The Age of Innovation is here, and it has dawned on leaders in all industries that our global economy has changed the game forever. Oh, sure, products and processes still matter, but what really keeps a company competitive is its people – more specifically, the ability of said people to innovate.
An innovative culture is the antithesis of the “We pay you to work, not think” mentality that defines many companies and causes employees to mentally check out. Unless all employees are fully engaged and empowered to solve problems, you will never be able to think your way out of a financial morass.
So here’s the real issue: How do you infuse this magic ingredient into your culture?
Employing bright, empowered, innovative people – the people we’re calling “Rudolphs” – has always been important. Now it is imperative to have them on your team.
Rudolphs are the 10 percent of any organization’s people who are the true agents of innovation. They connect the dots that others don’t see. Since they tend to identify causes of problems (rather than symptoms), they generate sustainable solutions more quickly and efficiently than their counterparts.
Here are a few ways to create a Rudolph-friendly culture at your business:
• Lead in ways that don’t force people to check their red noses at the door. The old (yet still prevalent) command-and-control style of management is antithetical to environments that nurture Rudolphs. Leaders must be more participative than autocratic, treat all employees as business partners regardless of their titles, and focus on removing barriers and providing resources for people to be successful. Once you give up your illusion of control, more ideas will percolate from the ground up.
• Embrace the AVTAR approach to creating a Rudolph culture.
Value: Share information that inspires employees to find value in a proposed change.
Thinking: Managers must let go of their own agendas and encourage employees to ask questions reflecting their new awareness.
Actions: New actions and behaviors begin to appear based upon new ways of thinking.
Results: Here, results flow organically, a natural outcome of the shift in thinking and new actions and behaviors.
• Learn to recognize Rudolphs. Here’s a clue: They are often labeled square pegs, radicals, misfits, loose cannons, zealots or innovators. And while their “Rudolphness” may differ based on context, circumstance and environment, one constant for all Rudolphs is that they cannot help but spend time: Involuntarily thinking about the things they are most passionate about; Acquiring the capabilities to manifest their thoughts into reality; And taking action.
To share an important distinction, Rudolphs are not synonymous with entrepreneurs. They generally don’t want to start their own companies because they want to keep doing what they do – and not have to worry about raising capital, finding business and hiring workers.
• Identify (and meet) your Rudolphs’ unmet needs. The fact is, Rudolphs are not like other employees. They really do have unique needs, such as: An outlet to share ideas on a regular basis; Protection from their direct manager as well as ill-willed peers (because Rudolphs are commonly seen as a threat); Permission to take risks and share unconventional ideas; Access to collaborative teams that also include non-Rudolphs; The ability to execute their ideas.
Unless you already have a Rudolph-friendly culture that embraces risk, do everything you can to shield and nurture them. If you don’t, they will stay in hiding, with their noses dimmed. And everyone will lose.
Programs like this one illustrate the principle of drawing innovation out of people rather than trying to impose it on them. The prospect of earning some extra money tends to sharpen and refine the creative process, which results in better conceived, more workable ideas.
Just implementing these kinds of systems is enough to draw previously unsuspected Rudolphs out of the shadows.
For too many years, too many companies have unwittingly stifled their employees. The recession is forcing them to take a hard look at what’s working and what’s not. And what they are realizing is that any policy or system that represses innovation has to go.
Smart companies know it’s time to clean the mud off the noses of their Rudolphs and let their creative and profitable ideas shine. And they know the time is now. •
Cyndi Laurin and Craig Morningstar are the authors of “The Rudolph Factor: Finding the Bright Lights that Drive Innovation in Your Business.”
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