I was on a recent discussion string where the following question was posed:
“What is it that makes some companies innovative and others not?”
This is a topic I feel pretty passionate about it, so I wanted to share my response.
Well…in my (admittedly limited) experience, companies aren’t innovative. Few were originally built to encourage innovation: they were built to systematize and scale existing innovations. The really good ones arguably “steal faster” rather than “think different”.
PEOPLE are innovative. Or they are not. People, people, people.
A company’s culture can foster innovation…or kill it. For innovation to be a part of a company’s culture (in my experience) requires a couple of things -
- an environment where “failure is an option”. So many say it, SOOOO few mean it. You need a full company commitment to hiring and supporting risk takers. My boss, Dan Wieden, says “you aren’t useful to me until you fail big three times…because if you haven’t, you don’t risk enough”. That helps. And he delivers.
- a promiscuous and relentless hunt for innovation, inside and outside.
- a strong sense of MISSION, that translates into a FILTER that lets a company ferret out the needles of strategic/business relevant “innovation” from the haystacks of possibility. There are more innovations out there than any company can deal with – but strategic, brand-relevant innovations? Aligned with core systems? Magnitudes tougher to find.
- respected internal champions with CULTURAL (very key!) seniority that can INSPIRE their company to emotionally to commit to a change, when yes, Virginia, change is different, and when it really gets down to it, people don’t much like “different”. (Joan of Arc?)
- a system to SCALE innovations quickly, and most importantly, (drumroll)
- a culture of execution.
Because you Must.
Execute.
Often.
Execute.
Faster.
With leadership and rank and file committed to learning from each mistake. As an organization.
Because innovative ideas are a f**king dime a dozen.
But execution gets you on the field. And brilliant execution can win the game.
So which PEOPLE are innovators? And what drives them? When the world was fine yesterday, without your “innovation”, thank you very much? The folks I’ve been impressed with have some key attributes:
- They are better observers than most
- They ask good questions
- They listen deeply
- They are OK working alone or in small groups, but ideally, connect well
- They are fierce about their passions, and believe deeply in their convictions
- They are courageous and hungry
- They aren’t so wedded to your organization that perpetuating the organization (and their place within it and its pecking order) takes priority
and so…
- they often need care and protection most from the same institution that needs them.
Ultimately, innovators within companies need a place that wants them around – and an organization steaming along on 1-6 above 
And that is damn rare.
I spoke today to a CMO whose philosophy for their own marketing department was “keep the org as lean as you can, because true innovation will always come from outside, where people are exposed to more stuff and aren’t worried about our internal stuff. Keep it lean and staff it with folks smart enough to spot the things that can work for the company, and empower them to make those things happen. And if they fail? At least we learn.”
Two words: AWE SOME.
