One of the most frequently addressed topics in the highly respected Harvard Business Review is that of leadership. Often, the discussions will include the role of leaders in fostering climates of productivity, creativity and innovation.
For more than a century, most companies limited their incentives to cash bonuses, the potential to advance in the organization, and perhaps an annual leaders/achievers conference and recognition.
Well, money isn't everything.
Think Beyond Dollar Signs
As we have repeatedly seen thus far, these perks (e.g. bonuses, conferences) still have a place in most organizations. They are, however, not the major elements of any great company culture. Rather, they are useful for rewarding the results that culture makes possible.
It’s easy to assume everyone understands and accepts creativity and innovation as good things. But, that is certainly not the case in many businesses. Changes in the status quo and creative solutions are intimidating and unsettling to many.
The first step in any culture aiming to cultivate those traits must first ensure the basic attitude is there at all levels to accept and foster them.
It’s worth making the effort to make sure your entire team understands just why creativity and innovation are not just “good things.” Everyone must internalize why these are so critical in today’s hyper-competitive and rapidly evolving markets.
Change Is Necessary
The basic principle of the Free Enterprise concept is competition forcing change and eliminating inefficiencies. The simple fact is that if your company is not changing and evolving, you’ll come to understand the shock buggy whip manufacturers experienced when that new-fangled auto showed up.
Likewise, innovation makes productivity possible, and it is productivity that allows for higher wages while lowering the prices you charge. That beautiful conundrum works only when your team is at the forefront in identifying ways to do the same things better, faster, and cheaper.
Of course, the great company cultures, for instance, Southwest Airlines, ensure their people have fun while taking care of business better than their competitors. In other words, it’s not the sweatshop that wins; it’s the workshop that feels almost like a playground.
We like to have a lot of fun at ROI Online, too, but we can allow ourselves to do so because we never forget the need to get the job done. Once your team understands and appreciates the role of productivity, creativity and innovation, you can help them along with those objectives in mind.
Just a few basics to incorporate into your culture include:
- Ensure you are getting the best ideas from the best minds at all levels of your organization.
- Incentivize and encourage collaboration.
- Eliminate silos as aggressively as you would the plague.
- Coordinate individual passion with channeled creativity.
- Make appropriate failures acceptable and even worthwhile.
- Constantly add new perspectives.
Of course, each of these bullet points is a blog post unto themselves! The point we seek to communicate, however, is that achieving the goals of Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose is never an accident. It is the sum total of results you get from the details of your culture.
Want innovative, creative employees? Then, you need an innovative, creative culture. Find out how to establish one by downloading the first part of our free Company Culture eBook series, Creating A Culture That Matters: Laying The Foundation For A Great Company Culture.
