Corporate Angel

My boss stopped by my cubicle and said, “I hear you’ve been giving brown bags on <a new idea>. I think you should give a presentation to the vice president. His staff meeting is in a couple of weeks.” I agreed, but I didn’t understand why the high-level managers needed to hear about this particular idea. I thought it was a good idea for the technical people in the organization but that was it. I was so wrong. That presentation brought training and the purchase of cases of books and, eventually, a new job description for me that allowed me more time to work on introducing the innovation. My ideas wouldn’t have gotten far without buy-in from upper management.

To help align the innovation with the goals of the organization, get support from a high-level executive.

You are an Evangelist(144) or a Dedicated Champion(129) trying to introduce a new idea into your organization. You’ve been giving Brown Bags(113) and have won the approval of your Local Sponsor(186).

Support from local management will provide some attention and resources for the new idea, but you need high-level support to have a more lasting impact.

Enthusiasm at the local level can only go so far. Big-ticket items—training, books, conferences, and visiting gurus, such as a Big Jolt(107) speaker or Mentor(192)—are needed if interest in the new idea is to grow. But resources can be limited because each level of management has authority to spend only in a certain area. A high-level supporter who believes in the importance of the innovation and will lend appropriate coaching and direction can make many inroads easier. In addition to resources, he can provide the collaboration and encouragement to align the new idea to the broader goals of the organization. This is vital to a successful change effort. It is this alignment that will make the initiatives last beyond any changes in local management.

The higher you go in your organization to reach and convince others, the more secure your effort will be. An analysis of the best technology-transfer practices of a broad cross section of government agencies, research institutions, and national and industrial laboratories identified the importance of angels, high-level executives who protect start-up projects until they mature.

Therefore:

Enlist the support of a high-level executive who has a special interest in the new idea and will provide direction and the resources to support it.

Talk to high-level executives about the new idea as early as possible. Explain how the innovation is Tailor Made(234) to match the needs of the organization. If the Corporate Angel (or his staff) is hesitant and wants more information, you might suggest that he call for a Guru Review(161).

Look for high-level supporters who are respected across their organization; otherwise their involvement could hurt your cause. The wrong kind of executive support can give the impression that the new idea is being “railroaded” through the organization. Be wary of those who embrace the new idea simply because of personal interest—the initiative may not survive if the executive moves to a different role or organization.

Make sure that the upper-level position is not brought in to dictate behavior. The role of Corporate Angel is similar to Peter Senge’s “Executive Leader” —a protector, mentor, and thinking partner. This is not an authoritarian role. David Baum suggests that a simple statement from a leader such as “We’re all going through an amazing amount of change,” can create a sense that everyone in the organization is facing the struggles together. This alone can help.

Keep the Corporate Angel interested. Stay in Touch(221) and offer the chance for a Royal Audience(210) when an appropriate Big Jolt(107) visitor is planned.

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This pattern establishes high-level executive support for the innovation in the organization. The process of introducing the innovation becomes easier since lower-level managers and others in the organization are usually open to directives from the top. The Corporate Angel can also ensure that your interests and the plans of the Local Sponsor(186) are aligned with that of the organization to avoid competition and limit any confusion.

The risk is that high-level support can give the impression that the innovation is being imposed or is simply just the “buzzword of the week.” If you suspect this could happen, it may be better to concentrate on growing more grassroots interest first.

The team that worked over a three-year period to earn Division I NCAA Certification for their university’s Athletic Program found that the support of the Chancellor was vital. Although he was not involved in doing the large amount of paperwork, his occasional attendance at the team meetings was uplifting because it showed the hard-working members that he was willing to listen and participate in some of the discussions. He frequently mentioned the ongoing effort during campus meetings to the faculty that was not historically supportive of athletics. At the conclusion of the effort, when the Athletic Program received recertification and an outstanding report, the Chancellor continued marketing athletics on the campus by making the announcement and pointing out that the institution should be proud that they fared better than most institutions.

Every time Helen brought a new proposal before her organization’s decision makers, she faced a long discussion and a low probability that her proposal would pass on the first attempt. However, it was a different story when the vice president attended one meeting and took a few minutes to thank Helen for her hard work in making some needed changes in the organization. Her two proposals passed that day in a record amount of time.