ABSTRACT
Isn’t it easy for top-line management to say, “We need to be more innovative!” Obviously, rapidly changing technology, highly competitive marketplaces, and shrinking investment dollars are some of the many factors that influence organizations to issue the directive to their workers to “be more innovative.” While there is a strong desire to create a more innovative organization, directives from the top by themselves are ineffective in truly inspiring innovation across an organization. At best, these directives indicate an organizational emphasis on innovation; at worst, they convey the management theory “flavor of the week” and have no substantive impact on how employees act or think. One key underpinning of successful innovation within an organization rests with the human experience. This brings us full circle to the “landscape approach” discussed in the virtual and physical space in Chapter 11. The systemic approach looks at the body as a whole. The amorphous organizational culture must be addressed. What organizational culture needs to be in place to support innovation? How do you “lead” to innovation? How does an organization create the opportunities that are necessary for chance 118interactions or cross-organizational alliances that generate innovative ideas? The following outlines ideas on how to approach these issues.
