Is it any wonder that companies, like the humans who build them, seek stability, familiarity and security? Oh, the comfort of rules set in stone, ironclad policies you can lean on and institutional practices based on tradition.
With every passing day, that kind of safe, predictable business culture is more passé. Like it or not, it’s self-perpetuating, a prescription for more of the same. In our global, hyper-competitive business world of the 21st century, we know that sameness is a prescription for stagnation, or worse.
Innovate to compete. That’s the current trend. Creativity is considered the core competence for sucessfull organizations. New products, new services, new business models. That’s the way to grow. Agility, flexibility and responsiveness to customers and markets are the characteristics of leading companies.
But transforming a company into an innovative one is pretty difficult. Why? Because encouraging unconventional thinking is simply that: counter–intuitive, “not the way we do things around here.”
Innovation has its roots in an attitude that permeates a company. It’s openness to unexpected and unsettling ideas – from the board room to the plant floor. Even more essential, it’s willingness to modify old habits and maybe rock the boat. It demands courage and readiness to change.
Innovation starts on the inside, in the corporate mindset. And where it takes hold, companies are apt to adjust and grow and look distinctly different on the outside, too. And maybe it also requires some courage from the shareholders?
Comments