The topic of innovation in companies has become a cliché like many others such as reengineering, organizational culture, excellence, total quality and I don't know how many more. I understand that although many entrepreneurs and consultants use these concepts as part of their discourse on the duty to be business, it is still true that organizations need to implement them. Definitely without innovation we lose validity, competitive advantage and with it market; and we know that customers are to companies like oxygen to living beings. In highly competitive markets and in the globalized context, innovation has practically become an obligation to survive.
However, what does it mean to be an organization focused on innovation? What does this require of the management, employees, finances and the structure of the company? How can we “land” innovation in the daily operation? How can we know if we are making progress in the process of converting our company in an innovative? I will try to answer these questions. Let's see several points to consider to implement the innovation perspective in your company:
1. Innovation is much more than technology
Get rid of the idea that innovation only has to do with technological improvements or in the products or services you offer. Making your invoicing or purchasing process faster, involving fewer people or generating a decrease in the use of stationery and therefore costs, is an act of innovation. Perhaps to achieve this, all it required was to eliminate a part of the process, a duplication of work, or remove a copy from your invoice. Innovating implies making improvements, reducing costs, increasing people's commitment and motivation, opening new markets, improving the quality or value of our products or services, reducing times; lower turnover rates; increase the profit margin per product, etc.
As you can see, this goes beyond thinking about implementing new software or machinery in your production process. To innovate is to keep improving any internal process, cost, product or service of our company. Innovation can be achieved through better agreements with suppliers, employees, and even customers. The first point is to expand the paradigm that limits our concept of what it is to innovate. The innovative company strives to do what has never been done before, to improve, to be unique and seeks to operate with the highest quality standards. This implies not only being willing to invest, but also having a high level of demand in all areas and processes of the institution.
2. Don't think of an area or department, but a culture of innovation
Although many companies open an innovation department, I consider that the most effective thing is to develop a culture in this regard, not a responsible area. By this I mean that innovation must become part of the DNA of your organization and therefore of your people. The culture of a company basically depends on three factors: the behaviors of the leaders; the symbols generated by the bosses themselves and the systems and policies of the company. It is critical to understand that without an alignment of these factors it will be virtually impossible to infect the entire organization with an innovation perspective.
As can be seen, the involvement of people in the highest responsibilities of the company is essential. If they do not buy, apply and share the idea of having a true focus on innovation, employees will not act with this vision even if they use a language that appears to be working with the innovative culture. I know directors of companies that have implemented customer service, innovation, or “people first” programs with considerable investments and poor results. The reason? They have not considered how to impact and modify their organizational culture; They have only focused on launching programs related to their objective. For example, they make it official that the company favors innovation, but they punish people who make mistakes by taking risks. Their policy is totally contrary to what they want to achieve.If they establish some type of economic sanction, privileges or even verbal to those who make a mistake for experimenting, the culture of innovation will never be adopted by the staff, no matter how many conferences and workshops they give promoting the subject. The decisions of bosses, their behavior and the policies by which they promote, reward, punish or fire people must be totally aimed at promoting innovation.
3. Make sure your key people understand the concept
Establishing a culture of innovation requires a clear vision regarding the importance of innovating in your key people. In turn they must transmit this idea to their people. Innovation, like any other management priority, must start with the leading team, with the people in the highest responsibilities of the organization. It will be of little use to launch a campaign with posters, screen savers, banners, meetings and more if your key people are not clear about the purpose or have not bought the idea.As incredible as it may seem, it is extremely common, almost a rule, that a percentage of your closest ones resist implementing the changes. Expect to meet this reluctance, but don't give up on implementing your program. Consider that the first stage of your project focuses only on these people. When you are already aware and convinced that the culture of innovation is a priority, then extend the process to the rest of the corporation.
Make sure your core team members understand that this is not about setting up an innovation program, but about changing the way the company operates: innovation is not a goal, it is the way you think, decide and work in the company. organization. Its leaders must not only promote, but reward people who undertake new challenges, who generate new alternatives and seek improvement in their areas. The curious, those who seek excellence, ask for help and are willing to offer it, must be the heroes of the company.
4. Behaviors to promote
If you want your organization to innovate, you will need to encourage experimentation, learning, risk, and questioning. To produce a culture of innovation, you need to motivate your staff to speak their minds, even if your proposals are contrary to what management or "those above" have said. When the boss in a company is always right and it is unquestionable, the first thing that dies is creativity, experimentation, initiative and curiosity and with it innovation. This is why leaders must be aware that they will be questioned and must come to celebrate. Of course, it is not about opposing to annoy or by system; but practically nothing will be written in stone, everything is viable for improvement, replaceable, provisional.
The learning processes must be part of the daily operation. At the end of each project or part of it, feedback, quality circles, learning groups and post-execution reviews should be generated. Improvement is the lifeblood that runs throughout the company.
5. Consider the core policies and standards of your organization
An innovative company is made up of enterprising, curious, dissatisfied people, willing to learn and take risks. This is said easy and sometimes we think it is; But the reality is that for employees to adopt these attitudes we must support them with policies and a structure that promote these attitudes. Performance management must consider innovation and the behaviors that produce it as relevant points to evaluate. In a company focused on creating new alternatives, it is totally inappropriate to promote to a better position someone who is not an example of the innovation attitudes just mentioned or to harm someone because they took risks and failed.
Before going public with your innovation culture launch, be sure to review key company standards: hiring, promotion, bonuses, layoffs, etc. Something else to consider is that the unwritten rules that bosses usually follow must also be fully aligned with the criteria and improvement behaviors.
6. Recognize when you don't have the culture of innovation
Sometimes we deceive ourselves and think that we have an innovative company because we have acquired new technologies or because we renew the facilities. That is not innovating, it is updating. Innovation makes a difference in the market, gives you a real competitive advantage, puts you at the forefront of your competition. We can recognize if we lack a culture of innovation if we see some of the following practices in our company:
- People of any level do not recognize their mistakes, they justify or hold someone else responsible for their failures and lack of results. Mediocre actions and results are tolerated, the level of excellence and quality required is medium or low, services are offered or suitable but not extraordinary products. Staff and bosses boast of past successes; these achievements are talked about as the maximum and they become the icons of the company instead of talking about new successes and challenges. Past successes make employees arrogant, they see the organization as the best of all, the infallible one, and they look down on competitors. Information on the needs and opinions of customers and suppliers is lacking.Those who have authority are rarely contradicted, there is a climate of apparent agreement and peace among all.
If you've found that your company isn't yet one that is focused on innovation and you want it to be, don't be discouraged; Gather your lead team and talk about it. Accept your reality and set your goal to become an innovative company. Remember that innovation is not the only alternative to stay or gain market; however it is a very convenient one. Perhaps you don't want to focus your company on innovation, but you want to have a spirit of greater excellence and improvement among your employees. Orchestrate your leaders and your policies with what they want to achieve, dare to speak deeply about it, and set the example and advocate for what you want the rest of your internal customers and suppliers to do.
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The author is director of Human Effectiveness, consulting and organizational development company.
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