Innovation, exnovation and intelligent failure

IMPACT

Innovation remains a crucial focus for practising managers in both the public and private sectors, yet the practice of innovation often misunderstood if not ignored. This article highlights an under-explored aspect of innovation—failure—and discusses how the conscious application of an intelligent failure approach can support more effective innovation. It discusses a particular form of innovation practice—exnovation—which involves the conscious pruning and cessation of innovation initiatives. By having a clearer understanding of the vital role of intelligent failure and exnovation in the innovation process, managers can better support the growth of innovation cultures and practices within their organizations.

ABSTRACT

Innovation and failure in public services deserve more attention in the literature because failure is often closely linked to innovation due to multiple stakeholders, risk and uncertain outcomes. Some failures can be very valuable—they are intelligent failures and they create opportunities for deep learning and improvement if skilfully handled. Some innovations may not be fit for purpose after some time, constituting a type of failure, and may need to be removed through exnovation. This article argues that intelligent failure and exnovation are two concepts which enrich the analysis and practice of public innovation failures and are essential to understanding innovation more generally.

KEYWORDS:

• Exnovation
• innovation
• innovation process
• intelligent failure
• public innovation
• public service
• risk

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).