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  • Writer's pictureAudrey P. Willis
    • Jan 30, 2019
    • 3 min read

Starting Innovation

Updated: Jul 30, 2019

When people ask me how I feel about being the first Innovation Manager in a newly created position, I often give the comparison of feeling like a mosquito in a nudist colony. I think it’s a little more realistic that saying “Kid in a candy store”, candy is such a needless motivation to do anything but blood is vital to the livelihood of a mosquito. To me and all the constituents served, Innovation is vital.


So here I am, at square one, looking and searching for the “How to Get Started in Government Innovation Manual”. I have been on several innovation projects but getting a county that has over a million people jump started, is a task to say the least.


What is on Fire?

The first month, I got invited to several meetings and needless to say I was a bit overwhelmed with all of the spots for innovation the county needed. I started this list that soon turned into a white board that rivaled the chalkboard in “Hidden Figures”. Arrows and lines connecting and sometimes disconnecting agencies within the county. I was cornered on LikenedIn and elevators by people that didn't understand the spectrum of innovation and were pitching things that were just outside of the agenda of what was important to the administration. I had to learn to extinguish those people and fires fast.


What I began to do was to take that whiteboard with it's lines and arrows and help people determine what was really a problem that deserved a service ticket versus a project that required innovative thought. Advising and being a point of connection was a skill quickly learned because a lot of people just didn't know who to speak to about their IT issues.

Dust off the Business Model Canvas

I got this from my start up days through StartCo. and it has not failed me yet. Here's a link to a helpful YouTube video that explains the canvas (Business Model Canvas). The largest hurdle is actually defining the problem before you attack.


C.R.E.A.M. (This is the part about money)

Before you question it, no I didn't have a budget so the exercise immediately became more about doing more with less. Quickly read up on securing non-traditional funding sources because funding is a communicator of support. Keep in mind this is also government so transparency about funding sources is also important. Check with local foundations or other private funds in your area because utilizing social impact bonds forces buy in from private industry to be held accountable for the community where they are located. The best(and worst) part about Social Impact Bonds is that there's risk avoidance. Private industry caries the financial weight on innovation and you just have to produce.


Easy Wins

Don't be a one hit wonder but find something easy and quick to do so that you can gain the confidence of those learning what innovation is and what the process looks like. My first innovative win was literally setting up online payments for an agency that only accepted checks for years. This innovation required no law change, no funding, it was simply an introduction and just like that we now have online payments and no one has to man checks.


Partnerships and Networks

Everyone wants change and innovation so pick your partnerships wisely. One of the first partnerships that I built was with Slingshot Memphis through the Civic Innovation Challenge sponsored by Metro Labs Network. They were offering funding for government and non profit organizations to pitch ideas to drive innovation. Although we did not get our idea accepted the partnership has lead to many other relationships and interactions that other wise would not have existed.


Every start will be different, you just have to set a plan and know where you are going before you start. I promise it will save you months of grief.



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