Management wants an innovative culture, but are they directing in a way that allows one to flourish?
You have a role and set of responsibilities you were hired to achieve. This is how things have always worked, but it’s not good enough to just “go through the motions” anymore. An innovative culture does more than just make sales, put widgets together, and keep the lights on. You should always have a “secondary” set of goals or objectives that you, your team, and company are looking to achieve. It’s up to management to set those goals.
A truly innovative culture never stops trying to come up with new ideas and improve strategic planning and innovation. Good is never good enough. This sense of urgency might seem unnecessary or a burden (business is hard enough as it is!) but “comfort” and a lack of new ideas is the death-knell for even the most established industries and organizations. Management must make it possible for you to help the company improve.
Whether through memos, meetings, or emails, management needs to set weekly, monthly, or quarterly challenges and provide actionable knowledge and goals for you. High-level or targeted for specific departments, internal or external, cost-saving or revenue-boosting – ideas need to be flowing. With a rolling series of challenges, you’re constantly engaged with operations outside of their core responsibilities. Your mind is fresher, and you’re empowered to look outside your workstation to find high-level solutions for the organization.
It’s not always comfortable for management to share the problems or opportunities the company is facing, but transparency and communication are essential for a healthy, production, and innovative culture. Deeper insights are valuable for every of one of those problems or opportunities, and those come from employees. Your interests, experiences, and knowledge could spark the next big idea that moves the company forward. You just need to be challenged.
Think your ideas should be making a difference at your company?
Does YOUR industry or company need better idea management?
Let’s talk!