{"id":608,"date":"2018-01-17T14:17:22","date_gmt":"2018-01-17T12:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sitsite.com\/?p=608"},"modified":"2019-01-07T10:49:50","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T08:49:50","slug":"organizational-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sitsite.com\/blog\/organizational-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"13 Innovation Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you want to create an innovation-focused culture in your organization? Are you struggling to make organizational innovation a reality?<\/p>\n

Are you tired of wondering why your team\u2019s ideas don\u2019t always seem to pan out as originally planned? Or do your team\u2019s problems actually stem from the idea-generating phase?<\/p>\n

There could be countless issues standing in the way of organizational innovation. But the truth is most of these problems are well within your control to fix.<\/p>\n

That is, only if you know where to look and how to solve them.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, that\u2019s exactly what today\u2019s guide will help you do. We\u2019ll be going over some of the most common mistakes companies make when it comes to organizational innovation and indicate how you can go about correcting them.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Let These Mistakes Get in the Way of Your Organizational Innovation<\/h2>\n

To start, you\u2019ll need to take a closer look at your basic approach to innovation.<\/p>\n

You do have one, right?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re shrugging your shoulders, let\u2019s start by discussing this all-too-common mistake first.<\/p>\n

#1: You have no proper plan in place to support a culture of innovation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You want to create an environment that allows ideas to flourish naturally. That\u2019s great, but so does everyone else.<\/p>\n

So, what is your<\/em> plan?<\/p>\n

Without a proper plan in place, you can\u2019t build an innovation-centric culture. It just doesn\u2019t appear overnight or as soon as you say you are innovation-focused.<\/p>\n

Instead, you must first create a plan and then brand it. Let\u2019s see why this matters.<\/p>\n

#2: You haven\u2019t branded your innovation process<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Though your first step may be building your plan, you also need to brand the entire process<\/a> using a catchy name and a logo to make this abstract process tangible to your team.<\/p>\n

It may sound gimmicky at first, but it\u2019s proven time and again to be one of the major contributing factors helping teams successfully innovate.<\/p>\n

The concept behind the idea is simple: By branding this process, you\u2019re sending the message to your employees that you\u2019re serious about innovation, and you\u2019re committed to it.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re also reinforcing the idea that innovation is now a part of your culture, not just an afterthought. But caution! Correct this and Mistake #3 may be rearing its ugly head.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"organizational<\/a><\/p>\n

Examples<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

#3: You have created \u201cEmpty Branding\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Companies that heed the call to brand their processes often fall into the trap of spending large amounts of time and money on creating the hype without backing this buzz with corresponding actions. Employees then start to wonder about the gap between declaration and practice, which often leads them to regard innovation with skepticism and conclude that top management is committed only to PR.<\/p>\n

So, as you devise your branding and internal communications plan, two things must also<\/a> happen simultaneously:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Someone from your team needs to take ownership of the entire process<\/li>\n
  2. Someone else should be consistently managing the team.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We\u2019ll touch on both points next.<\/p>\n

    #4: No one has taken ownership of the process<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It\u2019s essential that someone take ownership of your innovation process.<\/p>\n

    Now, this does not mean they\u2019re the only one working on the project. In fact, it\u2019s just the opposite.<\/p>\n

    All hands are on deck. But the person in charge ensures that a system is in place. It\u2019s branded and weaved into your culture, and it\u2019s properly managed.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re working with a small team, this person could also be the one managing the team as well.<\/p>\n

    Keep in mind, these are still two distinct roles and should be treated as such. Otherwise, you\u2019ll be making another costly mistake.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The ownership role ensures that the planning is done, and the foundation is properly laid and in place.<\/p>\n

    The person in the management position ensures that your systems are working and running smoothly. And if they\u2019re not, they\u2019ll be the ones to make any necessary adjustments (more on this next).<\/p>\n

    #5: No one is managing innovation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Just because you create a system doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s going to run on its own.<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s why an innovation manager is key and \u2013 depending on your organization\u2019s size \u2013 her\/his team.<\/p>\n

    This person helps foster and grow the seeds that have been planted in the initial approach.<\/p>\n

    To succeed, your innovation Manager(s) should use a \u201ctop-down\/bottom-up\u201d approach involving both senior management and staff in programs and activities.<\/p>\n

    Your Manager and\/or team will need clear assignment of roles and responsibilities and the ability to monitor that the organizational innovation is actually happening according to plan.<\/p>\n

    But even with these measures in place, if you\u2019re making this next mistake, these actions won\u2019t matter as much as they should.<\/p>\n

    \"Organizational<\/a><\/p>\n

    #6: You\u2019ve fostered an environment where people are scared to speak up for fear of criticism<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    In addition to ownership and management, your organization will also need people with facilitation capabilities.<\/p>\n

    These people help ensure that your employees feel comfortable speaking up \u2014 without fear of criticism or judgment.<\/p>\n

    During the group discussion, there will always be employees who speak up more often than others. But it\u2019s essential that these team members don\u2019t overrule the quiet ones.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re creating an environment where people can\u2019t speak up, they won\u2019t. And some of your best ideas may never surface.<\/p>\n

    To alleviate this phenomenon, take breaks during discussions to moderate any employees who are taking over the conversation and encourage quiet team members to speak up without worrying about what anyone will think.<\/p>\n

    However, expressing yourself and generating ideas is still only half the battle. You must also use them, or you\u2019ll be making this next error.<\/p>\n

    #7: You also lack proper systems to manage innovation in your organization<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    If you really want to see your team\u2019s ideas take off, you need to figure out:<\/p>\n