Blog Layout

Creating an Innovative Culture Will Help Your Company Succeed

Cathie Leimbach • November 30, 2021

When thinking about innovation, people often assume it is limited to brilliant people coming up with new products or disruptive ideas. While that is sometimes the case, creating a culture of innovation more frequently helps your organization adapt quickly to new challenges, thrive in unforeseen scenarios, and execute strategic objectives more effectively and efficiently.

 

Gallup reports that only 1 in 3 employees believe they are encouraged to bring forward ideas to improve their company’s products or services. Think about what that might mean for your company. Your employees who are doing the work aren’t encouraged to share how it can be done better. Not only does that lead to a loss of potential profit, but it also frustrates and disengages your most talented team members.

 

Creating an innovative culture requires a shift in thinking. Rather than creating a top-down approach, collaboration is encouraged and nurtured. Risk and failure are embraced as a part of the process. Your employees are provided opportunities to learn, contribute, and grow beyond their job description.  Everyone, from the CEO to the most junior staff person, is encouraged to contribute to your company’s success.  Even the most innovative employee is unlikely to contribute unless the culture supports innovation at every level.  This results in few robust solutions and approaches and diminishes engagement by your top talent.

 

Several years ago, the incoming CEO of Frito-Lay asked ALL the employees to think like a CEO. This motivated one of the janitors to learn more about the company and to develop a spicy snack food that his Hispanic friends would love. His home kitchen became a product innovation space as he and his wife developed and taste-tested spicy Cheetos.  The janitor shared his idea with the CEO. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos have generated 2 billion dollars of revenue for Frito-Lay and eventually Richard Montanez became the company’s product innovation leader.   

 

What would it mean if everyone on your team was clear about the long-term strategic objectives of your company? If they fully understood the goals of differentiating in the marketplace, providing the best product or service possible, and were infused with a sense of purpose? It would be a gamechanger in terms of productivity, profitability, and employee engagement.

 

Sounds good, but you are unsure how to start? Here are some beginning concepts:

 

  • Provide and reward collaboration.  Innovation occurs when every member of your company is involved in solving problems, overcoming challenges, and creating results. Great ideas come from anywhere. Reinforce the importance of collaboration and new ideas. Reward them. The more pronounced the support for collaboration and innovation from recognition to performance reviews, the more you will get.
  • Focus and communicate the big picture. President Kennedy’s space initiative was successful in part because of an inspirational goal. Apple has been successful because of its laser focus on customer experience.  Google’s approach to staff-driven innovation keeps its people engaged, happy, and motivated while helping the company achieve tremendous accomplishments. Zappos has grown, in part, because of its emphasis on every employee using innovative solutions to keep customers happy. Your employees will do more, and your company will be more profitable and productive if they have a sense of shared purpose.
  • Embrace risk and failure. An innovative culture encourages people to try new ideas, solutions, and approaches. Some will work. Some won’t.  And those “missteps” will show a better way to proceed. Let your employees know it is okay to fail. 

 

Consult your employees regularly and get their input in critical decisions geared towards your company’s success that directly impact their work. If their input isn’t accepted as the best path, let them know why in detail.

 

Remember that you win three ways when you foster innovation. 

  1. You get ideas, many of which are good. 
  2. Your employees are committed to executing ideas they have been involved in creating.
  3. You improve both engagement and feelings of inclusion.

 

 

 

The Four Cs of Effective Conversation

By Cathie Leimbach • February 18, 2025
Based on “Four Cs of Effective Conversation” - The Ohio State University Leadership Center. Ever walked out of a meeting thinking everything was settled, only to realize later that key actions didn’t happen, or alignment was off? That’s because effective conversations require four key elements: clarity, candor, commitment, and completion. Clarity: Make Sure Everyone’s on the Same Page Miscommunication is one of the biggest productivity killers. It’s easy to assume people understand what’s being said, but without clear expectations, mistakes happen. Take the time to check for understanding—what’s obvious to you might not be obvious to everyone else. Candor: Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say Honest, direct conversations build strong teams. When people hold back their real thoughts or concerns, issues fester, and progress stalls. Creating a culture of candor—where people feel safe to speak openly—makes teams more effective and relationships stronger. Commitment: Get Specific About Next Steps A vague “I’ll handle it” often leads to dropped balls. When commitments are specific—who will do what by when—things actually get done. Leaders sometimes hesitate to ask for deadlines, fearing it feels like micromanagement, but clear commitments drive accountability without overstepping. Completion: Don’t Move On Too Soon Before wrapping up a discussion, check that everything’s been addressed. Did we answer all key questions? Does everyone know what happens next? Ensuring a topic is fully covered prevents confusion later and keeps teams aligned.  Mastering these four Cs can turn routine workplace conversations into powerful tools for productivity and collaboration.

Improve Leadership to Boost Workplace Productivity

By Cathie Leimbach • February 11, 2025
Today's workplaces are changing, and managers play a key role in increasing workplace morale and productivity. Research shows that managers impact 70% of what affects how engaged and effective employees are. Surveys show many employees are dissatisfied. They say that expectations are unclear, they don’t feel respected by management, they don’t get enough training, and they don't see how their work matters. With the increasing number of seniors and fewer people in the workforce, increased productivity is essential. Strong leadership is more important than ever. Managers need to develop skills to help their teams succeed. This includes: • Setting clear goals, • Showing appreciation, • Providing good training, and • Helping employees see the purpose of their work. The innovative Conversational Management program helps managers build these leadership skills. It focuses on the leadership practices which boost engagement and productivity. Managers can participate in a virtual Test Drive to see how these strategies can improve teamwork and performance. If you want better results and productivity, REGISTER HERE to join a Test Drive and learn about this highly effective leadership approach! 
More Posts
Share by: