Name It & Claim It Innovation w. Jim Weber

About this episode

THE FULL STORY

Host Justin McMenamy continues the multi-episode conversation with Jim Weber about leadership lessons and innovation, revisiting Jim’s advice that companies should declare themselves innovative even if they aren’t.  

The conversation centers on how widespread “innovation” claims make the term vague, drawing a parallel to corporate “greenwashing,” and debate whether innovation is a thing, a feeling, or simply “greater than or equal to zero.”  

Jim jokes about how C-suite executives settled on spending 3.5% of sales on innovation, while Justin warns that declarations can cause organizations to mistake optimization, stage-gate processes, and metrics for true creativity, especially when factory-minded leaders run innovation.  

Jim argues for the "name it and claim it" innovation techniques saying it leaves the door open for ideas and pressure to act, sharing examples of using the label to push small cultural changes. They also discuss pushing back tactfully, credit-sharing, and the need to encourage people fighting to implement ideas.