Building a Culture of Innovation

There are many ways leaders encourage innovation in their organizations. In fact, there are so many different approaches, you would be hard-pressed to explore them all in a lifetime — let alone explore them all in a single article.

However, there is a way that we can talk about all of them at the same time. I'm talking about culture.

Culture is how people in your organization know to do the right thing. It's a different concept than policy, rules, and even values.

Building a Culture

Building culture is something you do in order to follow your unique vision of success. In this case, we're talking about innovation. Your vision might have something to do with building a new world, exploring new frontiers, or creating a revolutionary invention.

When your vision is big enough and clear enough, culture often falls into place. It's the way you get to where you're going.

Leading the Way 

When it comes to creating innovation with culture, the other part of the equation is you. As a leader, you are the source of the organization's vision. To make that vision a reality, you have to act towards it.

Culture isn't about doing things right. The way you enact your culture could (and probably should) be different from the exact methods of members of your team.

Culture is about doing the right thing. The quickest test is asking yourself when making a decision, which options might best advance your unique vision of success. If you want to lead with culture, show yourself making decisions that illustrate how to do the right thing.

Prioritizing Innovation

I like to talk about this in terms of golf. Personally, I have a hole-in-one vision — I want to make the perfect shot every time. When I tee up, that's what I see in the future. What type of actions do I need in order to pursue that vision? 

I believe it takes practice and dedication. I have to work on my drive, my judgment, and my control. Of course, I know I won't be perfect every time, so I work on my short game, strategy, and so on. All of that preparation puts me in a better position, and I take all of it with me to the next shot I make.

Putting that in the context of innovation, you'll need to ask yourself what types of cultural practices will advance your unique vision for the world you want to invent. Here are some common examples:

●        Storytelling: Keeping detailed, rich records of tests and ideas

●        Sharing: Incentivizing the exchange of information

●        Exploration: Freeing up the resources necessary to push outside "right here, right now"

●        Creativity: Giving people the tools, collaborators, and frameworks they need to generate new ideas

Making Tough Decisions and Sticking to the Plan

Innovation fits in any culture. That's because a culture of innovation is more than unrestrained, chaotic creativity. It's group creative behavior directed systematically from the top down and the bottom up towards a unique, unified vision of success. You can integrate it to any extent you need to achieve your vision.

Innovation is what builds your vision, but practice is what will build your culture. It might be hard at first, but your consistent decisions as a leader should set the example for everyone in your organization. After the culture is established after you've done the hard work, it will seem like innovation "just happens.”

Is your vision on track to foster success?