Most business and organization leaders recognize a great and growing need for innovation. Unfortunately innovation may not be what their organizations are good at.
They aren’t blind to change. Executives of large and mature industries are well aware that the future is different, that whatever will be expected of them in the future isn’t the same as today.
Mature organizations and businesses are usually extremely good at doing what they already know how to do. They depend on their best people for incremental improvements in already successful products or services. Unfortunately that may not be enough in future. It’s not enough now.
Somehow leaders must curb their organization’s tendency to hire creative and innovative newcomers and then crush all the new ideas they get from them. If that sounds harsh, it’s true or at least it has been in many organizations. Hiring for the future must mean hiring for initiative, ideas, exciting concepts, and engagement with change.
Will today’s organizations have sufficient capacity for innovation to succeed in a changing operating environment?
Three assessments you might need to make now:
1. Has your organization sufficient capacity now to generate innovations to keep pace with, or leap ahead of changing conditions?
2. Do you have a strategy to transition successfully to a new generation in the workforce. To oversimplify, Millennials and Gen X-ers can lead in innovation while your 50+ workforce keeps the ship steady and on course. Keep in mind that innovation and creativity are not exclusive to any one generation, your best idea could come from your oldest worker.
3. Does your company have a futures orientation? Is everyone fully focused on the coming challenges and opportunities?
Let Leading Futurists, and its associates, Green Consulting Group, guide you in the design of a company-wide futures orientation, or through a workforce/HR transition strategy. We can build a program for you to help you chart the path of innovation you need for future success.