Innovation and leadership in the workplace | Idea Drop

Effective innovation management requires leaders to communicate and motivate employees to join the innovation process, even if they are not creative geniuses. It is crucial to make innovation part of the formal agenda and integrate it into the overriding business objectives so that employees can visualize where it sits within the wider picture. Leaders should also establish a safe space to innovate by promoting a culture of openness and operating an open-door policy to encourage collaboration across all hierarchies. Setting targets and attaching a reward is a good way to incentivize employees, but it is also important to avoid only recognizing short-term performance and consider the broader need for rewards. Collaborating with others can significantly increase the pool of innovation concepts and generate a network of innovators where creative ideas can flow constantly.