Innovation! What Innovation?
by Miki Saxon
If you listen to the media, especially new media, you would think the US is a hotbed of innovation.
You would be wrong.
“The Information Technology Innovation Foundation ranked the U.S. last of 40 countries in terms of improved innovation capacity over the past decade.”
What if you asked business leaders? More than two-thirds would give their organizations high marks for innovation.
But what happens when you ask the working stiffs in those same organizations? You’d find innovation marks well below half.
Some 78% of leaders said yes; just 43% of employees agreed. Does the leader “urge employees to continually expand their understanding of business trends and emerging issues”? Leaders 77%; employees 51%. Does he or she “guide employees who fail or make mistakes to reframe the experiences as learning opportunities”? Leaders 77%; employees 47%. And does he or she “champion the merits of employee-initiated ideas to senior management”? Leaders 75%; employees 42%.
Those questions were asked of “513 leaders and 514 non-leader employees.”
I found grim amusement in the recommended fixes.
- Senior Management Sets the Pace
- Choose the Right Leaders
- Develop Innovation Leaders
- Build a Business Process for Innovation.
I thought senior management were the leaders, but obviously not since they are supposed to choose the “right leaders” and develop “innovation leaders.”
The idea that innovation thinking and support can be delegated by senior management to specialists at lower levels is just plain ludicrous.
If you want an innovative company filled with innovative employees then you need a culture of innovation that includes no fear, room for initiative and where the messenger is never killed.
(For more on culture and innovation, including links to research and articles, click here.)
Oops; I forgot to send an entry to The September 2012 Leadership Development Carnival NFL Kick-off Edition, but at least I remembered to give you the link!
Flickr image credit: EFF
