Encourage Innovation - Grow The Company
Valerie has her hands full. Her little company has been growing so quickly that it's hard to keep up. There are a lot of new employees who need to be trained in how the company does things. Without this training, her company would lose some of its product quality. Fortunately, Anna showed a real gift for explaining things and she handles most of the training these days.
Valerie remembers the “old days" when it was just a handful of them. They would sit around an old picnic table out in the shop and have lunch together and talk about kids, movies - and the business. Lots of happy chatter and some crazy ideas came out of those lunches. Everyone seemed to enjoy it except Devon, the new guy. He was always the last one to show up and the first to leave. He would talk occasionally, but not often.
Valerie smiles now when she thinks about how he has developed. Devon wasn't much of a "big thinker" like the rest of them, but when they came up with an idea, Devon was the one who could take it from a rough sketch to a finished product.
Valerie's day is frequently interrupted by phone calls from her team. This morning Eva called to let her know that the new packaging technique had failed - for the fourth time. Valerie suggested she talk with Alicia who had seen a similar problem yesterday in her efforts to streamline the IT operations. There was also the call from the head of sales who wanted Valerie to address the meeting they were having next month for several clients to discuss the industry and what its future needs. And her Operations Manager wants to talk about the SWOT analysis they are doing in his department next week.
The R&D group posted a note on the company intranet asking for volunteers to test a new product prototype. The company softball team posted this season's schedule on the intranet as well. HR is recruiting volunteers to tutor students at the nearby elementary school in reading.
It's easy to see why Carol's company is in trouble. There is no innovation because Carol unintentionally stifles it. She is so focused on doing things right that she does not give people the freedom to make mistakes by trying new things. Although she tries to think of new things herself, she has limited ability in that area and she doesn't let anyone else try. She micro-manages her employees and treats them like children. Pretty soon, they stop trying to improve things, or they just leave.
Valerie's company is doing great. Why? She has created a company culture that encourages innovation.
Your company (or department, group, or team) has a lot of smart people. Encourage them to be imaginative, give them permission to make mistakes, and give them time to just sit and think. Build a culture that is "flat" and works across organizational lines easily. Build the individuals into a team that enjoys being together at work. Do these things and you will get the innovation you need to succeed.
