Common to Innovative Companies
A conversation among Center for Creative Leadership consultants over coffee one morning
In an innovative company everyone, from janitor to executive, feels his or her role is connected to innovation, research, and discovery.
- There is no specific group whose job it is to be creative.
- There is a strong sense of participation in an innovative culture.
The leader of the company establishes the context and climate of innovation, though that person may not be a scientist, researcher, inventor or Chief Scientist or Technical Officer.
- Leader is a role model for emotional fortitude.
- Open to whatever information needed - whether it is the business or her/his own weakness.
- Deals with conflict and multiple points of view, even those that are opposite from her/his own.
- The climate is one where
- People can disrupt the system with new ideas, insights, and findings
- That initiative is championed and rewarded
Innovative companies are highly experimental in all areas of the company, not just technology. They show the following characteristics:
- Learning organization culture
- Recognition programs
- Valued competencies
- Policies that encourage creativity
- Strategic focus
- Vision, output work culture
- Leadership at all levels
- Various and evolving structure
Constant priorities are:
- Integrating technical, business and competitive intelligence with
- Organization decision-making processes and strategic thinking
- Competitive technical intelligence
- Forecasting information processes
- Competitive intelligence opportunities
- Intelligence about end users
These companies proliferate myths, legends, and stories about quirky things that happened to people in the midst of being adventurous,
- In some cases even breaking the rules at the company in order to be innovative, and
- Having that be accepted by the organization.
- The actual course of detours, halts and fits of pique are excised in the retelling.
Each company has a host of ways of engaging (note: not communicating between):
- Technical and marketing people
- Employees and customers
- Academic researchers and company personnel
- Professional groups and employees
- Suppliers, researchers, information systems
These rich and profuse networks are not highly directed or controlled and membership is constantly evolving. Periodically, open-ended all employee meetings address:
- What kinds of people and critical competencies are needed to enhance current and future innovation?
- What processes are required to support these people?
- What performance cultures are required to enable innovation, research, and discovery?
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