Openness to experimentation — the basis of any team that is committed to innovation. Are there approaches that encourage employees to acquire new experience and implementation of fresh ideas?
Magic pills and generic method of course, but there are some ways which will help you to build and strengthen the spirit of innovation.
don't be ashamed of mistakes
If you carefully study the experience of small startups that turned the industry over the past 20 years, we can note one thing in common: in such companies are proud of the errors are exactly the same as success.
In a recent report, published by the MIT Digital Initiative and Capgemini, John Ferriola, CEO of the largest US steel producer Nucor argues: "If we inspire colleagues fear mistakes, we only limit their possibilities and imagination." In the same report, the former head of customer support at Uber Janelle Sallenave notices: "the Company should constantly be thinking about what we call "experiments". In this case, all involved in the work process, to constantly rethink, reflect on his improvements, think about how to offer a more simple and cheap solution."
Companies must be extremely attentive to how their managers and leaders create an atmosphere of acceptance of mistakes and the openness to the new. In the course can go a variety of ways — from the skill of active listening and support in generation of new ideas to the revision of the bonus in the employee's salary. No matter what the idea is and what its scale. It may be a small improvement in the organization of work or major technological change that will revolutionize the entire industry. In any case, employees should be sure that they do not evaluate the level of stability, and the level of ingenuity and resourcefulness.
Put macromanagement at the forefront
Simon SINEK he wrote in one of his books: "Ask the person just do their job — and you get a worker. Entrust man thing — and you will get a leader."
Macromanagement or "management in the far distance" is necessary not only to shape leadership thinking. It plays an important role in the development of creative resources of your team. The person needs a sense of autonomy and possession of something in order to exercise their right to test new ideas and practical embodiment of the fruits of their own inspiration. Should be able to be implemented new initiatives not as a routine process for them may require very different processes.
In a recent podcast, John Hennessy, member of the Board of Directors of the company Cisco, said that this company has no internal research and development Department. With this approach, Cisco can more 30 years to stay on the cutting edge of innovation? This success is due to the fact that Cisco finds that companies that already have teams with good ideas. They "allocate" to find their independent activities investments, as is usually done, venture investors, and after the release of the production version of the product returned by the commands in place.
This is, of course, quite an extreme example of full autonomy of the team when making decisions about the product development process. However, it should be noted that internal improvement initiatives, companies often fail because of the lack of real outdoor experiments. A modern company, understanding it and seeking to escape from micromanagement, has more chances of successful implementation and the development of new ideas.
Give the green light off interest
In the HBR "Passions of our employees can benefit your company" Celia de ANCA and Salvador aragón tell you why it is important to give employees the opportunity to pursue their personal interests and projects during working hours. First of all, it increases the overall satisfaction from work, but this is not the only positive effect of such practices.
a Person who is able to openly talk about their off-the interests of his colleagues, may freely Express their authenticity in the workplace and to go beyond the narrow framework of the official positions. This is a good condition for the birth of a new useful to the company ideas.
Managers should not prevent members of his team to devote time to outside projects even if these projects are not connected with the main duties and competencies. On the contrary, this approach will allow the team to generate new innovative ideas.
In the bestseller "Sapiens: a brief history of humankind" Professor Yuval Noah Harari writes: "...the Scientific revolution was not a revolution of knowledge, it was first and foremost a revolution of ignorance. The great discovery that led to scientific revolution — the idea that people are ignorant of the answers to the important questions." Managers need to recognize that they don't know the answers to all the questions, and to give the team a chance to search for them.
the Leaders of companies focused on innovation, you should fully trust your team, give her to try new approaches and to try not to interfere.
About the authors
Sergei Revzin (Sergei Revzin) venture investor in the NYU Innovation Venture Fund, co-host of the podcast The Mentors of the successful founders of companies. Advising hundreds of entrepreneurs from the USA, co-founder or one of the first employees of several technology companies in new York and Boston.
Vadim Revzin (Vadim Revzin) teaches entrepreneurship at the State University of new York, co-host of a podcast about successful founders and The Mentors. Advising hundreds of entrepreneurs from USA, founder and Director of several technology companies.
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