What do you do if your Business Innovation consulting project hits a roadblock?

Mature companies tend to favor value capture to maintain profitability based on years of successful experience, and lack a focus on new value creation. For example, strategic frameworks such as Porter's five-force model focus on strengthening existing positions in a competitive environment. However, relying heavily on it, to neglect opportunities for new value creation can lead to rigid strategies. Indeed, Kodak had long been the leader in the film camera market, but was slow to respond to the rise of digital cameras. Despite holding patents on digital technology, Kodak continued to focus on its existing revenue base, the film business. It failed to adequately pursue new value creation initiatives, resulting in a loss of competitiveness.

Si un proyecto de consultoría en innovación empresarial enfrenta un obstáculo, aplica mejores prácticas: 1. Identifica la causa raíz: Usa herramientas como el análisis de Ishikawa o los 5 porqués. 2. Adopta metodologías ágiles: Implementa sprints para ajustar prioridades y probar soluciones. 3. Fomenta la colaboración: Involucra equipos multidisciplinarios para integrar perspectivas y crear estrategias. 4. Evalúa datos en tiempo real: Usa tecnología de IA para analizar métricas y riesgos. 5. Gestiona el cambio: Diseña un plan claro para alinear a los stakeholders con la dirección del proyecto. 6. Aprende y ajusta: Documenta aprendizajes y transforma desafíos. Con estas prácticas, garantizas resiliencia y adaptabilidad del proyecto.

When the project of innovation goes amiss in a business, it requires reflection first. Sometimes, taking a step back can give people new insight. After that, the strategy has to be reviewed and feedback from the team or stakeholders sought. The team will reveal new viewpoints or chances that people sometimes do not see. Be agile and willing to adjust if necessary and keep an eye on the end goal. Perseverance and collaboration are all that is needed to get past anything.

Analyse the Root cause of the roadblock, create a possible solutions by brainstorming with team. Create a plan A and Plan B to mitigate the risk and clear the roadblock. Share with stakeholders with clear and Transparent communication with possible solutions. Share the New timeline and possible outcome. Identify change in budget or resource requirements and document it for further assessment. Stay resilient and committed to move forward.

🚨 Identify the root cause—analyze the obstacle. 💡 Brainstorm creative solutions with the team. 🔄 Pivot strategies while staying aligned with goals. 📊 Reassess timelines and resource allocation. 🦾 Stay resilient—turn the roadblock into a launchpad.

It is first necessary to strengthen communication with stakeholders, especially the CEO, and reevaluate the entire strategic process. A common characteristic of the most successful companies in the U.S. is their ability to identify new business models and meet unmet customer needs. These companies take a holistic view of their strategies and proactively look beyond the existing market environment to identify opportunities for value creation. For example, groundbreaking ideas such as ride-sharing and mobile banking are successful examples of new business models that accurately identify unmet customer needs, but they were created by companies with a new perspective, not by companies bound by existing frameworks.

When your business transformation consulting project encounters a roadblock, the key is to communicate with stakeholders. These include your client, team, manager, and partners. Transparency is crucial: inform them of the problem with a Root Cause Analysis (RCA), the impact, and potential solutions. Listen to their feedback and suggestions. This approach builds trust and ensures everyone is aligned for support. Clearly communicate any changes in resources, budget, and timelines required to overcome the roadblock and seek stakeholder buy-in. Continuous open communication keeps everyone informed and engaged.

To actively seek external and expert advice is possible to sustain growth while maintaining an edge in the competitive environment. The strategy must be more than just a set of short-term measures, but also a creative and open discussion of alternative business models while leveraging competitive positioning and existing capabilities. By deepening discussions on competitive positioning and value creation, and reviewing the strategy landscape from a broader perspective, an integrated strategy can be developed that goes beyond short-term measures and aims for long-term success. Promoting continuous experimentation and operational adaptation are key to building a path to sustainable growth.

When facing a roadblock, it is essential to seek advice and help from subject matter experts and internal stakeholders. Engaging with your network and industry peers through research and consultations can provide valuable insights. For example, during my program management experience, we faced a similar challenge where we lacked the resources to deploy a web server, and the deadline for this crucial delivery couldn't be changed. By diving into the problem and exploring possible solutions with the help of experts, we successfully resolved the roadblock and delivered on time.

¿Por qué es importante buscar ayuda? Nuevas perspectivas: Otras personas pueden ofrecerte una visión diferente del problema, identificando aspectos que tú no habías considerado. Conocimientos especializados: Alguien puede tener experiencia en un área específica que te permita avanzar más rápidamente. Apoyo emocional: Contar con el apoyo de otros puede ayudarte a mantener la motivación y superar momentos de frustración. Ampliación de tu red: Conocer a nuevas personas puede abrirte puertas a futuras oportunidades. ¿Dónde buscar ayuda? Tu red de contactos Expertos en el tema Comunidades en línea: Foros, grupos de Facebook, LinkedIn Recursos educativos: Libros, artículos, podcasts y cursos en línea

By not only accepting external advice, but also incorporating experimentation and learning based on it, the effectiveness of the strategy process can be enhanced. Amazon, for example, has made continuous experimentation and learning an ingrained part of its culture, which has supported the company's sustained success. The “customer review feature” was an innovation in the retail industry at the time, but has now become an integral part of improving the customer experience. P&G also employs a “learning cycle” in its new product development process to improve speed to market through repeated experimentation. Such an experimental approach also plays a major role in moving the strategic process into the execution phase.

Since new business models and value creation processes involve many unpredictable elements, initial hypotheses do not always adapt to the market. Therefore, adaptation and pivoting are important to ensure that the strategy is adjusted to match the real market environment and that the company's growth is sustainable. When companies make ongoing adjustments based on data rather than sticking to initial hypotheses, their strategies evolve more effectively. For example, Slack initially developed a platform for gaming, but along the way pivoted to a “team communication tool” to meet customer needs, and the company grew rapidly as a result. Thus, if the initial strategy is not a good fit, a flexible pivot can be successful.

To effectively adapt and pivot when facing issues: 1. Quickly assess the situation using informed data and feedback. 2. Clearly define a new strategic vision that is aligned with the needs. 3. Implement changes and monitor results closely. 4. Foster a culture of continuous learning and control the risk. 5. Maintain an open mind. 6. Use an adaptative mindset and rapid feedback cycles to validate hypotheses. 7. Be prepared to pivot again in case the problem continues. Adaptation is an ongoing process that requires flexibility and a customer-centric focus. If you hit a wall, don't go through it, go around it.

Reevaluate the project goals to ensure they are still relevant and achievable. Adjust them if necessary to reflect any changes in circumstances.

Proactively sharing successful practices throughout the organization, other departments and teams can learn what makes them successful and apply them to their own projects. This strengthens overall organizational capacity, promotes flexibility and evolution of strategy, and has a positive attitude toward new ideas and approaches. For example, if a company introduces a new business model and it is successful, it is important to create a framework for sharing the results internally. By regularly sharing success stories, other departments and teams can learn how to apply that success to their own projects. Fostering such a culture of sharing will deepen strategic learning throughout the company and lead to the next stage of growth.

Cuando te enfrentas a un obstáculo en tu proyecto de consultoría, el primer paso es tomar un respiro y analizar la situación objetivamente. Revisa los datos, identifica la raíz del problema y busca posibles soluciones desde diferentes ángulos. A menudo, un obstáculo es solo una oportunidad para reajustar y mejorar. Es clave también mantener una comunicación abierta con tu equipo y cliente. Escuchar sus puntos de vista y hacer ajustes de acuerdo a nuevas perspectivas puede marcar la diferencia. La flexibilidad y la resiliencia son esenciales: si te adaptas con rapidez y propones alternativas, puedes convertir los desafíos en escalones hacia el éxito.

The most important thing is that we are aware from the first day that we will face challenges. I have never experienced a project that went smoothly and met with complete acceptance. There has always been a stakeholder or two that needed to be convinced - or a challenge or two that had to be overcome. If you don't let yourself be surprised by this, but expect it from the beginning and communicate it accordingly, it will be much easier to implement this project.