Welcome to the latest edition of Innovation Insider! In this series, I unlock knowledge to uplift innovation capabilities within complex organisations. This time, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jodie Granger, founder and CEO of Healthcare Innovated. Jodie is an accomplished executive with a wealth of experience in healthcare, digital health, and organisational design. Throughout her career, she has led major initiatives across Australia and New Zealand’s healthcare systems.
We first connected through the innovation community earlier this year, and I quickly realised we shared a passion for healthcare innovation. Recently, we collaborated on an educational piece, and I knew she’d be the perfect guest for this series.
The ABCs of Innovation Success
During our conversation, Jodie shared her key principles for driving successful corporate innovation. She calls them the “ABC” of innovation, and they are as simple as they are powerful:
- A is for Align
Innovation requires alignment from the very top of an organisation. According to Jodie, alignment starts at the board level and runs through the executive team. While teams don’t need to agree on every detail, there must be consensus on the organisation’s overall approach to innovation, including how it fits within the broader strategy, the changes required, and funding commitments. Misalignment at the top often results in chaos further down the line. - B is for Build
The next step is to build momentum by starting small. Jodie stresses the importance of identifying a key pain point within the organisation and addressing it through a manageable, credible “lighthouse” project. This approach allows the team to prototype a solution, learn from the experience, and build essential skills while gaining buy-in from others. Small wins create a ripple effect, drawing more people into the innovation process. - C is for Commit
Commitment is critical. Jodie likens innovation to crossing a bridge—many teams start the journey but retreat when the going gets tough. Successful innovation requires persistence, even when the path forward is uncertain. Additionally, it’s important to track progress by measuring participation and other key indicators rather than just waiting for financial returns. By staying committed and willing to pivot as needed, organisations can optimise their chances of success.
The Pitfalls of Poor Innovation Execution
Jodie highlighted several challenges that derail corporate innovation. One of the most common issues is a tendency to focus too heavily on the mechanics of project management, such as scoping and Gantt charts, instead of embracing the uncertainty that comes with innovation. She emphasised the need to adopt human-centred design principles—discovery, definition, development, and delivery—to ensure that innovations solve the right problems.
She also shared a cautionary tale of a healthcare system that spent $14 million on a project over two years, only for it to fail because it didn’t match the technological solution to the real needs of the business. The lesson? Start small, measure often, and ensure the technology serves the strategy, not the other way around.
Is Your Business Ready for Innovation?
One of the most thought-provoking parts of our discussion was Jodie’s view that innovation readiness isn’t just about market signals—it’s about whether the business itself is prepared. She has encountered situations where the research was solid, and the idea had potential, but the organisation wasn’t ready to commit the necessary resources or time. In those cases, the right decision was to pause and wait until the business was truly ready to innovate.
A Dedicated Team: The Key to Innovation Execution
Jodie holds a slightly unpopular belief: successful innovation requires a dedicated team. She acknowledges the temptation to lean on existing staff, but insists that innovation needs a distinct skill set and focus. By partnering with the business but also allowing a dedicated team to execute, organisations can avoid the common pitfall of trying to innovate using business-as-usual teams, which often lack the capacity or mindset required.
In Jodie’s words, innovation is like climbing a mountain. The hardest part isn’t reaching the summit; it’s making your way back down—that is, executing and scaling the innovation. This requires a dedicated team with the right skills, working in close partnership with the broader business.
Healthcare Innovated: Making Change Happen
Jodie’s passion for healthcare innovation runs deep, and it’s what led her to start Healthcare Innovated, a consultancy that helps healthcare leaders scale their innovation efforts. She has worked with major organisations like Medibank, Calvary, and HCF, as well as smaller providers, to implement solutions in digital health, aged care, and hospital substitution. Her approach is rooted in reducing failure rates by addressing process inefficiencies and building the internal muscle needed for successful innovation.
If you’re a healthcare leader looking to innovate, you can reach Jodie via LinkedIn or through her website.
Final Thoughts
Jodie’s ABC framework is a practical and insightful guide for leaders aiming to innovate more effectively. By aligning leadership, building small wins, and staying committed through uncertainty, businesses can transform ideas into outcomes more efficiently and affordably than ever before. I, for one, will be keeping her ABC approach front of mind!
Are there any “ABCs” you would add to Jodie’s framework? Share your thoughts in the comments below!