ABSTRACT
It’s exhilarating to finally identify the barriers that are weak-ening your company or division, preventing it from being the innovative powerhouse you want it to be. Obviously, it would be even better if those obstacles didn’t exist at all, but at least now you’ve got an idea of where to start making improvements. Once you’ve got your sights set on a target or two (or three or four!), you might be tempted to start a major overhaul right away. Don’t give in. Leaders and managers are often problem solvers, and when given the chance we love to jump in and start getting our hands dirty. But that’s my point: when it comes to inspiring innovation, a stealth approach is often the better way to go. In fact, once you’ve identified the cultural issues plaguing your company or the vulnerabilities a competitor could easily target, the first step is rarely to do more of anything or whip up an entirely new plan of action that just adds busywork. Rather, you’ll achieve greater success when you and your teams cut down on the busywork to make way for productive, thoughtful work.
