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Innovation is not about instantly getting it right—it’s an iterative process that calls for making
improvements over time. Are you worried about what people may think? Let it go—innovation
requires putting risky and untested ideas up for critique. Do you prefer being practical? Creative ideas
may seem impractical or far-flung at first, but with experiments and feedback, you can make them
unique and workable. You don’t have to change who you are, but you may need to think and act
differently when more innovation is required.

4. Lack a climate conducive to innovation? Take the lead. Research identifies specific actions that
leaders can take to cultivate a climate of innovation: Question the way things have always been done.
Establish challenging goals that rally energy and commitment. Explain how projects align with the
organization’s strategy. Encourage reasonable risk taking. Recognize and reward creative efforts as
well as outcomes. Secure resources for promising ideas (time, space, materials, funding, talent,
sponsorship). Steer project teams but don’t micromanage them—freedom and flexibility are crucial for
creative work. Buffer people from administrative tasks that prevent them from focusing. Expect
mistakes and learn from them. Champion ideas and highlight wins. Promote cross-fertilization of
ideas and experimentation on an ongoing basis. Include innovation-oriented developmental
assignments to grow the capability of your talent.

5. Worried about making mistakes? Treat them as stepping stones. Innovation involves pushing the
envelope, taking chances, trying out something that is untested. Doing these things will inevitably
lead to more misfires and mistakes in the short-term but will ultimately yield better results. Assess
risks up front and determine how much you’re willing to take. Reduce risks by funding pilots and
prototypes to allow for testing without far-reaching consequences. Avoid blame—treat any mistakes
or failures as chances to learn. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. American inventor Thomas Edison
always viewed failures in the lab as mini-successes. In his view, each time an attempt didn’t work, it
got him closer to the solution that would.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…

Fries, A. (2010, February 9). Sparking creativity in the workplace. Psychology Today.
Linkner, J. (2011, June 16). 7 Steps to a culture of innovation. Inc.
Smith Bedford, G. (2013, October 28). 5 Ways to promote creativity in the workplace. The Business
Journals.

6. In a rut with business-as-usual? Disrupt “what is” with “what could be.” Disruptive innovators
are known to enter niche markets undetected by organizations complacently going about their
business. Before long, the innovation often transforms the industry it has entered. (Think online
shopping, personal computers, digital cameras, retail health care clinics.) Disruption brings greater
access, simplicity, convenience, and affordability—things customers want. Collaborate with
stakeholders and design new and better business models, products/services, and ways of working.
Challenge your assumptions. Ask: What business are we currently in? What business should we be
in? How can we deliver more for considerably less? How can we make our customers’ lives easier?
How can we redefine value? What could competitors or start-ups do to make us obsolete? A mantra
to adopt is “disrupt or be disrupted.”

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