It is impossible to be or become an innovative organization unless and until the issue of culture is your first priority.
There. That’s said. It should be pretty clear and unambiguous. If innovation is the topic, culture should be your first concern. If innovative practices, innovative execution, innovative output and innovation as a means to long-term excellence are a desired outcome, your attention should go first to culture. If innovation is a “strategic imperative” or some such other phrase or vision or story line, then culture change should be the path you pursue. Start anywhere else other than culture and at best you will achieve only incremental tactical and structural improvements; at worst, you will create a cynical and disengaged team, one that hears the word “innovation” as . . . just another organizational whim.
