A senior HR professional emailed me, stating that he's going to be part of a panel discussion on Innovation and asking for my thoughts on the areas where HR can impact innovation. Here's my response:
1. If the culture of an organization is not geared towards innovation, then a "skunkworks" approach to innovation is best. This involves creating a separate place, structure, and group of people separated from the parent company—to form a distinct group without the systems and processes of the parent group to foster innovation.
2. On a personal level, innovation is a way to perceive reality from a different perspective; therefore, HR needs to emphasize systems and processes that promote diversity in thought and execution.
3. Performance management should be adjusted so that risks are incentivized and inaction is penalized. Encouraging risk-taking increases the likelihood of innovation. This also implies that managers need to alter their perception of failures.
4. Shift the focus from saying No to saying Yes. When an employee presents a new idea or innovation to a manager, the manager should be willing to say yes readily. If the answer is no, the manager should provide a business case explaining why the idea may not work. This approach would encourage a culture of saying Yes instead of defaulting to No.