Break Down the Hypothesis: The Importance of the Hypothesis of Record in Evaluating the Progress of an Innovation Initiative
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- Synopsis
- Simple innovations-for example, to improve a process-often have just one unknown. Game-changing innovations, however, have several. That makes the learning challenge more complex. It becomes crucial to break down the hypothesis from an aggregate conjecture to the smaller assumptions that the larger goal depends on. In a best-case scenario, each unknown is isolated and separately tested in laboratory-like conditions. More often, though, the unknowns are interrelated and can be resolved only by actually launching the initiative. In this chapter, the authors explain that the problem is often the absence of a crucial foundation for any conversation about the interpretation of results: a clear and shared hypothesis of record. Using examples from Analog Devices, Allstate Insurance, and IBM, they show how a clearly stated hypothesis of record-composed of a set of conjectures about cause-and-effect relationships between actions and outcomes-serves as a shared frame of reference in any discussions of an innovation initiative's progress. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 5 of "The Other Side of Innovation: Solving the Execution Challenge."
- Copyright:
- 2010
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- Publisher:
- Harvard Business Publishing
- Date of Addition:
- 08/02/16
- Copyrighted By:
- HBS Press
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Nonfiction, Business and Finance
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.