Bright Lights: Corporate Innovation & KISS with Wim Vandenhouweele
Bright Lights is an ongoing series that highlights the activities, causes, and passions that fall outside of Inlightened Experts’ dedicated day jobs, and truly set them apart. These initiatives represent experts’ abilities to transform their interests and experience into meaningful ventures that drive positive change. This installment of Bright Lights features Wim Vandenhouweele, an ex-Merck executive turned author and coach for corporate innovation leaders.
How did your book come to be? Take us from idea to execution.
When I met with other corporate innovation leaders (from all kinds of industries), I observed that everyone was struggling with the same issues as I did. Often, they turned to solutions that added to the complexity already present in their organization. I believe we should first try to solve those issues in a simple way, i.e. not adding more complexity, if possible. Initially I blogged to share my own learnings – I published 150 of them. Then I decided to transform and organize those blogs into a book. I first explain why we can solve most issues related to managing and stimulating innovation in a simple way. Then I share 50 short, inspiring stories that illustrate how I have managed to keep innovation simple in practice.
Can you provide a brief overview of your mission?
My book is called KISS: Problems & Passion (Keeping Innovation Super Simple). Innovation leaders in corporations are frequently confronted with complexity. Based on my extensive experience as global innovation leader, I discuss how innovation can be kept simple by focusing on two priorities: addressing specific problems and working with passionate people.
This book builds on principles expressed by well-known innovators.
“You have to be burning with an idea or a problem or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.” -Steve Jobs
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” -Albert Einstein
Tell us more about KISS’s target audience.
- The main target audience is innovation leaders in corporations. These are typically leaders that have two roles: stimulating and developing innovations in their company.
- This book is also valuable for innovators: those employees that come up with an innovative idea and wants to take it through the innovation stages in a simple way.
- Lastly, this book can be of value to corporate leaders who plan to start an innovation program in their organization.
What key milestones has KISS accomplished to date?
This book/e-book is available via Amazon and Kindle, Apple Books, and Barnes & Noble and has garnered thousands of impressions upon launch.
Can you share an example of a case study in the book?
It’s the story of the hammer and the nail. It’s tempting to start with a hammer like a new technology — think drones or AI or micro-loans or blockchain. But there is a risk that an innovative idea that uses these technologies will not address a real customer or business need and will not fit in the company’s strategy. Although the idea may be unique, it will likely not receive management support and resources to experiment.
An example: Patients often stop taking their medicine for chronic diseases. I recall an enthusiastic innovator in our manufacturing organization. Based on his packaging expertise, he spent months to develop an innovative digital packaging to help customers remember to take their daily medicine. Unfortunately, the real problem was that most customers stopped to take this medicine because they were worried about potential side effects.
A great hammer, but the wrong nail. The right nail, the specific problem, is the one agreed upon with the business leadership and communicated broadly. After this, innovators will likely come up with a right hammer.
KISS approach means starting with a problem will focus innovation.
How can people get involved?
I recommend reading the first +/- 20 pages of the book. Then check the last 3 pages of the book: “List of Problems and Inspirations”. Identify a problem that you are struggling with and read the relevant case study. I’m available to coach innovation leaders and book lectures for teams and programs.
Wim Vandenhouweele is a coach for corporate innovation leaders, author, blogger, vlogger, speaker, and Advisory Board chair. He served as a global commercial innovation leader for Merck, where he launched and marketed billion-dollar brands in 10 therapeutic areas, in a variety of positions around the world. Having lives and worked in four counties, and visted more than 50, Wim has worldly experience spanning sales, marketing, strategy, commercial operations and innovation.
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