Is Your Organization Reaching Its Fullest Potential?

Here’s an excerpt from the Harvard Business Review that we found very insightful:

Ask a roomful of CEOs if they want a workforce that innovates, and you’d be shocked not to see all hands in the air. But how many CEOs really mean what they say? Do they truly believe that innovative work can be left to the non-management ranks – and do they give individual contributors the time and resources they need to do so?

Though we at Planbox agree with this general idea, we also acknowledge that there is an important logistical reason why business leaders do not currently rely on innovations made by non-management rank employees. In practical terms, it is difficult to organize, evaluate, and implement the vast amount of ideas and innovations that entry-level employees could contribute. That is precisely the problem we aim to solve with our agile work innovation software.

Below is a quick overview of the biggest barriers to employee-based innovation, along with links to Planbox solutions.

1. Encouragement. Do your employees feel as if their ideas are respected? Does your organization make visible efforts to consider and implement improvements developed by these workers? If not, then your corporate culture could be holding you back. Learn more about Open Innovation Software and how Planbox can help you make much needed changes in this regard.

2. Time. Setting aside time for employees to actively reflect and discuss workflow and day-to-day processes can be challenging — but making this small sacrifice in short-term productivity offers invaluable long-term benefits. Looking for a more time-efficient method of accomplishing this goal? Consider investing in Time-Management Software from Planbox, which can benefit employees at every level of your organization.

3. Staffing. Optimizing employee workloads should not be confused for overworking anyone — not only does this negatively influence employee satisfaction and company PR, it also contributes to a “clock in, clock out” culture in which employees can’t dedicate themselves to the bigger picture. Read more about creating an engaged workforce here.

4. Funding. When it comes to financing your new ideas, balance is the key. Few organizations have money to throw at every new concept or innovation, and doing so will only detract resources away from truly revolutionary ideas. At the same time, failing to fund the ideas that deserve support is another surefire way of falling behind the competition. Testing ideas to discover which innovations might gain traction is one of the most empirical methods of allocating funds in a productive fashion, so consider utilizing our Agile Experimentation software.

Creating an innovation-friendly organization takes more than just a quick fix — in fact, it requires an ongoing commitment to adaptation and agility. But, in the tech-driven, 21st century marketplace, it is one of the best investments of time and resources that any business can make. Visit Planbox online today to learn more about our diverse solutions for organizations of all sizes, and get started on your journey toward innovation today!