If you work in an innovation team or you do some kind of research and development, chances to have direct contact with Senior Managers is quite high.

There is something you can easily fall in temptation with. After some time you will know pretty much everything of your Senior Managers. What they like and what they dislike, their passions, their approach to their job and so on.

You can leverage this knowledge in the good way or in the bad way when talking with them about innovation.

You can be the good guy and tell them what your ideas are, giving a clear explanation of what the timescale, opportunities and issues are.

You may also decide to be the bad guy.

Just impress them with a new idea, make a brilliant presentation and get pats on the shoulder for the great job you have done. Unfortunately you know that you omitted to say something, and that little something will not make your idea become a true reality.

The main point here is that you were aware of the limitations and problems before meeting your senior management. You decided to go ahead anyway. The main objective was the song and dances show you made for Senior Management and not, as it should be, the real quest for innovation.

I think that this kind of approach is the worst you may find in a company, not only in innovation.

Why do I blog this? Everybody has to deal with politics in his company at some point in time. Politics in innovation is risky. It may pay for you, it will not pay for the company in the long run.