How Open to Innovation is Your Organization

Do you look ahead in a structured way

There are some things you can ask yourself to determine how open your organization is to innovation. Questions include:

• Do you have good relationships with your suppliers and pick up a steady stream of ideas from them?
• Are you good at understanding the needs of your customers/end users?
• Do you work well with universities and other research centers to help you develop your knowledge?
• Are your people involved in suggesting ideas for improvements to products or processes?
• Do you look ahead in a structured way (using forecasting tools and techniques) to try and imagine future threats and opportunities?

ACTION POINT: Consider the questions above to determine your openness to innovation.