There are certain environments where innovation flourishes and others where it is stifled. What kind of environment are you influencing?
Leaders have the most impact on whether the work environment is innovation friendly or not. If you haven't held a job where your boss was always looking for great ideas to steal (for their own promotion) then you are lucky. But, unfortunately those kind of people are out there and they stifle more innovation and creativity than just about anything else. Leaders don't need to give all the credit to their people, but they need to give most of it and take very little in order to create an environment of trust and respect so people feel safe to create. This will go a long way toward creating an environment where innovation flourishes.
Unfortunately, that isn't all there is to do to create an innovation environment. Not everyone just automatically gets creative in an environment of trust and respect. Leaders need to set expectations for innovation. The culture leaders create could just be emphasizing production and not innovation. Without specific emphasis and measurements for innovation it can only be a random act rather than a dependable source of new product and process improvement ideas. Now clearly innovation is not everyones forte but truly everyone has a slice of innovative genius that needs help.
Here are some ideas to create an innovation emphasis:
1. Pick an area of interest in your company that needs fresh ideas and have a contest.
2. Give training on creative problem solving, process improvement systems and/or brain storming. (An investment in training sends a powerful message about expectations).
3. Have a specific time in every meeting set aside for innovation talk.
4. Have an easter egg style innovation hunt where members or employees hunt for innovative ideas outside your business or industry that might be brought back and applied within.
Now go make innovation flourish!
Leaders have the most impact on whether the work environment is innovation friendly or not. If you haven't held a job where your boss was always looking for great ideas to steal (for their own promotion) then you are lucky. But, unfortunately those kind of people are out there and they stifle more innovation and creativity than just about anything else. Leaders don't need to give all the credit to their people, but they need to give most of it and take very little in order to create an environment of trust and respect so people feel safe to create. This will go a long way toward creating an environment where innovation flourishes.
Unfortunately, that isn't all there is to do to create an innovation environment. Not everyone just automatically gets creative in an environment of trust and respect. Leaders need to set expectations for innovation. The culture leaders create could just be emphasizing production and not innovation. Without specific emphasis and measurements for innovation it can only be a random act rather than a dependable source of new product and process improvement ideas. Now clearly innovation is not everyones forte but truly everyone has a slice of innovative genius that needs help.
Here are some ideas to create an innovation emphasis:
1. Pick an area of interest in your company that needs fresh ideas and have a contest.
2. Give training on creative problem solving, process improvement systems and/or brain storming. (An investment in training sends a powerful message about expectations).
3. Have a specific time in every meeting set aside for innovation talk.
4. Have an easter egg style innovation hunt where members or employees hunt for innovative ideas outside your business or industry that might be brought back and applied within.
Now go make innovation flourish!
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