What Customers Want (PB): Using Outcome-Driven Innovation to Create Breakthrough Products and Services

by Anthony W. Ulwick

We would argue that acting on the data is the only logical option, but we have on rare occasion worked with managers that have spent the company's time and money gathering outcome-driven information only to refute and ignore the data in the end. Why? Based on our subsequent undercover work in this area, we have found that managers choose to invalidate data when: They do not get the "right" answer back. We find that managers will sometimes commission research to help them validate an idea they have been backing and want to pursue. If the research fails to validate their hypothesis, they may decide to refute or ignore the data. They feel the results threaten their jobs. In a couple of situations we have seen mangers refute the results because accepting them would place the managers in a bad light and might result in the loss of their jobs. This is most likely to happen when the research reveals opportunities in areas that others have suspected all along, but that the managers themselves have failed to identify. They naturally want to protect their reputations, but doing so may be at the company's expense. Addressing the opportunities would require the development of a new competency. We also find that managers will refute the results when accepting them would force the managers to develop new competencies within the organization, and the managers are not interested or are unwilling to take on that added responsibility.