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Fostering A Culture Of
Innovation
Innovation Pays
The National Rural Award for Innovation was given for a
project, which slashed telecommunications costs for businesses and local council in
Coorong, VIC by 50%. What brings about that kind of innovation? How can those drivers be
replicated? It made us consider what kind of culture would foster an innovative
environment...
Our experience is that a crisis or a substantial change in
environment is needed to bring about an innovative culture.
For an idea to be innovative, it needs to be creative and
implemented. So, how do you foster a Culture of Innovation? The following
is a well-tried formula:
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Listen to customers and staff for ideas; watch
you competitors. Identify the business reasons to generate a culture of innovation and
develop an ROI model around your investment. (Toyota) |
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Allow for and expect mistakes. Edison said it
took him 6000 steps to invent the light bulb. He did not see each experiment as a mistake
but necessary steps to a bright idea. (Microsoft) |
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Make innovation an inclusive, questioning and
dynamic process, where everyone is invited to contribute ideas. At 3M, employees spend 15%
of their time thinking about and developing new products. |
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Use tested methods for generating ideas –
using different "thinking hats", tower of ideas, reversal, & provocation, to
name a few. Brainstorming is not the only path to enlightenment. (BOC Gases) |
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Develop a process of generating, evaluating
and commercialising ideas suited to your culture. Knowledge management is a crucial
component to capturing and developing ideas. (3M) |
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Implement measures around ideas generation,
commercialisation and on capturing costs and benefits. A key measure at 3M is % of revenue
from products and services that are less than 24 months old. |
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You lead the development of ideas. Unless the
senior leadership is walking the talk, innovation will be just the next fad. (Microsoft) |
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Good ideas need to be rewarded to keep them
coming. Part of the innovative process is a system that rewards ideas and provides a real
stake in their success, eg. a share in the profits generated from the idea. (Mobil Oil) |
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Praise and promote innovations and innovators.
Nothing sends a more powerful signal that you are serious. (Apple Computers) |
What is your company culture like? If you are interested,
click on this link to take EMD's
innovation test, which will help diagnose your Culture of Innovation.
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine
percent perspiration" (Edison).
What Next?
If you are interested in more information please give us a
call on +61 2 8399 0011 and ask to speak to one of our consultants.
Alternatively e-mail us at info@emdgroup.com.au or use the form on
our Contact Us page. |
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