The Gauntlet
Shaping your culture to nurture innovation begins by encouraging your people to challenge the status quo, asking what is possible. And doing so in a manner that preserves respect for the certainty, efficiency, and reduced risk that precedent has delivered.
Since developing a novel technology or product is typically too lofty a goal and too risky a proposition for most businesses, it’s a more realistic expectation to motivate the exploration of what can be done better. The blending of ideas that emerge from different viewpoints will identify opportunities for improvement that generate additional benefits. This strategy will render more consistent, productive innovations that create value, strengthen your competitive advantage, and develop your people.
A sustainable innovation culture reflects these characteristics:
Collaboration vs. competition…
Curiosity vs. compliance…
Agility vs. replication…
Inquiry vs. mandate…
Empathy vs. indifference…
Resilience vs. pessimism.
How many of these innovation attributes are exhibited by your company’s culture?
