-
The Empty Suit a.k.a. The Innovation Killer
There’s a particular employee persona that in my belief poses one of the greatest threats to innovation. They are eloquent and persuasive but pay attention long enough and you’ll begin to notice a lack of depth or substance to anything they’re saying. Oftentimes being a “remix” of someone else’s idea wrapped in a buzzword sandwich. They are the smooth talkers whose delivery style is designed to mask the void of meaningful content. The Empty Suit Empty suits often excel in the art of buzzwords, appear easy-going, and can navigate organizational politics with superhero levels of adeptness. However, beneath this is a lack of knowledge, experiential insights, and often, any genuine…
-
Creating a culture centered around collaboration and communication will pay off dividends in the future.
There is no quick and easy way to build a culture. It takes time and effort, and everyone needs to be on board. EVERYONE. Determine who you are as an organization. What is your value proposition within the organization and to your external stakeholders? Create something your people can understand and get behind. Step 1: Drop the buzzwords and develop something real and it all starts with making sure the actions and words of your leadership team reflect your commitment to collaboration and communication. How is this done? Hands-on leadership development. It is dangerous to assume that everyone knows how to communicate effectively. So, train your people. Communicate expectations. Role…
