The reason innovation fails is not because of technology. Innovations fail because of people. The people who might employ a new technology may not be sold on it, they might be afraid of it, or they might feel threatened by it. Welcome to the dark side of innovation.

However, the biggest threat to a new innovation your company is trying to develop will be your own people. This threat comes in one of several forms, and sometimes in all of them. First, your people may want to cling to the tried and true. After all, tried and true ideas and products give people comfort. Or they may not want to cannibalize an existing product with a newer technology. Often, your people will feel threatened by a new innovation because they think it will make their skills, and therefore their jobs, outdated.

When you are introducing innovation into your company, you have to neutralize these threats. Here are seven ways to introduce innovation into your company: