BQF Innovation

What are the key characteristics of a corporate culture that promotes innovation?  And those that inhibit innovation?  These were the topics we discussed in a workshop I facilitated yesterday for the Global Business Partnership Alliance.  We discussed a number of issues.  We conducted a survey among attendees and these were the main issues in the order in which they were a challenge.  The first item was agreed to be the biggest problem in setting a culture for innovation and so on:

1. Internal communication - overcoming silos.
2. Allowing failure and eliminating a blame culture.
3. Allowing anyone to challenge anything.
4. Developing a positive attitude to change - overcoming fear and complacency.
5. Developing a positive attitude to risk management.
6. Empowering people to try new initiatives without explicit approval.
7. Welcoming ideas from outside the organisation - eliminating ‘not invented here.’
8. Encouraging new ideas.

We discussed what various companies did to tackle these problems and generated some novel ideas.  One of the most radical was the idea of a ‘Shadow Board’ which would get the same input and agenda as the main board.  It would come to its own conclusions and could then challenge the thinking of the executive team on strategic issues.  In a constructive way it would become the ‘Official Opposition’ and so legitimise a positive debate within the organisation.

If you have any thoughts on this notion or the list above then please add your comments.

Paul Sloane