INNOBLOG

Time and again, firms pronounce their goal of creating a Culture of Innovation. Many executives, it seems, feel that the ability to create sustainable growth is largely rooted in the attitudes and behaviors that govern a firm. They see snippets of how the culture of certain innovative firms can manifest itself"from kooky work environments to frequent, direct communication with the CEO"and hope these practices can engender a transformation of their organizations and business prospects.

Much of this conventional thinking about a culture of innovation is deeply misguided. Establishing a replicable innovation process takes a lot more than redesigning your workplace and embracing flip-flops. Culture is fundamentally a lagging variable: It is the result of a set of decisions about strategy, structure, people, and processes. Starting a transformation by focusing on culture is like selling a failing car by changing the brand. A brand is the result"not the cause"of a set of correct design, strategy, marketing, and other organizational decisions.

In a recent Strategy & Innovation article we debunk some widespread myths and lay out a viable route to building an innovative culture, a route that is quite distinct from common perceptions. To read the full article, subscribe to S&I here.