This week, I had the privilege of facilitating a customized simulation-centric workshop for a group of global R&D leaders. These are some of the brightest minds in the innovation world; scientists and engineers who thrive on curiosity, experimentation, and thinking outside the box. For decades, their mandate has been clear: explore, discover, and push the boundaries of possibility.
It’s in their DNA, and it’s what drives breakthrough innovation. But as this session shifted into topics of business acumen—strategic thinking, financial management, and profitability—the conversation took a surprising and profound turn.
During a simulation debriefing, one participant asked: “When is it time for a company to stop learning and start executing on the innovative products we already have? When do we just say no to endless experiments? When do we apply the discipline of operational effectiveness to deliver breakthrough products to market and cool the waste on projects that will never see the light of day?”
Wow. In all my years of leading Business Acumen programs for R&D audiences, I had never heard the question framed so directly. And yet, it’s exactly the kind of tension organizations need to face: balancing the pursuit of new ideas with the responsibility to deliver value.
Here are five pivotal moments in the innovator’s business cycle when it’s time to stop “learning” and start executing:
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