3 Ways To Build An Innovative Culture
Cheerful blond female leader talks innovation during a meeting with her diverse team.
By Lisa Bodell for Forbes
When Accenture surveyed 1,000 C-level execs about their culture in late 2021, only 20% of participants were confident that their company culture supported ongoing innovation. With rare exception, an innovative culture doesn’t happen by accident: It’s mindfully nurtured by leaders so that it’s embraced at every level of the organization.
In these kinds of workplaces, people aren’t just expected to innovate — they’re given time for it. Like the CEO of GoodRx, who blocks out six hours on his calendar every week for innovative thinking. Or Intel’s “Thinking Time” program, which encourages employees to take their work offline and activate out-of-office messages every Tuesday morning.
If innovation is treated as a low priority in your company, gather leadership or other influencers for an exercise called Commit to Innovation. Inspired by insights from my book, Kill the Company, this technique uses three simple questions to jumpstart innovative activity.
1. What activity will you start doing today to be more innovative?
Examples of innovative activities could include:
I’ll set up and help maintain an idea-submission portal.
I’ll seek one new perspective a week through conversations with an industry resource, vendor or fellow employee.
I’ll collaborate with X unit or Y team member to improve idea-building.