Innovation Leaders "Walk the Talk"
Hopefully you’ll remember my four "Must Have's for a Healthy Innovation Climate":
- Leadership Engagement
- Business Discipline
- Resource Availability & Mix
- Process Depth
In my work with organizations of all sizes, some of the most frequently asked questions on this topic include:
- I agree that a senior leader should be engaged…but how, exactly, does an executive leader get engaged?
- Our executives are good at “talking the talk” but how do they show that they are also “walking the talk?”
- What specific actions should an executive take to demonstrate “engagement?”
- Engaged means involved, committed, dedicated, active, participatory and passionate about ideas, innovation and growth
- Engaged means getting your hands dirty in the work that needs to be done
- Engaged means making the tough decisions
- Engaged means setting direction and priority
- Engaged means being a leader
- Communicate:
- A commitment to ideas, innovation and growth
- The strategic linkage of innovation/growth and the organization’s future
- The need for everyone in the organization to contribute
- An “open door policy” and/or a direct line to senior leaders and executives
- The roadmap, milestones and stepping stones required to move from the current culture to the new idea/innovation culture
- The big issues, problems, weaknesses and opportunities that the organization faces
- Demonstrate:
- Placing the innovation initiative on an equal footing with other business disciplines within the organization
- A commitment to the initiative via the creation of a leadership team of coaches, facilitators, guides, trainers and other human resources to lead, organize and assist the effort
- A commitment to the initiative by securing sufficient financial resources to manage the process…collect, select and develop ideas…invest in the future
- A commitment to the initiative by supporting and providing “cover” for dedicated blocks of time where employees can develop their ideas and passions, along with a dedicated space to expand their thinking, collaborate with others and develop prototypes of their ideas
- A willingness to accept a determined amount of risk through the establishment of a portfolio of progressively “risky” development projects, properly balanced and in line with the overall organizational strategy
- A celebration of “smart failures” as a learning experience and proof that the organization won’t punish people for trying new things
- A commitment to true leadership by establishing metrics and holding people and systems accountable
- Participate:
- In developing a set of problems or challenges for people to solve
- Directly in idea generation sessions
- By sitting on or chairing idea selection committees
- Via the concept of “management by walking around”:
- Review works-in-progress
- Play with prototypes
- Read ideas and comments on whiteboards around the organization
- Sit in on department/staff meetings
- Talk to people
- By spending some time job shadowing employees…especially customer-facing positions
- By personally congratulating someone, leaving a voicemail or drafting a hand-written note for a great idea, a learned failure or simply for trying to make the organization better
- In the development of training programs and other curriculum for personal creativity enhancement, idea generation, innovation, personal accountability, leadership, prototyping, business acumen and other key growth areas
- In the development of a flexible process set, tools, techniques, standards and best practices to give people direction and assistance
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