 |
"Your unique insights
enabled you to bring to the group an interesting and timely
cross industry perspective of what the best leaders are
doing to thrive in these 'extraordinary' times."
|
| —Tehachapi Healthcare
District |
|
In creating these mottos, you are energizing your employees
and channeling their energy in the same direction. It challenges
your staff to question long-held beliefs, practices, processes
and procedures; to become barrier busters, and to soar to
new heights. It establishes a curiosity to see the world through
a fresh pair of eyes and to see its unlimited possibilities.
Wouldn't it be great if you had a technique to find out what
is blocking creativity and innovation within your organization?
Sun Microsystems (Palo Alto, California) sends out an e-mail
(the Employee Quality Index) to find out what is getting in
the way of their employees doing their jobs. Similarly, you
may wish to pose some of the following questions in a monthly
e-mail to your own employees:
- "What's the dumbest, stupidest things we are doing in
our company or in your department which is impeding innovation?"
- "If you were just starting out today, what would you
do differently?"
- "If you could write the script for your career and your
company's success in the next 2 -5 years, what would it
look like?"
- "Is what I am doing, necessary?"
- "What am I doing to challenge conventional wisdom and
the status quo."
Now that you've acquired these innovative ideas and suggestions
from your employees, what do you do with them? The answer
is to develop a Statement To Implement Innovation.
It should be in 15 words or less, and made up of the Three
Clarities:
- Clarity of Direction (Where do you want to take
these innovative ideas?)
- Clarity of Structure (Who do you need within this
organization to make these ideas happen?)
- Clarity of Measurement (What
are the quantifiable benchmarks that you can institute to
measure the progress?)
A Statement To Implement Innovation should apply
to all areas of the business. For example, yours might read:
"Utilize the database to profile the needs of your customers
to increase market penetration." Now you've got a real-world
working blueprint to turn innovative ideas into action!
Ultimately, the successful businesses and their leadership
will be those who champion innovation and adopt the wisdom
of Leonard Reggio, CEO, Barnes … Noble and self-styled "Head
Muckity Muck":
"I am a possibility maker. I am an inventor of concoctions
and thing-a-ma-jigs."
Barry Wishner is a businessman, entrepreneur
and expert on Business Execution. A confidant to corporate
executives, Barry's keynote presentations
reveal insights into how America's most-admired leaders get
to the top and stay there.
|
