In last week’s blog I talked about being a maverick. The response was huge with many comments. One that stands out for me was from Richard Conde who asked, “how do companies and/or senior leaders facilitate a culture where calculated risk taking and rule breaking are encouraged?”
That is a really good question. Just type into google, “corporate innovation”, and you will find loads of information telling us why organizations and businesses need to cultivate a culture of innovation. The world has changed and with it so is the need to move quicker, change constantly and be highly responsive to customer needs.
Then why is it that organizations have such a difficult time responding to those needs? And what aren’t they recognizing that could be right under their noses? The mavericks.
I was lucky enough to be in a large organization with a leader who was determined to wipe the slate clean on hierarchy and status quo. Within a short space of time he set us up to work collaboratively and had challenged us to think differently than we had in the past. The hierarchy and offices were torn down and even our workspace changed to one of open spaces with no ownership over desks. This symbolic gesture created an equalizing effect, which was great for many of us. But most important was that our leader was willing to listen to our ideas. This environment gave a voice to the mavericks! It started to feel okay to ask hard questions. Breaking rules resulted in new innovations and for some of us it meant belonging to a tribe of people willing to step out of the box and challenge what for generations had always been done. The result was a major shift in the vision of the organization and the policies we were accountable for.
Sadly, after several years this came to an end. This novel and groundbreaking approach proved too “out there” for the parent company (and even for many senior executives and managers).
But what I learned from this wave of inspirational leadership are 5 essential things for an organization to be responsive, innovative and flexible. So in answer to your question Richard, here is my take on making room for mavericks and rule-breakers:
1. A leader/CEO who isn’t attached to what has always been and is responsive to the future.
2. Senior leaders who enable employees to ask the hard questions, (even if there is no ready answer), and make it a habit to take an inquiry approach with employees.
3. Multiple channels for conversation and idea sharing (on-line, f2f, informal and formal).
4. Enabling employees to test out ideas, even if they fail – after all, aren’t we always told there is no wrong question?
5. Letting the mavericks within the organization be the champions who step up and set the tone for a new way of being.
No doubt there are many other ways to foster a culture of innovation. From my vantage point, these are the ones that had an impact. What will the organization get for opening this box? Employees who are engaged, energized, and want to shine for themselves and the company. And it is almost certain the bottom line will improve too.
What ideas for successfully creating a culture of rule breaking and innovation have you experienced? I invite you to share your ideas below.