Who Knew That Eurovision & Måneskin Could Teach Us Something About Innovation Management

Innovation is often described as the lifeline of business growth—its capacity to fuel new ideas and transform them into valuable products or solutions can make or break an organization’s future. Indeed, one McKinsey survey found that while 86% of global executives say innovation is key to growth strategy, fewer than 10% are actually satisfied with their organization’s innovation performance, underscoring a persistent innovation gap. (Source: McKinsey & Company, Innovation—the launchpad out of the crisis). Yet for all its importance, many organizations grapple with where and how to start. They attempt to nurture an internal culture that continuously generates innovative ideas, only to see these ideas stall once it’s time to develop and scale. This is where the innovation challenge can serve as a powerful mechanism to spark engagement. Specifically, I have seen that micro-innovation challenges—focused, quick competitions to solve well-defined problems—can be an effective first step for building an innovation-ready culture.

A Note on Jury-Led Innovation Challenges

In most challenge designs, you’ll find a conventional approach: a jury of established thought leaders, either internal or external, evaluates submissions and decides on a winner. This is certainly a proven model, and numerous organizations have adopted it to:

• Generate creative solutions.
• Source external technologies for integration.
• Solve strategic business problems that require fresh ideas.

However, there is a notable risk: sometimes, winning ideas don’t achieve widespread acceptance within the organization. They become “ideas or even IPs on the shelf,” never fully embraced or implemented, which causes disappointment for both participants and sponsors of the innovation challenge. Henry Chesbrough, the pioneer of Open Innovation, goes into detail about such missed opportunities and how to overcome them in his book Open Innovation Results (See: Open Innovation Results by Henry Chesbrough (Oxford University Press, 2019)). There a myriad of reasons for this type of outcomes, but most common ones include:

1. Lack of Employees’ Awareness to fully understand the purpose, scope, or benefits of the chosen idea or technology.
2. Departmental Resistance to alter their processes or adopt unfamiliar solutions.
3. Change Aversion as people resist change when it interrupts the status quo, introduces learning curves, or creates uncertainty.

When you plan to bring in a new solution that your employees will ultimately need to use, you may want to  consider distributing some of the decision-making to those very employees. By giving them a voice in the selection process, you engage them in a process of becoming acquainted with the competing solutions, understanding and reviewing their value creation. This process of open participation and decision making will very likely minimize friction and build collective ownership, thus improving the chances of a successful implementation.

Eurovision-Style Voting: A Potential Remedy

What if your organization gave all employees a voice in choosing the winning idea or solution? In other words, what if you applied an Eurovision-style voting system? Here’s a suggested format:

1. Initial Selection: A team of designated reviewers (“the volunteer jury”) screens all the submissions, narrowing them down to a top 10 (or any manageable shortlist).
2. Professional Evaluation: These top 10 finalists create short video pitches or demos. A panel of experienced judges (subject-matter experts, thought leaders, or external professionals) then rigorously scores each solution according to a predefined rubric.
3. Company-wide Vote: Meanwhile, open an organization-wide vote, allowing all employees to rate the finalists on an internal platform.
4. Combine Scores: By merging the professional panel’s evaluations with the popular vote, the winner emerges through a balanced process. It ensures that recognized experts can weigh in on feasibility and viability, while the broader employee base can express collective buy-in (desirability).

This Eurovision-style system can foster immediate ownership among the people who will use the new solution. They not only become aware of the winning technology but also feel invested in its success. Such employee empowerment has been linked to higher job satisfaction and innovation adoption rates (Source: Harvard Business Review – Strategies To Empower Employees To Make Decisions).

The Real-Life Inspiration: Eurovision Song Contest

If you’ve ever lived in Europe—or anywhere in the broader European continent—you’re likely familiar with the Eurovision Song Contest. Organized annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), countries submit a song representing their cultural values. It’s one of the most-watched non-sporting events worldwide, drawing about 180–200 million viewers each year (Source: Eurovision Official Website).

Historically, it was only juries—composed of music professionals—who determined the winner. However, in the early 2000s, the rules were changed to introduce public televoting (with some minor country-based restrictions), creating a hybrid jury-and-public vote. Often, the people’s vote leads to a surprising outcome, different from the jury’s choice, underscoring the idea that the voice of the broader public can produce a winner more resonant with mass audiences—much like employees in a company. During the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest:

• The 267 votes of the professional jury propelled Gjon’s Tears (from Switzerland) to the top. Even though the public awarded him with an additional 165, they were not enough to keep him in the leaderboard.
• But 318 votes of the public vote dramatically shifted the final outcome, boosting the Italian rock band Måneskin and their song “Zitti e buoni” to first place with a  total of 524.

Far from fading into obscurity, Måneskin gained global recognition, appearing on major charts and embarking on international tours. Their singles, such as “Zitti e buoni” and “Beggin’,” climbed charts around the world. In 2021, Måneskin became the first Italian rock band to reach the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart (Source: Wikipedia). Their success demonstrates how a public-vote element can elevate a contender that connects most with the majority—whether that “majority” is a Eurovision audience or, in an organizational context, your employees.

The Takeaway for Innovation Managers

When hosting innovation challenges and aiming for strong post-challenge adoption:

• Combine Expert Review and Employee Voice: As Eurovision demonstrates, even if experts love one idea, the broader audience (in this case, employees) might favor another. Merging these perspectives can surface ideas that enjoy widespread support.
• Boost Engagement and Inclusivity: An organization-wide voting process engages more people and can cultivate a sense of anticipation (“Which idea will win?”), bolstering awareness and interest in the innovation challenge.
• Build Implementation Momentum Early: By involving employees in the selection of new solutions, organizations effectively address change management concerns at the outset. People are more likely to adopt and champion solutions they helped pick.
• Enhance Organizational Learning Culture: Such an approach not only fosters innovation but also encourages on-the-job learning, as employees gain exposure to new ideas, technologies, and processes. They learn collaboratively, which aligns well with best practices in adult learning—particularly the emphasis on experiential and social learning in professional contexts.

Final Thoughts

This article was originally posted on LinkedIn.