In organisations which have genuine innovation capability, creating new ways to consistently improve performance is not something which is only the domain of senior leaders; everyone in the organisation is always looking at ways to ditch outdated methods and practices and solve problems creatively.
Organisations with innovation cultures are also always obsessing over how to significantly increase customer value as the needs of customers evolve. There is no mystery as to why the world’s most successful organisations are also the world’s most innovative ones!
Innovation isn’t an end game – it’s a mechanism used to achieve organisational objectives. Many innovation programs fail because organisations choose to “be innovative” as an objective, rather than choosing to meet organisational objectives, goals and targets using innovative methodologies.
If your organisation is consistently finding new, creative ways to deliver customer value on dimensions which really matter to customers and their evolving needs, and you are capturing value using innovative business models and structures which super-seed the outdated models used by your competitors, you’ll enjoy sustainable competitive advantage. Innovation training isn’t the end game; it’s the method you use to achieve the goal in a competitively advantageous way!
If you’re serious about developing innovation capability which delivers an innovation culture, you’ll already know that it’s not something which can be done with a bolt-on process and a few training sessions. It’s also not something you can achieve by just trying to copy some of the cultural artefacts which exist at Google or Apple. Sorry, the trip to Silicon Valley to ‘observe’ great innovation cultures might be fun; but it won’t create an innovation culture for your organisation!
Remember, innovation isn’t the end game. It’s something which you need to enable, which is done by developing a cultural shift – and cultural shifts don’t happen by implanting a few artefacts!
You bet it can! Innovation isn’t a mystical art form; it’s all about having the right strategies, structures and organisational capabilities in place. The innovation culture you seek can be developed by removing the right blockers, unlocking the right enablers, and having the right strategies and structures in place. In fact, your innovation culture will be an output of having all those things in place.
If you don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. It seems daunting. But we know! Our innovation consultants are experts in organisational strategy and structure; and one of our founding partners is an organisational psychologist – organisational culture is what she eats, sleeps, and breathes!
Mark and Astrid have made a significant contribution to the success of Mirvac’s innovation program, Hatch. They have worked closely with the innovation team, champions and leaders since the program’s inception and over this time have provided valuable counsel and advice.As a team, their skills are highly complementary. Mark brings expertise in competitive strategy and the technical aspects of innovation. He is a highly engaging story-teller and trainer, and has been very successful in conveying the impetus for innovation and compelling audiences to action. Astrid brings valuable insight as an organisational psychologist. By understanding the complexity of effecting change within the culture of an established organisation, she has been able to provide advice through challenging situations as the foundation for the program was laid, and then gradually embedded.Orange Squid have a passion for innovation that is infectious. They have been involved in training and mentoring at every level of the business – from interns to the executive leadership. By making complex concepts digestible and simple for a broad audience, they are able to cut through and inspire employees in the business to make a direct impact that adds value.I have always found Orange Squid to be professional, reliable and to consistently produce high quality work. It is a pleasure working with them.
Christine Gilroy
Group General Manager, Innovation. Mirvac
Mark Hawkins
Astrid Snippe
Chris Green
Sally O’Brien
