It was a pleasure joining the South Bay Organization Development Network to share ideas on How to Create a Culture of Innovation! Here are some resources to help you jump-start your own innovation culture.

Video: Culture is the New Competitive Advantage

I created this video that outlines how culture is the new competitive advantage for the 21st century. Use it, download, and share it to kick off your business strategy meetings, organizational development programs, and discussions focused on dealing with disruptive change:

And here’s an article from FastCompany that goes deeper into the Six Ways to Create a Culture of Innovation:

The Culture of Innovation Canvas is a simple tool (download PDF or download PowerPoint) for defining the following dimensions of an organization’s innovation culture:

  • Leadership – How leaders influence innovation through explicit decisions and subtle behaviors
  • Processes – How growth strategies and innovation are executed internally and externally including functional and cross-functional processes, customer engagement, information sharing, product and service development, and other activities
  • Structure – The formal and informal organizing principles and functional designs that enable (or inhibit) collaboration and guide mindsets & behavior
  • People – The mindsets and skillsets of employees, leaders, external partners and even customers tied to creative thinking, prototyping, and execution of new ideas and opportunities
  • Metrics, Rewards & Recognition – The mindsets and skillsets of employees, leaders, external partners and even customers tied to creative thinking, prototyping, and execution of new ideas and opportunities
  • Technology – Capabilities and tools that allow employees, external partners and customers to connect, share knowledge, and innovate

More Great Innovation Culture Resources – Toolkits, Assessments and Surveys
Here are some additional resources and tools that I reference and that anyone can use to begin to create a culture of innovation:

  1. Intuit’s Innovation Catalyst Toolkit
  2. Building Blocks of Innovation (MIT)
  3. KEY Creativity Climate (Harvard)
  4. LEAPS Innovation Leadership Competencies

The most innovative companies pull the right levers to create a culture that leads to exploration, experimentation, rapid prototyping, and the innovations that surprise the market, create competitive differentiation, and drive growth. That’s where real business growth and “leapfrogging” comes from. Now go innovate!