Lessons From Innovative Companies

What do the companies 3M, Polaroid, and Walt Disney have in common? All have innovation in their blood. All encourage an innovative spirit at every level of their organization.

For example, 3M has a goal to derive 30% of revenues from products less than 4 years old. Research staff spend 15% of their time on projects of their choice. They are encouraged to mingle with customers, take risks and champion ideas. Out of this culture have come the famous Post-it notes and other very profitable products.

However, innovation is not the same as creativity. Creativity is an individual process. Everyone is capable of coming up with good ideas. Innovation, on the other hand, is a group process. Innovation results from bringing together the experience, skills, and wisdom of a group to convert good ideas into tangible products, services or processes.

It takes the technique of brain-storming to a much higher level---that of focusing the group's efforts to solve a specific problem or take advantage of an opportunity or improve performance. So how does a manager or team leader cultivate innovation in their organization? What can be done to take, for example, an idea for a painting and actually come up with the painting itself?

Here are a baker's dozen strategies to build your team, department or your business innovative muscles.

Establish brain trusts or innovation teams comprised of management, operations, customer service and other groups to openly explore problems and come up with solutions. Teach people specific creative thinking an problem-solving techniques.

Go out and get information directly from your customers. Bring them together to evaluate your existing products and services in terms of their current value and potential value.

Actively seek out, encourage, and reward innovation in your employees by having contests, special days, open office areas for brainstorming, etc.

Sponsor in house trade show where employees share 'how I did it' stories on recent work accomplishments.

Schedule regular meetings, open to all employees at all levels, to discuss issues and solicit ideas.

Encourage the Edison factor---let people know it's OK to fail. Edison conducted 9000 experiments before developing a working light bulb. The important thing to emphasize is what is learned from a failure.

Provide ways in which innovative ideas are transmitted to decision makers for feedback and implementation similar to what General Electric does in its "work out sessions".

Have a creative corner or special area stocked with books, videos, learning games for people to engage in creative thinking on their own and company time.

Ask people to focus their creative thinking each month on a specific issue. Recognize and reward all ideas that are submitted. Follow-up with what is being down with the ideas.

Recognize the person or group each quarter that has made a significant contribution or solutions to important issues.

Use daily reminders such as desk calendars, handouts, computer messages or posters that will nudge people to be more innovative.

Bring people together regularly just to think and talk about issues and ideas. When people are relaxed, the vast mental resources of their subconscious can be put to work.

Create a learning environment that recognizes and rewards 'out of the box' thinking and acting. On an operational level, this means constantly encouraging risk taking and innovation and tolerating mistakes and false starts.

Are some of these strategies already being done in your organization? Or does your team or department need to strengthen their innovation muscle? Which can they start doing right now? Start tapping the innovative spirit of your team, staff and even your customers.

Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ? to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management. Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com/ and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks ? resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs ? fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

---

Spotlight on Productivity: How to Overcome E-Mail Overload

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by e-mail? Have you ever spent more of your day wading through your e-mail than managing your work? Are you looking for ways to spend less time creating,... Read More

Employee Retention: Its a Changing Game

As a management consultant, I have seen some poorly conceived retention policies at otherwise well-run companies. The philosophies underlying these policies lack some basic knowledge of two things:1. human nature, and2. the changing... Read More

First Things First -- Process BEFORE Technology

Here's a brief story I encountered while leaving Newark International Airport following a recent business trip. Hard to believe, but true.After a long flight home from the West Coast, I took a short... Read More

Learn How To Get The Most From Your Team

Being a leader isn't easy. Every one looks to you to make decisions, resolve disputes, and to carry all the responsibility. Being a leader can be a lonely job.Some of us are born... Read More

Recruitment - Pick People Who Think

Old style management doesn't encourage personal mind control, employees aren't encouraged to think. That was certainly the case when I started work back in the bad old days however it's still prevalent in... Read More

It?s Not All About Cheese: The Missing Component in Employee Development (Part 2)

In part one of this article I told you about how perceptions are changing in the workplace. In part two, I want to tell you more about the "Merge Point Method" and how... Read More

Few Things Are More Destructive Than An Insecure Boss

Few things are more destructive to a career than a boss who is insecure. Unfortunately, it is a near certainty that most people will encounter one or more such persons along the way."The... Read More

Change or Die! To Change Your Organization, Hire a Business Coach

It is a common business axiom ? change or die. As a small or mid-sized business owner or a manager, there will be times you will need to make changes in your organization... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Finding The Perfect Balance

This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates how your staff feels with regard to the balance between work and personal life. It explores issues such as priority of family and... Read More

10 Ways To Maintain Profits In A Slow Economy

1. Sell more back end products to your existing customer base. You already created rapport, trust and proved your credibility to them.2. Make it a practice to up sell to new and existing... Read More

Sweet Parting Of Ways

Why settle for bad feelings when your employee leaves the firm? Human resource managers can help to sweeten the occasion during the exit interview, and get valuable information to help the company in... Read More

Relationship Building - 5 Tips and 5 Questions

And is isn't hard - it's more about focusing on people, who they are and what interests them. And that's just where you spend your time. About them - not you, not your... Read More

Innovation Management ? how does the user benefit?

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly,... Read More

Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: Managerial Influence

This article relates to the Manager/Supervisor competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. This competency evaluates an employee's feelings regarding their direct manager or supervisor. The manager/supervisor competency covers topics like clarity of... Read More

Are You Prepared for a Disaster?

Yesterday I look at my calendar and saw that my newsletter was on my calendar for today. I wondered what I would write about. By the end of the day, I had my... Read More

9 Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment

Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment All professionals attend conferences, seminars, and trade shows each year. Through my observation and person experience here are my top tips for maximizing your... Read More

What Makes a Crisis a Crisis?

If you're old enough and were living in America about 30 years ago, you may remember the scandal in the motion picture industry known as "the Begelman affair" or "Hollywoodgate."A skillful analysis of... Read More

3 Tests To Hire The Best

Question: What's the easiest, cheapest and quickest way to have profitable, productive, and honest employees?Answer: Hire profitable, productive, honest people! Unfortunately, managers often hire underachievers or losers. Fortunately, pre-employment tests give managers a... Read More

The Death Spiral

Sometimes things just happen. Maybe we lose focus and take our eyes off the ball. Maybe we don't recognize the signs. Sometimes it happens quickly due to a loss of a major customer... Read More

Conquering the Number One Problem in Business--Poor Communication

The Number One problem in business is poor communication: between coworkers, with clients, across functional areas, up the food chain. When I ask anyone I meet "What's the one thing that causes problems... Read More

The Leadership Alignment Model

Some time ago we had the privilege of working with a major UK government department to help them redefine leadership and to reappraise how they develop and encourage leaders. Faced with considerable challenges... Read More

Planning Your Recruiting Efforts Can Help You Find Great Employees

Today, companies have an ever-expanding list of options available to them when it comes to sourcing new employees, from advertising in newspapers and trade journals to powerful, cost-effective recruiting options available through the... Read More

Lessons From Innovative Companies

What do the companies 3M, Polaroid, and Walt Disney have in common? All have innovation in their blood. All encourage an innovative spirit at every level of their organization.For example, 3M has a... Read More

Knowledge Management - Creating a Sustainable Yellow Pages System

How can I "know who knows" None of us can personally know more than around 250 people, yet we want our companies to be smart, learning organisations where it's easy to find the... Read More

The Fairness of Office Politics... Integrity and Political Motivation!

I hear many complaints daily about the "unfairness" of politics in corporate America. Employees say that their managers "lie" or issue "personal attacks" against them. Indeed, based on the pure ideals that we... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Improving Workplace Safety

This article relates to the Safety and Working Environment competency and explores how your employees feel with regard to their physical and environmental working conditions, the quality of their equipment and tools, and... Read More

Managing Change - Get it Right

In any event, getting the process right is a vital component. The credibility of the change managers will be scrutinised closely enough on the issue itself, with all processes in place. If process... Read More

10 Critical Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Consultant

Talk to as many consultants as you can before hiring one. Even if you have one person or firm in mind, interview at least a few others as a sort of due diligence.... Read More

No Time to Focus on the Big Picture? Try Focus Management

E-mail, voicemail, "got a minute?" interruptions, multiple projects and competing priorities. Whether it is in work or in life, we all understand the importance of "seeing the forest for the trees."... Read More