Comments on: Doers and communicators first, CIPOs after that http://www.thinkipstrategy.com/ipthinktank/625/doers-and-communicators-first-cipos-after-that/ Trusted advisors to the world's most innovative companies Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:10:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jackie Hutter http://www.thinkipstrategy.com/ipthinktank/625/doers-and-communicators-first-cipos-after-that/comment-page-1/#comment-1452 Jackie Hutter Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:24 +0000 http://localhost:100/thinkipstrategy/?p=625#comment-1452 <p>Bravo, Duncan!  Watching the conversation about CIPOs that occurred at the IPBC (and having participated in many such discussions in the past), I agree it would be great for high-level business folks to realize that CIPOs would create great value in many organizations.  However, I see companies with CIPO's are "best in class."  In contrast, most companies "don't even show up for class."  It is certainly valuable for us "IP Evangelists" to discuss the need for CIPOs with those companies that may already have someone in that function or that are looking to do so in the future.  But, these are the equivalent of "A students."  It is much easier to teach "A students" because they "get it."  To mix a metaphor, if we merely "preach to the choir" our conversion rate will remain very low.</p> <p>What we need to do is get those "failing students" (that is, those companies that "don't show up to class" in my parlance) to recognize the value of IP strategy to their organzation.  As any teacher will tell you, this is a much more difficult job.  In order to convince them to change, we must work harder and longer and accept little wins that can effectively serve as proof of concept for them.  Success in this regard may not look like much from the outside (and may not be very exciting for those involved in the trenches), but this is what is necessary for those companies that have ingrained tradtional views of IP.  </p> Bravo, Duncan!  Watching the conversation about CIPOs that occurred at the IPBC (and having participated in many such discussions in the past), I agree it would be great for high-level business folks to realize that CIPOs would create great value in many organizations.  However, I see companies with CIPO’s are “best in class.”  In contrast, most companies “don’t even show up for class.”  It is certainly valuable for us “IP Evangelists” to discuss the need for CIPOs with those companies that may already have someone in that function or that are looking to do so in the future.  But, these are the equivalent of “A students.”  It is much easier to teach “A students” because they “get it.”  To mix a metaphor, if we merely “preach to the choir” our conversion rate will remain very low.

What we need to do is get those “failing students” (that is, those companies that “don’t show up to class” in my parlance) to recognize the value of IP strategy to their organzation.  As any teacher will tell you, this is a much more difficult job.  In order to convince them to change, we must work harder and longer and accept little wins that can effectively serve as proof of concept for them.  Success in this regard may not look like much from the outside (and may not be very exciting for those involved in the trenches), but this is what is necessary for those companies that have ingrained tradtional views of IP.  

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