The business world is competitively changing making it necessary for firms to change their way of doing things to keep up with the changing business environment. The aspect of innovation contributes much to the success of any particular firm both in the technological and non-technological fronts (Schilling, 2016). Consequently, it is important that businesses encourage innovative ideas among employees while creating an environment that is suitable to maintain the innovation culture.
Processes for innovative firms
Numerous company leaders are not fully satisfied with the innovation performances of their firms. Several processes and steps need to be adopted in a company to encourage innovation. First, a company that seeks to create an innovative environment must build an effective process of accountability (Boxall & Purcell, 2016). For innovations to take root in an organisation, metrics need to be installed in determining how employees will be incentivised to venture into new projects. The organisation out to systematically plan how new organisational projects will be funded as well as promoting employees who produce good work and take risks.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Commentators on innovations in business argue that when accountability metrics are installed, the organisation is tasked with identifying teams that will lead in the new projects. The process of team identification can be challenging in an environment that has a culture of laxity and a management team that does not encourage new ideas. Subsequently, the identified team-members ought to be provided with an opportunity to self-organise as well as teach each other.
Finally, when the innovation teams have been established, it is upon the organisation to incubate a risk-taking culture and act to celebrate taking risks. Employees who are celebrated in an organisation as risk takers and innovative individuals will have a ripple effect in spreading the innovative culture to the rest of the organisation.
Encouraging innovations
Leaders in various organisations accept that getting the workforce to think creatively is taxing. Therefore, the organisation should empower employees to take action and make decisions (Marletto, Franceschini, Ortolani, & Sillig, 2016). Continued studies on innovations have revealed that employees entrusted with attempting new things and taking safe risks go on to make huge innovations. It is crucial that organisational leaders avoid being critical when the desired outcome is not achieved. Too much criticism works to hold back suggestions since employees will be worried about potential consequences.
Organization heads and leaders require studying their organisation’s internal environment and determine the various reasons that stifle innovation. As a motivator to encourage more innovations, the internal processes that hinder innovation ought to be reviewed. Multiple approvals for innovations, for example, take a long time thus derailing innovation implementation.
A competitive internal environment acts as a booster for innovations. Achieving the desired company results calls for the management to encourage employees to compete for example in meeting sales targets. As a result of competition, employees will work to find new ways of approaching things so they can be in the lead at all times. However, intense competition should be discouraged since it can kill innovations as individual employees who are aiming at a reward may tend to hold their suggestions for fear of their ideas being stolen.
As a leader in the organisation aiming at creating an innovative environment, leading by example sets the stage for junior employees to follow. The leader is the model of the organisation therefore if they are not on the forefront of innovating then the juniors will follow their example. The leaders ought to do everything that minimises stress so that they can be at their best given that a positive and relaxed mood provides a favourable environment for innovations (Lopes & Brown, 2016).
Stifling innovation
Destroying the innovative culture in an organisation can take lesser time than it would take to build the same. Being suspicious of new ideas is among the major reasons why innovations stifle in an organisation (Lopes & Brown, 2016). Some leaders do not accept new ideas since they have come from junior employees, therefore, making the juniors shy away from speaking their views. Therefore is integral that top management avoids viewing new ideas suspiciously to encourage juniors to venture into new projects.
Invoking history about an idea that failed demoralises employees especially whet ha history is brought up upon a suggestion for a new idea. Despite having other ideas that failed in the past, top leaders should keep away from reminding the organisation that such an idea failed given that bad experience hinder the desire for new explorations.
Cut-throat competition should be discouraged even in the name of excellence. An organization that gets different teams to challenge ideas and proposal from others publicly stifles new ideas being brought up (Lopes & Brown, 2016). As such even if the organization requires internal competition to thrive cut-throat competition will only stifle innovation.
Maintaining innovation
Once a culture of innovation has been built in a firm, there is a need to maintain and move forward with the culture for future benefits. First, the right incentives for innovation must be put in place. Alternative programs that train on skills and competencies drive away the leaning on traditional ways of finding solutions in the organisation (Lopes & Brown, 2016). Additionally, employees can be granted a fixed amount of time to venture into alternative pet projects other than the routine activities.
The organisation must strategically remove the blocks to innovations by providing the adequate, diverse employee mix to encourage innovation. A warmer relationship between employees and the seniors fosters a forum where ideas are exchanged therefore maintaining the innovative culture.
References
Boxall, P. F., & Purcell, J. (2016). Strategy and human resource management .
Charles, H., & Schilling, M. (2016). Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach . Cengage Learning.
Lopes, A. G., & Brown, A. (2016). A practical guide to single-use technology: Design and implementation . Shawbury: Smithers Rapra Technology.
Marletto, G., Franceschini, S., Ortolani, C., & Sillig, C. (2016). Mapping Sustainability Transitions: Networks of Innovators, Techno-economic Competences and Political Discourses . Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Schilling, M. A. (2016). Strategic Management Of Technological Innovation . New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
