Speed to Market requires an idea that’s been vetted and an organization that is set up to deliver. The best companies employ a full regimen of tools and processes to make it happen – best practices for generating ideas, assessing competition, estimating sales, testing messages and managing the work, just to name a few.
But many companies fail to take advantage of the biggest speed enabler in the room: the wisdom of those who’ve tried it, or something like it, before.
Some propositions are truly new to everyone involved – but that’s usually not the case. More often, people bring knowledge that simply doesn’t get tapped. As a communications strategist and anthropologist, it’s my observation that organizations that intentionally leverage institutional knowledge bring propositions to market faster and with greater success.
While it’s possible to incorporate key learnings during the life cycle of the initial project, the gathering process is often treated as one more task. Better to create a success or failure case study soon after, when those involved may be ready to reflect on what worked, or not, and why.
It’s easier than ever to track people down, and most will want to tell their stories. They want to be asked.
These studies typically include a summary of key issues, backed with a narrative of what happened. They can also include a checklist of questions to ask, behaviors to avoid and actions to follow in the future.
By including voices that represent a range of experiences and perspectives, the picture that emerges is textured and whole. When an outsider gathers the information, people trust that it is credible. When the issues are boiled down to the essentials, the findings are actionable.
Speed to market involves many factors. One is avoiding mistakes. It makes sense to know what mistakes to avoid.