5 Ways Management Can Encourage Innovative Company Culture
Company culture is one of the most important aspects of any business. It can make or break a company. A strong, innovative company culture will encourage employees to be creative and work together as a team. On the other hand, negative office culture can lead to employee dissatisfaction and decreased productivity. But if you’re hoping to see real change in your business and for the better, here are five ways management can actively encourage innovation that will help nurture business growth.
One Shared Vision
Our first strategy is about creating a clear mission and vision for the company that everyone has access to. This will give your team direction and purpose in their work. Management should also communicate this shared vision regularly to ensure that everyone is working in an aligned way and towards the same shared goals. You could even create a beautiful piece of art to hang within the office, featuring your business’s objective and mission statement for team motivation.
Encourage Open Communication
When employees feel as though their ideas are unwelcome or might be criticized, they are not likely to volunteer to share their input, even when asked. Innovation and change often involve taking risks, but a fear of failure can hinder creativity and progress. To combat this, management should work towards creating an open and safe environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas without fear of judgment. This can lead to potential innovative solutions, as well as foster a company culture of collaboration and teamwork.
Focus On Employee Development
Your team is your most valuable asset, and introducing ways to help your team gain new skills can be one of the most effective ways of encouraging innovation and unlocking their true potential. This can include offering training or professional development opportunities or providing guidance and support for employees to pursue their own personal growth. In doing this, you are showing your employees that you value their skills and experience and want to see them succeed on a personal and professional level too!
You can consider offering change management training and certification for those interested in a change leadership role. Change Managers use tools and techniques to help manage change and encourage innovative company culture.
Recognize Achievements
Recognizing individual, and team accomplishments not only boosts morale but also reinforces the behaviors that drive innovation within the company culture. Celebrate successes, big or small, and encourage employees to share their successes with the rest of the team. But along with the ‘wins’, you must also discuss the shortcomings and failures without a negative or consequential approach. This will show employees that it’s okay to take risks and try new things, leading to a more innovative company culture. Failures are opportunities to learn and grow, after all.
Design A Fun Office Culture & Environment
Creating a fun, upbeat office environment can have a significant impact on employee satisfaction and team motivation. This can include offering unique perks such as team-building outings or hosting office events, as well as designing the physical workspace to encourage collaboration and creativity. You can also section off spaces within the office to allow creativity to flourish, such as a ping-pong table, a cozy reading corner, and a team meeting space with bean bags and fidgets. These small changes can have a great impact on employee happiness and, ultimately, productivity.
By following these tips, management can actively promote an innovative company culture that benefits both the business and its employees and promotes change.
David Lovell
Master of Business Administration
Festus, Missouri
