By Dave Hengartner, co-founder/CEO of rready, a SaaS startup supporting companies to unleash the biggest asset for innovation: their employees.
Innovation is the lifeblood of any successful company, but it’s not always easy to ignite. For nearly a decade, I have helped many companies realize innovation programs and empower their employees to become innovators in order to drive growth and change. I have worked with businesses of all shapes and sizes to identify what works, what doesn’t and how to take innovation to the next level. Along the way, I have learned some valuable lessons. While the list is never-ending, here are seven of the most important learnings I have gathered over the last few years:
1. Be An Enabler, Not A Gatekeeper
I know. This one can be difficult to realize. As much as you would like to have control over the innovation process as it starts to play out, it is incredibly important to distance oneself from trying to micromanage and instead create a space for employees to explore and test their ideas independently.
By creating a culture that fosters independence and trust, you can empower your employees to take ownership of their ideas and validate them on their own. This not only provides your team with more freedom but also shows them that you have confidence in their abilities. Your role is to guide and support your team when needed while giving them the space to innovate and grow. I see myself here in the role of a shepherd—leading and enabling from behind.
2. Don’t Judge Ideas Too Early
Even if you were Steve Jobs himself, it would be impossible to judge raw ideas. Yet people still do it quite often: An idea campaign is launched, employees submit their ideas and top-level employees get to call the shots as to which idea is hot and which is not. While the “bad” ideas are rejected, the “good” ideas are catapulted forward when the business invests lots of money in validating them lean with customers. Not only is this an expensive process, but it is also a subjective one whereby the individual behind the idea does not have a say and cannot prove the validity of his or her idea. Instead, everyone should be given a fair chance to go out there and validate their idea by gathering real customer data and gaining valuable consumer insight within a specific time frame. If the idea does not prove valid after, for example, two months, the idea will not proceed—but the business will have saved money, and the intrapreneur will have gained invaluable implicit knowledge throughout the process.
3. People Over Ideas
Employees are a company’s biggest asset. And what is even better than a regular employee is a motivated employee who is determined to make an impact, be a driver of change and continuously challenge the status quo. A motivated employee can be a source of inspiration for other employees as well. One idea might also have a domino effect in that it can lead to other ideas that employees didn’t think of at the start.
4. C-Level Support Is Key
No one wants to feel like a lone ranger when they’re innovating and validating an idea. As much as the employee needs to be enabled to act independently without too much red tape and someone watching his or her every move, it is important to strike a balance between the two extremes. For an innovator to thrive, it is crucial for them to have a supportive environment where they feel safe and valued. They need to know that their work matters to the company and aligns with the overall goals and aspirations. This allows him or her to get more motivated and can help build trust since they know that top management is behind them in case something goes wrong. Executive buy-in also ensures that the employees get enough time to work on their ideas.
5. Avoid Trying To Sell Just A Method
There are many different methods out there that are meant to guide and streamline innovation efforts. Methods such as “lean startup” and “human-centered design” are important for employees to know about and apply. However, even methods come and go and often rely very much on what is currently trendy among innovation professionals and consultants. Further, some employees are also not in it for the buzzwords and fancy titles involved in some of these methods. They are convinced that their way of working has held up in the past and will continue doing so in the future. Hence, they might not see the full advantage of learning a new method if leaders don’t package it in an easily digestible and attractive way.
6. Innovation Should Be For Everyone
We all know them: those who not only dream but also do. Driven intrapreneurs are motivated and willing to take the road much less traveled to follow through with their ideas. However, as previously mentioned, people are more important than ideas, and to make innovation a company-wide effort, it is important to also involve those who do not necessarily want to be the frontrunners. Instead, some of them will be willing to offer support as well as their specific expertise to those who want to take the leap. Harnessing this can unlock a powerful collaboration, allowing everyone to contribute to innovation efforts based on their unique interests and skills.
7. Think Beyond Company Borders
Time and time again, I see large companies reluctant to extend beyond company boundaries to cross-collaborate. Yet, this can be an extremely successful endeavor, given the rate of change across all industries and the adaptability that businesses are required to show, which often extends beyond their field of expertise. Further, borders in certain industries are increasingly blurred, and thus it can be beneficial to connect and collaborate with other companies.
Innovation is a complex and ever-evolving journey that requires constant adaptation and experimentation. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to launching an innovation program. The key is to be open to new ideas and learnings, to embrace a culture of experimentation and to find the recipe that works best for your company.
