According to The Conference Board CEO Challenge Survey, one of the chief challenges of CEO's is "stimulating innovation/creativity/enabling entrepreneurship." It’s a funny thing about inspiring such attributes…unless you currently measure your people by innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, your organization is going to need to undergo a major shift of thinking, processes and procedures in order to make this happen.
Let’s face it many organizations are exploring alternative strategies to enable them to operate more efficiently and to motivate their staff to become more creative, innovative and entrepreneurial. A strong leader knows you must change your game in order to get ahead. You can't live and work change free, even though most of us would like to be on the isle of denial for many years.
When times are as tough, getting things done becomes a top priority and asking people to think and be different is key. Here are clear pitfalls to avoid…
1) Waiting to change – If you are considering new paradigms to getting things done, you should implement those disruptive changes now. Organizations thrive through a process of pursuing and demanding change. The more uncomfortable the process the better. No great strides have ever been made by remaining idle. Create an environment where people of all ranks are given permission to engage in hearty and transparent dialogue; examine organizational and individual beliefs; inflame innovation; conceive a new future; negotiate and revise cultural norms; rekindle motivation; and ignite responsibility for team action. What you get: an organization focused on culture and people.
2) Blaming others – When times are tough, it’s essential to pioneer unconditional responsibility. Claim your role in every action with humility and ensure others do the same. Align your words with your actions and make it clear what accountability measures you will take if your words and actions run out of alignment. The strength and character of your leadership and your definition of teamwork is tested by the degree of responsibility you take. You are solely responsible at the end of the day for everything you do. Innovation comes out of responsibility. What you get: leaders.
3) No talking or talking without significance - Talk is cheap, meaningful words are priceless. Create venues for unconditional honesty; demand dialogue; use language that demonstrates transparency; ask provocative questions that probe and evoke curiosity; and share information with velocity. Settle for nothing less. What you get: merciless merging of strategic plan with market/economy, also competitive analysis, proficient people and dramatic results.
4) Flaky actions, plans and priorities - Connect all meaningful actions with strategic plans and larger organizational priorities. Make everything clear. Ensure that there’s a common approach and common language. The strength and clarity of the link will determine who, how and when it all gets done. Re-examine with vigor. What you get: harmonized people, priorities and results.
5) Keeping people in their seats – It does no one any good to let poor performers languish. Create “score cards” for each employee. Provide hands on mentoring, coaching and training within a timeframe. If your employees don’t improve quickly, either move them out of the company or out of the department. What you get: performers in each role and a rigorous examination of progress.
In such dynamic times, it’s easy to go with the flow, but in reality, careful examination and investment is critical to your progress. Request that employees show up and allow their voices to be heard powerfully. This places ownership on your people and enables them to shape their future.
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