Balancing the Structure

Good communication across the organization is equally important

There are a number of considerations that can hep you to strike this balance. First, while an appropriate structure is essential for an innovation idea to progress, rigid hierarchies can stifle new ideas, as employees at lower levels find themselves unable to pass their suggestions on to management. Cooperation across team boundaries is essential, sine input from many different skill sets will be needed to implement a new idea--this cannot be achieved if each department operates on its own.

Good communication across the organization is equally important, as well as communication up and down the hierarchy, so that ideas can be shared, and no one feels left out as an innovation moves forward.

The structure of of individual teams is also important. Effective team-working means that ideas are discussed and developed within a team, and all team members are encouraged to contribute.

ACTION POINT: Ensure that all teams are aware their input is welcome, rather than treating innovation as a job for the experts.