The Role of Innovation in Project Management

Innovation, as a management competency, is difficult to define. In a

business sense, the term “innovation” usually refers to the
translation of an idea into a commercially viable product—
perpetuating the idea that only the likes of Steve Jobs, Mark
Zuckerberg, and other visionaries can attain the rank of Innovator.

The first part of the definition—generating and implementing

ideas—distinguishes innovation from mere improvement.
Continuous improvement adds value, but does not always entail
generating new ideas. There are many reasons—both internal and
external—why a department or company might improve regardless
of the presence or absence of creative thinking. The second part of
the definition—generating and implementing ideas, which add
value—distinguishes innovation from mere creativity. While project
managers may need to rely on creative thinking to innovate, it is just
as likely that they will need to draw upon data and logic. Everyday
innovation occurs at the intersection of creativity and improvement.
 The Innovative Project Manager

Traditional project management models have focused almost exclusively on

delivery of products and services—defined deliverables with clear and
measurable execution criteria. In this context, opportunities for innovation
generally center on problem solving. For example, when facing a risk that
must be avoided or mitigated, a project manager must often generate ideas,
which add value (innovate) in order determine an appropriate risk response
and contingency plan.
Newer project management models, in contrast, focus primarily on the achievement of
a result. Scope, schedule, and cost are important, but subservient to the “big picture”
results the organization is trying to achieve. For example, a project manager may be
asked to manage an initiative to improve customer retention by 10% in eighteen
months. In this model, the project manager is part tactician—responsible for executing
the scope of work (once decided) in the time frame given—and part strategist,
responsible for

• Interpreting the business strategy

• Assessing feasibility of the objective
• Analyzing the cause of the problem
• Recommending and/or innovating a solution
• Formulating a scope of work
• Progressively elaborating the scope of work
• Executing the project, monitoring performance along Triple Constraint
• Ensuring the strategic objectives are met