Fostering a culture of innovation requires open, transparent communication. Information must be shared upward, downward, and laterally. Unfortunately, most organizations tend to filter the information that flows upward. A psychologically safe environment allows more of the “bad” news to be shared upward, but a culture of fear increases the probability that the information needed will not be communicated upward. Instead, the tendency in this environment is to engage in cover-ups, finger-pointing, and avoidance, resulting in top management’s being unaware and sometimes blindsided.
A culture of innovation must specifically address this and combat it with an openness and emphasis on transparency. We must encourage people to communicate openly, sharing their failures versus hiding them or allowing them to fester. And we must engender an openness to share ideas and collaborate. It is vital to openly share ideas on all fronts, including on what is working and what is not working, what we know and what we do not know. Knowing what we do not know is significant, and we must let others know this. That is, the environment must embrace the fact that it is okay not to know everything.
Eli Lilly encourages open communication—even about mistakes. For over 20 years, the company has held “failure parties” for intelligent failures. Part of this party is having people transferred to new projects. This is a public way to acknowledge the mistake, to communicate that there is life (and “good” life) after intelligent failures, and then to move on.
Downward communication must also be open to foster innovation. If information is controlled and hoarded by top management, the innovation of employees throughout the organization is stifled. Open, transparent communication, then, is a foundation for a collaborative environment.
Excerpted from Patricia M. Buhler, Destination Innovation: HR’s Role in Charting the Course (SHRM, 2015).
An organization run by AI is not a futuristic concept. Such technology is already a part of many workplaces and will continue to shape the labor market and HR. Here's how employers and employees can successfully manage generative AI and other AI-powered systems.
Related Content
HR must always include human intelligence and oversight of AI in decision-making in hiring and firing, a legal expert said at SHRM24. She added that HR can ensure compliance by meeting the strictest AI standards, which will be in Colorado’s upcoming AI law.
The proliferation of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and the ensuing expected increase in productivity and efficiency, could help usher in the four-day workweek, some experts predict.
Learn how Marsh McLennan successfully boosts staff well-being with digital tools, improving productivity and work satisfaction for more than 20,000 employees.