5 Tough Realities of Building a Culture of Innovation
The most innovative companies don't simply generate a steady stream of good ideas: they benefit from a "culture of innovation" that solicits, captures, prioritizes and executes new approaches to virtually every facet of operations, from product creation to process improvements.
1. Efficiency can kill innovation.
Innovation management turns efficiency on its head, measuring success not only by results, but by input as well — even if much of that input is abandoned or leads to outright failure.
2. Expect failure – lots of it.
Innovative companies must accept that most ideas — even those that are pursued to the fullest — will not pan out. But those that succeed will more than compensate for the failures.
3. Discipline breeds success.
A creative, innovative culture does not equal anarchy. The more disciplined your innovation-management processes become, the greater the likelihood you’ll have results to show for your efforts.
4. Innovation is strategic.
Focus your innovation efforts around strategic goals and pursue innovation consistently and methodically rather than in response to some pressing need.
5. Innovation is about leadership as much as it is about ideas or processes.
Truly innovative organizations are open, collaborative and iconoclastic – characteristics that can’t be achieved overnight.
Becoming such an organization often requires deep cultural shifts in training, hiring, team dynamics, risk tolerance and – most important of all – senior leadership commitment.
[via Business Insider]