We have emphasized the importance of strengthening “the will to share” as a key to having a culture of innovation in an organization. Breaking the will to share is one of the most dangerous innovation fatigue factors that we discuss in our book.
Google, typically a hotbed of innovation, continues to show that they understand the importance of keeping individual innovators engaged, connected to the company, and personally motivated to share their best. The Wall Street Journal reports today that Google is taking new steps to further keep the best ideas of their employees within Google, reducing the risk of them leaving and taking their best ideas elsewhere. These steps include new access to top management, increasing the chances that good ideas will be seen at the top. “Innovation reviews” are part of this program. These are formal meetings where concepts from employees are presented by Google executives to the the CEO, the founders, and other top leaders.
Google has also given some of its engineers increased power to launch major projects of their own choosing, and is taking other steps to keep inventors motivated and to have increased chances of realizing value from great ideas. This is all sound business policy when one realizes how important the “will to share” is. I expect that they will have increased success by keeping that will to share healthy and vital by paying attention to innovators at the individual level and making sure that they have a chance to make a difference. Few things are more frustrating than sensing that your great ideas never get seen or heard, and have no chance of changing the future.