Developing Workplace Innovation
Innovation is something most businesses desire but few actually develop. Innovation is more about a flavor and culture then it is about some concrete program. It is an overall approach to business that should reward and encourage employees to keep coming up with great ideas. An innovative company can stay above and ahead of the competition while an un-innovative company continually losses market share.
Google requires each of its employees to spend 20% of their time working on special projects that contribute to the Company's profit margin. These employees are allowed to chase any idea that appears reasonable or lucrative. This is one of the reasons Google is the leader in search engine technology. They have a great method of tapping employee's knowledge and understanding.
Through experience most people would agree that most companies stifle innovation through bureaucratic rank and turf protection. Most bosses simply won't allow employees to second guess their programs. This is one of the reasons why a powerful company can drop from a leading position within a few short generations. As ideas are smothered the growth of an organization retards and other companies' pull ahead making the uninventive organization non-competitive.
In addition to Google's method of allowing employees to allocate time it can also be beneficial to maintain a formal process for innovative ideas in addition to the informal channels in which information flows. Employees that have new ideas can submit a proposal and have formal feedback after a thorough review. This helps both the company and the employee understand what each other is looking for.
Of course employees don't work for free. Successful ideas and cost saving measure should be rewarded with recognition and financial incentives. Expectancy Value-Theory postulates that the reward should be worth the effort. Too little of a reward will result in too little effort. Employees want to receive the benefits and rewards for their efforts like many executives earn for their connections. To cheat workers out of their innovative ideas without so much as a pat on the back is immoral in today's age.
Developing innovation in organizations is a continuous process that must be fostered and fed over the organizations lifetime. Lip service will easily be uncovered as hypocrisy and employees will not put forward effort. No one wants to contribute to further fatness of executive salaries while being thrown a few coins of pittance. Put some "teeth" into your program and allow your employees help you but also be willing to help them
