euthanized. Is that bad? Yes. Innovative organizations need to be innovative about how they innovate. The innovation and entrepreneurship literature — popular and academic alike — overflows with stories detailing the importance of informal economies in enterprise development.

Persistent pincering of informal innovation and gray market initiatives has provoked quiet revolts deep down in several organizations I know. People are rebelling against the strictures and constraints of formal innovation budgets and reviews. They want to be nimbler and more agile than the organization allows. So what are they doing?

... read more  [e.g. outsourcing to invigorate fresh perspectives]