Fast Company is looking for companies that are the Best Workplaces for Innovators (Best Workplace for Innovators). With the start of a new year, we’re wondering why every company isn’t trying to qualify.
Over the last few decades, we’ve seen many companies mission statements that proclaim high employee involvement and stress innovation as a core value. These are good intentions and expectations. But how often do we see them in action?
Our rising generations are stating that they are seeking adventure in their work. What a win/win! The ability to capture this passion for creative thinking and experimentation in ways that can dramatically impact the company’s success should be a no-brainer. But how can organizations turn their good intentions and expectations into reality?
Over the last three decades our proprietary research has shown that organizations are only using 30%-50% of a person’s potential and brainpower. It’s like paying a lot of money for expensive technology or machinery and only using a portion of its capacity. When it comes to harnessing collective intelligence, there is a lot of money left on the table.
It’s a complex problem because there are usually so many impediments to maximizing the collective intelligence and creativity of the workforce. Here are some of the key obstacles:
To the degree these exist in your organization, creating a culture of sustainable innovation can seem overwhelming. But there is a simple place to start in this new year.
Our Beliefs Drive Our Actions and Behavior.
As a leader, do you believe in your core that most people are good people who want their organization to succeed? Do you deeply believe that people are capable of so much more than your current culture supports? If yes, it’s time to do more to demonstrate that belief through more action to spark innovation and ownership. If no or not sure, this new year is a time for personal reflection.
I’m not sure people who do have this belief are doing as much as they can to spark the innovation and ownership so we may want to consider changing this to something like “If yes, it’s time to do more to demonstrate that belief through more action to spark innovation and ownership. If no or you’re not sure, this new year is a time for more personal reflection.”