Specialty Graphic Imaging Association Digital Printing & Imaging Association
	Executive Summary March 2008

One Step Back, Three Steps Forward!

Innovation is a team sport. In a corporate culture where innovation is truly valued, employees will be confident; they will also have confidence in their fellow employees. They will be ready to step out of their comfort zone to pursue ideas that have potential. Each employee will know that they are a trusted member of the team; even when they take a chance and fail.

Maintaining an innovative culture requires constant and consistent effort. Management must provide an environment where employees are empowered to make decisions; where employees have the resources to learn and experiment. And where employees are appreciated for their efforts; even the good ideas that don’t work.

A good idea can start with anyone. But what happens once the idea is on the table? Does it hit immediate resistance because it’s different? Is there a knee-jerk reaction to judge the idea based on who put it on the table? In an innovative culture, once a good idea is hatched, it quickly weaves its way into other departments of the organization. The idea will be modified, tweaked, added to, etc. – all with the goal of getting the most from it.

When new ideas are quickly adopted by employees and they eagerly contribute to the evolution of the idea, it’s a great indication that you have few problems with silos; your organization has good communication and employees share a common interest in the organization’s success. These are all important characteristics of an innovative culture.

Getting Started
IBM has a clever TV commercial where a guy walks into a room and finds all the employees laying on the floor “ideating.” This spot gets right to the heart of the issue. They are re-thinking structures, processes, everything and anything. Here’s the commercial on You Tube: IBM: Ideating

However, before you go online and order a bunch of airline pillows, I would suggest another approach to jumpstarting innovative teamwork. Innovation is about looking forward. Looking forward is risky and uncertain. And it often takes time to know if your innovations are going to work.

You can prepare your team to look forward with a sense of innovation by asking them to take an innovative look at the past and present. Robert Kriegel and David Brandt have a book out called, “Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers.” This book is a fun exercise for everyone in the organization. As a team, you evaluate all that your company does and determine what really has value and what doesn’t. A quote from the book, “If it doesn’t add value to the customer, increase productivity or improve morale, then it moos!” Fix it or get rid of it.

Taking your organization on a sacred cow hunt is a great way to set the tone for innovative thinking. The airline pillows could be a nice touch, but that’s up to you.