--- title: Are You Leading an Anti-Innovative Culture? description: Has your organization fallen into the “Anti-Innovation Trap”? Here are five ideas to help you build an innovative culture. image: https://www.advantexe.com/hubfs/Blogs/anti-innovation.jpg --- [![logo-advantexe-150.png](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo-advantexe-150.png?width=150&height=123&name=logo-advantexe-150.png "logo-advantexe-150.png")](https://www.advantexe.com) ![blog-banner-2022](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-banner-2022.png?width=973&name=blog-banner-2022.png "blog-banner-2022") ### The Advantexe Advisor Blog - providing a deep and applicable understanding of the system of business. # Are You Leading an Anti-Innovative Culture? By Robert Brodo | Mar 13, 2018 7:54:39 AM | [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fare-you-leading-an-anti-innovative-culture%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fare-you-leading-an-anti-innovative-culture%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fare-you-leading-an-anti-innovative-culture%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fare-you-leading-an-anti-innovative-culture%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Are%20You%20Leading%20an%20Anti-Innovative%20Culture%3F) [![Share on Pinterest](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/pinterest-24x24.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fare-you-leading-an-anti-innovative-culture%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fare-you-leading-an-anti-innovative-culture%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fare-you-leading-an-anti-innovative-culture%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) Much has been written about creating, supporting, and nurturing a “Culture of Innovation.”  A Culture![anti-innovation.jpg](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/anti-innovation.jpg?width=360&height=240&name=anti-innovation.jpg) of Innovation is an organization full of leaders who feel empowered to support all employees to develop and execute ideas that improve the process of delivering the [value proposition](https://www.advantexe.com/blog/the-importance-of-authenticity-in-your-value-proposition) to customers to create competitive advantage. Over the past few months, I have been doing a lot of work in this area helping leaders develop the skills of creating a culture of innovation through [business simulation](https://www.advantexe.com/why-business-simulations)-centric learning journeys and application workshops.  During this time, I conducted research and dozens of interviews with executives, senior leaders, mid-level leaders, and front-line leaders about this topic and I’ve observed several interesting patterns worth exploring and sharing. One senior leader within a large Chemicals company shared his frustrations about the tradeoffs between getting the current work done versus innovating for the future.  “Look, the bottom line is that we are asked to do more with less every day.  The work is nonstop and we are constantly disrupted by emails, meetings, and all of the other distractions related to working within this company.  To tell you the truth, there is no time to be innovative. I really don’t want my people wasting their time in meetings about things that don’t exist.  I went to business school and I know they told us that ‘10% of the time’ should be spent innovating. But that was in the 1970s.  That formula doesn’t work today.  Besides, I’m not evaluated or compensated for new innovations. I’m compensated on getting products to our customers. *As hard as it is to believe, criticizing innovation as a “waste of time” is a common theme in many organizations*.  And when that happens leaders are creating an anti-innovation culture where employees are discouraged from thinking about are acting to innovate.  While that may help drive short-term results, it inevitably is the beginning of the end of the company as any company who fails to innovate to make their value proposition better will lose in the long run. If you or your organization have fallen into the “Anti-Innovation Trap”, here are five easy-to-implement ideas to evolve into an innovative culture: **Encouraging your people find their creative rhythm** While asking everyone to devote 10% of their time to innovation is probably not very likely in 2018, encouraging your people to find their creative rhythm is something you can do today.  Whether it’s in the shower, on a run, or sitting in a café drinking coffee, each one of us has a special place where we come up with innovative new ideas.  Encourage your people to find that place a few times a week. **Encourage your people to share ideas** Everyone has ideas but if they aren’t shared, then they are wasted.  Utilize tools, videos, software, or even face-to-face meetings to have people just share simple ideas and innovation about the business.  Have an innovation pizza day once a month and encourage people to share all (not just the best) of their ideas. **Support challenging the status quo** Constantly asking “Why do we do things this way” is one of the most important elements of challenging the status quo.  Your job as a leader is to create an environment where people are encouraged and rewarded for asking why and coming up with new ways of making your value proposition to customers even better. **Seeing things your customers don’t see** One of the most important elements of creating a culture of innovation is seeing things your customers don’t see and using that information to enhance your value proposition. As a leader, the sooner you realize that this isn’t the job of market research or new product engineers and is actually everyone’s job, the sooner you will be on your way of creating a culture of innovation. **Harnessing new trends** Innovation for innovation’s sake is actually the real waste of time.  Innovation that enhances your unique value proposition is one of the most important things you can do as a leader.  Harnessing new trends can fall into this approach very well.  A new trend is a new technology, approach, message, campaign, or something that can be leveraged to enhance the customer experience.  For example, the “Uber-ization” of markets is a trend.  We now are seeing trends such as Uber eats, shared private jets, hotel rooms, etc.  How can the trend of sharing assets be utilized in your business?  Strong leaders look at these trends and encourage their people to leverage them. [![Why Business Acumen Matters ](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1153922/ef562d5a-acb6-45df-86ae-098c09e7fcc0.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/1153922/ef562d5a-acb6-45df-86ae-098c09e7fcc0) ![Robert Brodo](https://www.advantexe.com/hubfs/Blogs/rob-brodo-author.png) **About The Author** Robert Brodo is co-founder of Advantexe. He has more than 20 years of training and business simulation experience. [**](https://www.advantexe.com) [**](https://twitter.com/robrodo) [**](https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rob-brodo/0/334/574) COMMENTS ### SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL ### About Advantexe Advantexe is a gold medal winning training and performance improvement organization specializing in the development and delivery of interactive learning journeys using computer-based business simulations as the catalyst for learning and change in the areas of: Business Acumen, Business Leadership, and Strategic Business Selling learning solutions. 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