🔄 This article is a repurposed extract from Get S#!t Done—a short book of real-world lessons for leaders lifting innovation capability inside complex organisations.
Innovation has a reputation for being loose, spontaneous and a bit chaotic. But if you ask the people who’ve actually delivered meaningful change, they’ll tell you something different.
They’ll tell you it takes discipline. It takes rhythm. And it takes structure.
Almost every guest in this series shared some version of this truth: without the right scaffolding, innovation gets lost in the chaos of business as usual.
Process Isn’t the Enemy
Ron Arnold was crystal clear. The best innovators are disciplined. They don’t wing it. They build systems that make progress possible inside large, rule-driven organisations.
Ron uses the term innovation scaffolding, a deliberate structure that supports the work of innovation without choking it. It’s not about adding red tape. It’s about protecting the space, speed and decision rights that innovation needs to succeed.
Without that scaffolding, the system wins. The rules designed to protect the business from risk also protect it from change. The default governance processes, approval flows and operating rhythms of most large organisations are built to keep things the same. That’s their job. So if you don’t create a deliberate alternative, your best ideas will grind to a halt.
Fit-for-Purpose Beats Off-the-Shelf
James Orchard and Steve Cratchley both emphasised the need to design systems that match your context. You don’t need a Silicon Valley playbook. You need a structure that works for your size, your industry, your risk appetite and your people.
That might mean:
- Dedicated innovation funding
- Simplified approval processes for low-risk pilots
- Clear accountability and faster decision-making
- Defined engagement models between innovation teams and the core business
Structure doesn’t mean rigidity. It means clarity. It gives people the confidence to act.
Budget is part of the Scaffolding
Ron also made a compelling case for multi-year funding. When budgets are reset annually, innovation is the first to go when pressure hits. By securing three to five years of funding upfront, you send a strong signal to the business: this matters, and we’re in it for the long haul.
This isn’t about blank cheques. It’s about stability. Consistent funding protects innovation from short-term cycles and leadership changes. It gives teams the space to learn, pivot and deliver.
“Multi-year funding sends a clear signal: we’re in this for the long haul.”
Make Decisions Faster
Several guests pointed out how slow decision-making kills innovation. It’s not always intentional. Sometimes it’s just unclear who can say yes. Sometimes it’s layers of approvals that were never designed for fast-moving projects.
Your structure should solve for that. Give innovation teams the authority to make decisions within clear boundaries. Set up lightweight governance. Remove the friction wherever you can.
Innovation isn’t unpredictable because people are disorganised. It’s unpredictable because the future is uncertain. A strong structure won’t remove that uncertainty, but it will help teams move through it with more focus and less friction.
Case Study: Launching GreenPass at Speed
In 2021 when I was at nib health funds, I was tasked with designing a way to engage young Australians without private health cover. Despite the complexity, we launched GreenPass in just five months. Strong governance and structure made this possible. We formed an Advisory Board of key stakeholders, ran structured sprints, and made every decision based on insight. From sprint planning to clear OKRs, every step was deliberate.
This enabled:
- Fast approvals and executive alignment
- A small, empowered team with clear ownership
- Tightly scoped delivery focused on real needs
The results:
- Launched on time
- 15,000+ sign-ups in six months
- New segment activated with real traction
This was structure as a force multiplier, not a bottleneck.
Reflection Prompts
- Does your innovation effort have a clear mandate, process and funding?
- What’s slowing your team down? Where are decisions getting stuck?
- How could you simplify approvals without increasing risk?
- Are you designing structure for safety, or for progress?
🔄 This article is a repurposed extract from Get S#!t Done—a short book of real-world lessons for leaders lifting innovation capability inside complex organisations. Register now for your free copy 👇🏻