Change Starts HereBuilding a Culture of Innovation in Your

Company

Climate is the tenor of the workplace ecosystem.

A truly innovative climate: • Cultivates engagement and enthusiasm• Challenges people to take risks• Fosters learning• Encourages independent thinking.

Developing a culture of innovation within your company requires a willingness to

change, an objective perspective, and a little bit of fearlessness.

Are you supporting a culture of innovation in your organization, or stifling it?

Here’s how to make sure you’re laying a solid foundation for innovators.

Stop assumptions in their tracks.

Although assumptions are sometimes the byproduct of knowledge and efficiency, they also

stifle ideas and innovation.

Avoid the pitfalls of over-speculating by:

• Allowing preconceived notions to take a backseat to new ideas and methods.

• Treating experiences as lessons, not standards.• Consistently checking individual expectations

against company initiatives and team goals.

Don’t be afraid.

When management reacts negatively to a new idea or a failed project, it creates a fear of failure.

A failure to fail results in completely predictable, in-the-box thinking, and a massive roadblock for

innovation.

To better tolerate risk and failure, remember:

• People are more creative and innovative when they are free to share honest ideas.

• Accepting risks is the first step to taking them.• View failure as a learning opportunity, and don’t fail the

same way twice. • Allow enough time for innovative ideas to develop, and

encourage champions.

Innovation is not optional.

Though initiating an innovation pipeline takes time and resources, it is no longer an optional strategy.

Treating it like a superfluous initiative is a particularly disruptive cultural trait that causes

companies to fall behind and fall apart in the face of increasing competition.

Drive home the necessity of innovation as a program by:

• Making innovation a part of every aspect of your business to create lasting, repeatable results.

• Allocate personal time for individuals to spend on innovation.

• Require all employees to access your innovation program, and reward those that contribute.

Measure everything.

Some companies believe innovation can’t be measured, but that’s simply not true.

Innovation management software can measure results, helping drive new business value. Enabling

technology helps companies improve agility, productivity, and time-to-market by enabling better

decision-making, visibility, and efficiency across the company.

“Employees’ cognitive surplus is the most valuable, most under-utilized asset

organizations have.”

- From “Innovation, Culture, and Social Technologies: Getting Real Work Done”

Use analytics to:

• Develop targeted, goal-oriented innovation programs

• Identify patterns to inform future projects• Demonstrate program effectiveness• Surface best practices• Generate unbiased ideation and voting systems

Change starts with you.

Nurturing a culture of innovation requires a good deal of flexibility and focus, and a dedication to

putting the best people, programs, and processes in place to ensure market relevance and

differentiation.

Get Started Today.

To learn more about Mindjet’s innovation management solutions, go to www.mindjet.com.