The defining feature of an innovation culture is the belief that innovation is every employee’s job, not the domain of a few PhDs or top executives. That belief has to manifest in the way the business operates day-to-day, too. Leadership have to give people the autonomy to create something new. Failure-while-innovating can’t be a punishable offense – in fact, it should be celebrated.
Finally, a culture of innovation reflects a certain restlessness. A hunger. A disdain for the status quo. An understanding that, in order to stay relevant, your company culture needs to mimic the 21st-century culture of rapid change and high expectations. If you wait to start innovating until your momentum peaks and levels off, you’re already too late.
INNOVATE EVERY DAY, AND BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK
We can’t innovate every day without teammates who live and breathe true team values every day. (Note that this is not the same as people who share your interests or are “like you.” Emphasizing shared interests just leads to homogeneous teams.)
Start with the people already on your team or in your department. Lead them through an exercise around discovering or codifying what your collective values are. Ask yourselves where curiosity, innovation, change, and risk tolerance sit in your world.
Ideas that come out of this type of innovation are likely incremental improvements, and that’s ok. Each small change will build momentum around innovation, helping your team and your business stay relevant and competitive.
You don't need to be in technology to innovate. Innovation is done across everything.
INNOVATE IN TEAMS, AND OWN YOUR ENVIRONMENT
There’s no silver bullet. Structured innovation works differently in every company depending on your industry, history, local traditions and rituals, and your work environment. That’s why having a strong set of values is so important for innovation: they are the common foundation tying the culture together.
Based on a culture post.
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