Innovation department: "Give us guardrails for innovation work". Top management: "This is an innovation topic therefore it's your job to come up with guard rails."

The responsibility deadlock is a misinterpretation of roles.

Is innovation management responsible to set guardrails for innovation work, which will shape the company`s future? Clear answer: no. But, the innovation management is responsible to show how important guardrails are for the future of the company. And the innovation management is responsible to enable the top management to define guardrails which are suitable for innovation work.

Possible Root Causes

- Not having defined roles and duties yet sufficiently precise in the interface between Top Mgmt and Innovation Mgmt.

- Being insecure about how to fulfill own role.

- Not accepting Innovation Mgmt as discussion partner for such