Entrepreneurship and Flexibility Discussion Response

10-1 Discussion: Reflection 

Hello everyone, 

We are at the end of the course! Reading all of your discussions have been great. When I read them, I can see how each person has a different thought process and another way of doing things. That is one great takeaway that I have from this class. Thank you all for your time in reading the discussions that I have posted. I’m sure all of you will do great things in your upcoming classes as well as in life! Thank you all again! 

What was your strategy for choosing incremental or discontinuous innovation in Milestone One?

The best strategy is to learn the unmet needs of your customers. Companies know exactly where to focus and what to do to develop a valuable and unique position in the market by generating a list of ranking unmet demands. It’s how the world’s most successful firms decide where to focus and what to do to create new value, refresh their brands, differentiate themselves, and develop. I chose incremental in the first milestone because of the low risk that it presented for our company. Toward the end it switched to discontinuous due to the profitability aspect that it could do for our company in the long run.

What were your reasons for selecting the processes for managing innovation you used in Milestone Two?

A managerial innovation can significantly benefit the innovating organization and generate a seismic shift in industry leadership. On the other hand, technology and product innovation provide minor benefits. When a management innovation meets one or more of three criteria, it creates a long-term competitive advantage:

It is based on a novel principle that challenges management orthodoxy.

It is systemic, encompassing a variety of processes and methods.

It is part of an ongoing invention program, where progress is compounded over time.

I chose the stage-gate process. I liked the simple process of it all and ow it also allowed for error to be corrected during the innovation process. The stage-gate process also allows a clear destination from start to finish of the project. The goals were clean and aligned with what we set out to accomplish. I also liked how it had to got through each stage and gate to ensure that every aspect of the project was done correctly. It might have taken longer than other process but there were no duplications.

How do your recommendations for the organization structure promote a climate for innovation in your project?

According to some researchers, an organizational structure based on formal control can boost inventive performance by allowing cooperation between various functional units, increasing cost-effectiveness, reducing uncertainty, and reducing errors.

I chose to recommend the stage-gate process with innovation and for employees I chose the rewards and recognition. I liked how the stage-process was set up and did not allow from duplication. The process of the stage-gate might have taken a little more time to get through in terms of production but it allowed for errors to be fixed along the way.  

The rewards and recognition process I feel is great for moral. It allows for the employee to feel as if they are being recognized for all the hard work that they put into the company. The sense of accomplishment drives employees, it makes them want to keep striving for excellence. Also allowing employees to think out of the box and come up with great idea is how innovation keep progressing. Employees discussing their ideas to enhance them or help with other ideas. All of these things would improve our process and take our company to a higher level so that we may stay in the game and compete with the other competitors   

Which of your peer’s recommendations did you find most compelling, surprising, or innovative?

I thought that John Mastrey company was very innovated. I thought the goals was very straight forward and he explained his process very well. I like the details that he put in about his company and the challenges that he thought threw. I enjoyed reading his reflection about his company as well as the previous post that he made.

What skills can you add to your toolbox to future-proof your career?

Each skill had a great lesson and though many things. I liked the excel skills the most and found them to be very valuable for myself and I know that they would be valuable to employers as well. I use excel a lot in my current job but the lesson that we did in this class increased my knowledge! 

In response to two peers on their selections in the course milestones and project, address the following:

Which of your peer’s recommendations did you find most compelling, surprising, or innovative?

One important theme of this course is the need for most companies to innovate on a regular basis or risk falling behind their competitors. The same can be said for employees.

What skills can you add to your toolbox to future-proof your career?

What skills can you acquire to support an innovative culture at your organization?

For your response posts, do the following:

Write a post of 1 to 2 paragraphs.

Demonstrate more depth and thought than saying things like “I agree” or “You are wrong.” Guidance is provided for you in the discussion prompt.

Consider content from other parts of the course where appropriate. Use proper citation methods for your discipline when referencing scholarly or popular sources.