To navigate the risks of rapid innovation in IT strategy, I implement a phased approach that allows for incremental development and testing. By rolling out changes in smaller, controlled stages, I can identify and mitigate potential risks early while still delivering progress toward innovation.

When a key stakeholder pushes for rapid innovation, you’ll need to boost your team's capacity for quick success. Be transparent with the stakeholder about the resources required to move faster. Rapid innovation doesn’t mean cutting corners, so it's crucial to identify and eliminate any roadblocks, whether they’re process or bureaucracy-related. "Remember, faster innovation doesn’t mean fancy outcomes—it’s about creating business value efficiently." Keep the focus on delivering real impact, not just speed, and ensure that the pace aligns with long-term goals, not just immediate demands.

It’s crucial to balance speed with caution. Begin by assessing the potential risks, such as security vulnerabilities, resource limitations, or technical debt, and communicate these clearly to the stakeholder. Propose a phased approach where smaller, controlled innovations are implemented first, allowing time to test and adjust. Collaborate with your team to ensure safeguards are in place, such as security checks and regular reviews. By managing expectations and pacing the innovation process, you can mitigate risks while delivering results.

You have to create a laser-like focus on what metrics define "innovation," and how you know that those metrics drive value. Next, you must determine what metrics you may be willing to give up to get there - nothing comes for free. With that information, you can create a risk matrix covering risks in meeting the new metrics and risks created by deprecating others. Once you have those defined with that stakeholder, you need to step back and understand if there are other stakeholders and get their buy-in or adjustments to your plan. This process can allow you to discover areas of known risk and ask stakeholders for the investments and support to be successful.