3 Quick Fixes for Stalled Innovation

At their inception, every significant company began its run of good fortune with a spark of innovation—something unique that catapulted it from a start-up to an ongoing concern. But gradually the momentum from this initial idea stalls and it's time for the leadership team to find new innovation to fuel the company, or begin that gradual downward spiral.

Although it may take time to rebuild the innovation capabilities of your organization, talent development departments are in a unique position to promote innovation throughout an organization. As one of the few departments with connectivity to every corner of a company, you have the means to create and reinforce corporate habits to embrace and adjust to an ever-changing world. Here are three quick fixes to stall the downslide and begin recharging your innovation machine. 

Open an Ongoing Dialogue With Your Frontline Associates 

Down in the trenches where your company interacts with the customer on a daily basis, those team members not only know, but understand the customer. They see on a daily basis what drives the customer to return time and time again to make purchases. Talk to them. Visit your storefront. Study what goes on.

What you discover through these interactions are indicators as to where your company should be headed. Talent development departments should promote store and customer visits as part of a new associate orientation. But don't let it be a one-time-only event. Integrate these visits and discussions into your work habits. And better yet, invite others to explore with you. 

Clarify What Differentiates You From Competition 

Ensure everyone is aware of and acting in accordance with how your brand, products, and service level differ from the competition. If it isn't known, it isn't happening. Those little details of products and services often are what drive delight in customers and keep them coming back.

Make sure they are called out in training materials, reinforced by leadership messages, rewarded in compensation packages, and celebrated in team meetings.

Make Your Vision Actionable by Taking It to the Performer Level  

All too often, strategic directives are communicated in loosely worded directives that are worthless to the folks in the trenches. To have any chance at being implemented, planning activities need to be specific and designed at the right level.

When building a plan, make sure to identify how the effort will change the work of the affected employees. What will change in how they perform their role? How will it affect the customer? Only when plans are designed at the performer level can they be consistently executed at the performer level. Otherwise, the plans are simply talk and more talk.

These quick fixes are but the seeds to plant a company's future. Transitioning an established company into an innovative enterprise is a major undertaking. To make it stick requires active sponsorship, continued reinforcement, and ongoing diligence to make sure the chosen path is the correct one. With time, innovation practices become natural. Employees engage. Teams deliver. Once innovation is embedded in your culture, good things will follow.

Read more from CTDO magazine: Essential talent development content for C-suite leaders.