3 aspects to consider when creating a culture of innovation

It is well-known that employees are the best source of innovation in an organization. Innovation is like the water we swim in, so there is often a tendency to believe that once this culture has been created it will naturally sustain itself.

Totally wrong, that's why we propose 3 important aspects to take into account in creating a culture of innovation in your company:

1. Leadership
Every employee who holds a leadership position in an organization has the role to be transparent about the company's future plans, thanks to this they can take employee engagement to another level. In the process of innovation the leader is like Atlas - the Titan of Power; truly exceptional leaders are the most able to create a culture of innovation.

For example, they can write magazine articles about innovation, customer results or company awards to which they aspire, thus creating a glimpse of what the company is aiming for.
Corning Inc. created a series of videos entitled „A day Made of Glass” which aims to inspire employees to achieve results aligned with the company's objectives.

It is well known that employees who have a personal connection to their job are more engaged. The question raised by Generation Y is, „How can your company and my job make an impact in the world?” By clearly communicating the company's purpose.

The Toms Shoes company is guided by a simple idea: for every pair of footwear purchased Toms donates a pair to a disadvantaged child, and in this direction the company invites employees to participate in regular events that have this purpose. Toms employees are not only brand ambassadors, but more than that they are the brand in action, changed and inspired by the experience, they return to the office motivated and more involved in the company.

2. Integrate the company brand into work processes
An employee's highest enthusiasm is on the first day of work. Insight that Zappos has realized and turned into an experience, becoming known for a customer service company rather than an online footwear and clothing store.

From day one employees are exposed to the customer service experience. In the first weeks employees go through all departments, from call center to website branding to packing and shipping.

3. Communication
The innovation process depends on employee engagement. The best way to nurture their engagement is to keep them active in the loop of the process, whether it is using email or an internal communication tool, they need to be informed about the status of their idea.

Here are 4 key steps to communicate in the innovation process:
• Ideas welcome - Let your colleagues know about the receipt of ideas and their status. Our recommendation is that each participant in the innovation process receives a feedback on the receipt of ideas; it is important for them to know that their idea has not been lost digitally.
• Feedback - even if an idea is rejected, this should be communicated. No feedback can be worse than the rejection of an idea, as long as it is properly communicated;
• Implementation
• Success

As in any successful business, the culture of innovation must be continuously managed and kept up to date with market trends.

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