Innovation is driven by incentives. There’s a reason why many big leaps in innovation are connected to the military (radar, penicillin, GPS, duct tape, microwaves, etc). Nothing provides an incentive quite like a looming existential threat.
What are you incentivizing in your system? Innovation, remember, comes in fits and starts. Lots of fails before a break through. Does your system reward those who always get it right? Or those who take risks in interesting directions? If it’s the former, you’re likely designing a system that rewards those who play it safe rather than those who might create something that’s a big leap.
Incentives come in many forms, not just monetary. What merits a shout out to in meetings, what gets posted on the team board, what gets mocked…all of these provide incentives. Pay attention to how you’re designing your system – it’s directly leading to the results you’re currently getting.
BUILT TO LEAD 