A common question I get for my innovation advisory is “How can we create an environment where employees feel empowered to innovate?” There are many ways. But, before answering this question a better question to ask is “What are we currently doing to stop employees from feeling empowered to innovate?”

Bingo!

Framing the question this way shifts your perspective to think about the enemies of innovation that you have to fight. You might believe you are immune to them but that is wishful thinking; every business big or small has to fight them.

Now, let’s get to the topic at hand. Most businesses stop innovation before they even start simply by never questioning the way they do business. Yes, the way you do business is a big innovation obstacle. For traditionally operated businesses, you have to shed old ways of operating.

Innovation is as much about attitude and perspective as it is about process. And most businesses want a process they can follow. But, more important than a process is the environment, which influences attitude and perspective. You have to define and design the environment, the culture, that nurtures innovation. And most likely, you are not.

And adding on more processes won’t work because innovation isn’t additive, it’s subtractive.

With all of the above said, here’s a list of ways and actions that leaders, often unintentionally, can stifle or stop innovation in their businesses:

1. Punish failure or mistakes
2. Maintain rigid hierarchies and bureaucracy
3. Overemphasize short-term results
4. Ignore or dismiss new ideas from employees
5. Micromanage projects and teams
6. Resist change and stick to “tried-and-true” methods
7. Underfund research and development
8. Discourage risk-taking
9. Fail to recognize or reward innovative efforts
10. Create a culture of fear or excessive competition
11. Prioritize cost-cutting over-investment in innovation
12. Lack of clear innovation goals or strategies
13. Isolate departments and discourage collaboration
14. Overload employees with routine tasks, leaving no time for creative thinking
15. Ignore market trends and customer feedback

Want to kill innovation? Excessive controls, unnecessary hierarchy, fear of failure, resistance to change, and close-mindedness are all traits of a Chief Idea Killer.

Now that you know what stops innovation, we can talk about what drives it. Take your time and read through the list, and I’ll tell you how to drive innovation in my next post.

Bottom line: Innovation is messy, it’s not straightforward, and it’s not business as usual; which is why most businesses never do it. Before the process, what matters is the environment. Understand how you stop it before you implement any processes. As is the case with people who want to improve: you are stopping you.