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Promote inquisitiveness and research
e-Commerce platform Amazon takes pride in Personal Experiences
its ability to promote risk taking ability among its My first exposure to support of innovation initiatives
leadership and considers it a critical success was in the 80’s at Crompton Greaves Limited. The
factor. Organizations must encourage an inquisitive company encouraged Small Group Involvement
and tactical mindset among employees and to Activity (SGIA) to foster creativity and innovation
achieve this, employees must be emboldened focused on product design, operational efficiencies,
to assume risks and not worry about failure. With safety, profit improvement and employee
such an organizational attitude, the stress of failure satisfaction. The initiative produced several ideas
is mitigated, and employees are motivated to to improve product designs of motors and ceiling
innovate. fans besides identifying a host of opportunities to
reduce costs and improve operational processes.
Promote workforce diversity While every submission would receive a letter of
Diversity in workforce aids organizations to appreciation signed by the GM of the unit and
become more innovative, buoyant and fruitful. co-signed by the President & MD, the three best
Innovative ideas are seldom produced by a team ones would be chosen before every Dassera and
with members from similar background. Even in the teams will receive cash awards along with a
military warfare, a campaign is planned with troops letter of appreciation signed by the Chairman of the
from diverse battalions to leverage their individual Board.
strengths. Diversity could be around age, gender,
education, ethnic race, culture, or social context. At Aluminum Bahrain, I was member of the Good
Employees of varied backgrounds and experiences Suggestion Committee that was formed to receive
from different job functions must be made to work and review submissions from employee(s) for
together to keep them fully engaged and share achieving the strategic objectives of increased
opinions and ideas to come up with the most production, cost reduction, reduction in safety
innovative propositions. incidents and increased employee satisfaction.
It was here that I first witnessed alignment with
Executive sponsorship company’s mission and diversity in workforce.
Any meaningful innovation will require sponsorship Every suggestion that was accepted would
to achieve success and it always has. The need receive a cash award and a citation signed by
for innovation must be driven top-down and the the CEO. The Good Suggestion Scheme became
organization at all levels must visualize it as top very popular among employees as the company
priority. Leadership must walk the talk by being showed sincerity in appreciating and rewarding
innovative themselves. This in turn, spurs the mood novel ideas, regardless of whether the suggestion
for innovation and pervades transmissibly to all resulted in direct monetary benefit to the company.
levels of the organization.
To conclude, innovation is not about technology
but rather about employees and their interests
and talent. If organizations focus on innovators
as opposed to the innovation, organizations can
influence a paradigm shift in employee attitude
to strive for ingenious innovation that will ensure
current and future success in cut-throat competition.
