This is how you build an organization where ideas turn into value

On Thursday I participated in the Econa event "Innovation and development - become more opportunity-oriented", with lectures and workshops led by Nina Prestegard.

One of the most interesting things was not how many ideas there are in an organization, but how they are handled. Many businesses have employees who come up with good ideas, but the ideas often appear in the hallway, between meetings or in unstructured settings. They are often met with a "good input", but without clear follow-up. Over time, it weakens both initiative and commitment.

The course was clear that innovation does not happen by chance. It must be designed, both through structure and culture.

Three things stand out in particular:
• Structure beats randomness. Idea work must have clear frameworks, issues and ownership. If not, it will be random what is taken next.

• Groups must be facilitated. Without structure, you get groupthink, dominance and early criticism. Let people think individually first, and build further together.

• Distinguish between exploration and decision. Many go to assessment too quickly. Then the ideas stop before they have had a chance to develop.

Another important point was that creativity is not a quality someone has, but a skill that can be trained. We are often trained to find correct answers, not to explore multiple possibilities. Therefore, managers must consciously facilitate divergent thinking, where the aim is to open up before narrowing down. Curiosity and questions like “what if?” and "can you elaborate?" is a prerequisite for better decisions.

At the same time, this is not only about management, but also about ownership. It cannot be expected that the manager alone will drive forward all ideas that come in. Real innovation happens when employees themselves take responsibility for further developing proposals, testing them and facing the uncertainty. Autonomy builds ownership, and ownership creates progress.

In terms of experience, it is smart to establish regular innovation meetings with a clear structure. Ideas are presented briefly, one person owns further development, and the next step is clarified before the meeting ends. It provides both direction and responsibility, while at the same time signaling that ideas are taken seriously.

For managers, this means that you have to go from asking for ideas to building systems that actually handle them. It is about creating space for exploration, but also clear responsibility for implementation.

The link to commercial management is direct. If you want to develop new services, improve customer experiences or use AI, good intentions are not enough. You must have an organization that is capable of developing, prioritizing and realizing ideas in practice.

My most important takeaway is therefore simple: Innovation is not primarily about more ideas, but about building a structure and a culture where ideas become valuable.