Hugh Molotsi

The following article was published on LinkedIn . Every company cares about innovation.  Innovation drives growth and keeps companies relevant in a rapidly changing world.  Companies want to do the disrupting instead of being disrupted.  They want to attract the best employees and cultivate a culture that keeps them engaged and highly productive. That is why many companies have launched grassroots innovation programs that tap into their employees’ passion to drive growth.  These programs come in many shapes and sizes.  Some provide training to help employees become more innovative.  Others feature regular hackathons with prizes and the possibility for employees ideas become formal projects.  Some set aside time for every employee to work on their own ideas. But are these programs really effective or are they, what Steve Blank has coined, innovation theater ?  Certainly, many of these grassroots innovation programs have been successful....