Innovation in Surprising Places

Name 3 innovative organizations. Google, IDEO, or Apple might come to mind, but I can almost guarantee you wouldn’t say the United States Navy. Last month, Kes and I spent a morning with the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Strategic Studies Group (SSG) talking about innovative processes and ThinkCubation. We were surprised to discover that the Navy might just have a leg up on corporate America when it comes to innovation.

The SSG is comprised of a diverse group of Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard officers who are hand-picked by the Chief of Naval Operations. During their 1-2 year rotation in the program, the officers are asked to trade in their uniforms and rank for business attire and an equalizing title of Fellow. They bring together unique skill sets from all levels of their respective organizations in an environment conducive to collaboration and creativity.

The mere existence of this think tank within the Navy is impressive, but their program goes far beyond setting the stage.

Innovation Training.
The Fellows begin the program with 6 weeks of intensive training on innovation, teamwork, and conceptual thinking. Experts are brought in from military, business, and academia. They also visit places like Pixar Animation Studios where creativity abounds. This immersion in all things creative and innovative is just what these officers need to switch gears and succeed at the task at hand.

Structured but Flexible Process.
After training is complete, the SSG embarks on the Conceptualization Phase of the Process for Naval Warfare Innovation (hit cancel at login prompt). At the end of each year, the SSG presents the CNO with a written report of their work.

Implementation.
After review and approval by the CNO, the SSG’s work is handed off to the Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC), who in turn, prototypes and demonstrates the concepts for eventual use in the Naval Fleet. The SSG and NWDC are co-located at the Naval War College in Newport, RI which enables close collaboration between the groups at all stages of the innovation process.

Kes and I feel privileged to have contributed to this program. We had the opportunity to watch a presentation from last year’s group, and while we’re not at liberty to share the details, we can assure you their model produces results. Most companies would say it’s easy when you’re not reporting to shareholders and you can remove ROI from the equation. I say you don’t have to replicate their model exactly. Try it on a smaller scale and you might just be surprised at what your organization is capable of.