February 2008

Innovation
It's a cultural thing

Timothy F. Bednarz, Ph.D.

Companies that want to stay ahead of the competition are looking to incorporate innovation principles and practices into their training efforts. They understand and embrace the reality that, in this age of hyper-competition, they have no choice but to bow to the forces of change or become irrelevant. Turmoil and uncertainty rule the day at ever-accelerating rates and it’s causing fits for many managers, who can’t handle the pace of change.

Innovation stimulates progress and continuous improvement, the best ways to adapt to the harsh realities of a changing, highly competitive environment. However, in order for innovation to truly take hold and become a driving force within a company it must be embedded into its culture.

The reasons behind this are simple. Managers and corporate procedures can easily stifle innovation at all levels. If an open and candid environment is not available, the internal innovator will find his or her ideas not accepted or considered. Does this mean that innovation is not possible or even achievable? No it doesn’t, but the pathways and barriers to innovation must be addressed with training, so that learners understand how their ideas can flow through the organization.

In many cases, the corporate culture does not foster open communication. Information is filtered, and managers only hear what they want to hear. Without open communication, innovation is hindered by personal agendas and turf wars. The culture also defines the collaborative nature of innovation that allows employees to work together, share ideas across the company, and cooperate with individuals in other departments. If these mechanisms and champions of innovation are not in place innovation is stifled.

The other consideration is the type of innovation a company desires. By its definition, innovation has a variety of interpretations and can mean different things to different people. To marketing, it can mean new marketing ideas; to product development it can mean new product ideas; to manufacturing it can mean new processes and methods to increase productivity and performance. When designing a broad innovation program, all of these various viewpoints must be considered. The company’s ideology, as well as its values and purpose, focuses where innovation should occur and maximizes the appropriate use of corporate resources.

How innovation is recognized and rewarded must also be incorporated into your program. Recognition need not be expensive, or fancy, but in order for it to be effective it must be frequent and tangible. Frequent recognition motivates a broader base of employee participation and encourages them to get and stay involved. It also reinforces the concept that a culture of innovation does exist and is appreciated. Surveys show that most employees want to be part of something bigger than themselves. When they see their contributions are appreciated, they understand and assume ownership of their role in the innovation process.

An important part of the innovation process is asking the right questions. These questions must be targeted, pointed and focused at the specific areas where innovation should occur. Without the appropriate focus, the answers to these questions are meaningless. With the right focus, the answers can spark waves of innovation.

Before you consider developing or employing an innovation program, you must consider how deeply your culture is embedded within it and whether all of the pathways and barriers to innovation are clearly identified. Additionally, you must determine if what is being taught conflicts with your organization’s practices and procedures. The more closely the training is aligned with your culture and practices, the better the outcomes.

Innovation can be exciting for participants and stimulate many new ideas, but you must ensure you have the proper mechanisms in place to capture and capitalize them. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that a generic program will produce desired results. You may discover that they will stifle and demotivate employees, producing the opposite results and sending the wrong message that will be extremely difficult to overcome in the future.