17. So how can you help a company
become an innovative culture?
18. Help a company become an innovative
culture
1. Introduce them to new ways of thinking and
doing
2. Help them embrace diverse perspectives
3. Help them get comfortable with ambiguity – not
knowing what is going to happen
4. Help them understand the value of getting to
shared vision
5. Help them embrace failure as a learning
opportunity
6. Help them get comfortable with taking risks
E3A PresentationMost corporations in 2012 are interested in innovating to increase growth and reputation. There are many ways that companies go about trying to innovate, but increasingly there is interest in changing their cultures so that they consistently come up with innovative ideas and offerings. Culture change isn't something that happens overnight, though. Building an innovative culture requires a set of new skills and behaviors among existing employees. In this presentation, Wendy will discuss ways that companies are trying to build some of these skills and behaviors, along with some of the common barriers that keep companies from successfully becoming the innovative cultures they are striving to be.
My name is Wendy Castleman. I am the leader of the Innovation Catalysts at Intuit.
You can read about us in the Harvard Business Review
I work at a company called Intuit
You might know us through some of our most popular products, QuickBooks, Quicken, Mint and Turbotax
So you may be asking yourself… what does a technology company have to do with horses? Well, I’m not sure. But, my understanding is that you were interested in what is going on in business today and figuring out the answer to that question yourself. My understanding is that you offer experiences for teambuilding and other activities. Hopefully, I’ll talk about some things that might provoke new ideas for you…
Most corporations in 2012 are interested in innovating to increase growth and reputation. There are many ways that companies go about trying to innovate, but increasingly there is interest in changing their cultures so that they consistently come up with innovative ideas and offerings.
First, let me step back and clarify what I mean about culture. Culture is the expectations, attitudes and mythology embodied by the culture we are in. In the case of corporate cultures, this reflects itself in the standards, processes, past work, and motives of the people you work with. A culture can be authoritarian, collaborative, encourage or discourage creativity, etc. It influences the way that you work, the decisions that you make, and ultimately the products and services you offer.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a process that will turn a company into an Innovative Corporate Culture.
Changing a culture is difficult because change in general is difficult, and individuals and groups are naturally resistant to change… especially changing from something that has worked in the past.It seems to me like this audience might be interested in what companies are currently trying to do, and some of the challenges that commonly arise (these would be good areas for them to think about marketing -- team dynamics and getting shared vision, learning from failure, comfort with ambiguity, etc).
You can’t expect to do what you’ve always done before and get something new. Cookie-cutter approaches to innovation don’t work. So, openness to change is a huge mindset shift for teams, but is critical if they are to become an innovative culture.
Another challenge is to embrace diverse perspectives and be open to exploration. It is unlikely that the highest paid person in the room actually has the answer, and blindly following the instructions of that person is unlikely to result in innovation… and certainly won’t create an innovation culture…
To be really innovative, you will be going into new territory that you haven’t been in before. So, companies need to be comfortable with not knowing the answer and not necessarily having a clear path. This feels awkward and uncomfortable, so people shy away from it… and that keeps them from being truly innovative.
If people are working towards different goals, they are likely to clash and not work together. Getting to shared vision is critical for getting a team to move… and be innovative.
We not only have to try new things, but we need to learn when we fail about why we failed.