Knowledge Hub
Innovation Management Guides
Practical guides to innovation management for the people who run innovation and improvement work, one subject each: the culture that lets ideas surface, the process and decisions that move them, and the system that makes results repeat.
Authors: Shannon Phillips & Tristan Ham
The Definition
What Is Innovation Management
Innovation management is the ongoing work of deciding which ideas an organization pursues, giving them people, time and money, and turning the ones that prove themselves into results it can measure and repeat.
Three terms describe parts of that work and are often used as if they meant the same thing. Each answers a different question.
A framework
The order of the work, from the moment someone raises an idea to a measured result. Unbounded Thinking’s framework is Human-Centered Innovation Management (HCIM).
A process
The path one idea takes, with a decision at each step: keep it, change it or stop it. The innovation process guide sets out the steps.
A management system
The roles, objectives and reviews around the work. ISO 56001 sets them out as requirements an organization can be certified against.
The guides below take one part of innovation management each. Read them in any order, or start with the situation you face today.
People and Culture
The conditions that decide whether people raise ideas at all, and whether the organization learns from what they try.
5 min read
Innovation Culture
Most teams have talent, but few have alignment. Discover how to solve the People Paradox and build a scalable innovation culture with the HCIM framework.
12 min read
What Is Psychological Safety
What is psychological safety at work: the shared belief that it is safe to speak up. See what it is not, the signs to watch and what leaders do each week.
15 min read
What Is a Learning Organization
What is a learning organization: one that turns what people learn into changes in how it works. See the models, four stages, examples and weekly habits.
Process and Decisions
How an idea moves from a problem to a result, and how leaders decide where people, time and money go.
10 min read
What Is the Innovation Process
The innovation process takes an idea from a problem to a change people use. See the five steps, where ideas stall and how to keep them moving.
12 min read
What Is Strategy Execution
Strategy execution turns a strategy into decisions about people, time and money. See why strategies fail, where execution breaks and how to measure it.
9 min read
Innovation Portfolio Management
Zombie projects keep their budget long after progress stops. Learn when to stop a project, set go/no-go criteria early and move people to work that scales.
Systems and Measures
How to see where an organization stands today, and how to run innovation as a managed system that repeats.
7 min read
What Is Innovation Readiness
Innovation readiness is an organization’s ability to turn ideas into results. See its four maturity stages and how to measure innovation in your company.
10 min read
ISO 56001 Guide
ISO 56001 sets the requirements for an innovation management system. How it differs from ISO 56002, what each clause covers and how certification works.
11 min read
Human-Centered Innovation Management
Human-Centered Innovation Management (HCIM) is an innovation management framework in four stages. See each stage, the signs it is broken and where to start.
Start Here
Where to Start
Find the situation closest to yours. Each one has a guide that starts there.
People keep their ideas to themselves
Start with What Is Psychological Safety: what it is, the signs to watch and what leaders do each week.
Ideas come up in sessions, then stall
Start with What Is the Innovation Process: the five steps and where ideas stall between them.
Too many projects, and few of them finish
Start with Innovation Portfolio Management: when to stop a project and how to set the criteria early.
The strategy is agreed, and little changes
Start with What Is Strategy Execution: the decisions about people, time and money that a strategy needs.
Leadership asks what innovation delivers
Start with What Is Innovation Readiness: the four maturity stages and how to measure where you stand.
A client or funder asks about ISO 56001
Start with the ISO 56001 Guide: what the standard requires and how certification works.
Articles
Articles on One Question Each
The articles are shorter. Each answers one question that comes up in the work, from what to do after a brainstorming session to which measures to show leadership.
Topics
Questions About Innovation Management
What is innovation management?
Innovation management is the ongoing work of deciding which ideas an organization pursues, giving them people, time and money, and turning the ones that prove themselves into results it can measure and repeat.
What is the difference between innovation management and the innovation process?
The innovation process is the path one idea takes, step by step. Innovation management is the work around all of the ideas at once: which ones go ahead, who decides, what each one receives and how the results are measured.
Is innovation management the same as ISO 56001?
No. ISO 56001 is the international standard, published in 2024, that sets the requirements for an innovation management system. An organization can manage innovation well without certification. The standard gives the work a common structure and a way to show it to clients and funders.
Where should I start?
With the situation you face today: the list under Where to Start matches common situations to a guide. For a first reading of where your organization stands, take the free Innovation Readiness Snapshot.
Who writes the guides?
Shannon Phillips and Tristan Ham, the co-founders of Unbounded Thinking in Calgary, Canada. More about each of them is below.
About the author
Shannon Phillips
Co-Founder and Innovation Strategist
Designs structured innovation systems for enterprise organizations and helps leadership teams set priorities that reflect how the organization operates.
About the author
Tristan Ham
Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator
Leads the delivery of innovation programs for enterprise and public sector teams and helps groups align on priorities and reach decisions.
Next Step
Put the Guides to Work
Take the free Innovation Readiness Snapshot for a first reading of where your organization stands, or talk to us about innovation management that runs with the people you have.