If culture is a set of common beliefs that determine behavior, then we want to pay careful attention to the beliefs that are helping or hindering innovation within our organizations. Below are twelve common ones I encounter. Look through the list and see if those or others might be at play. Leaders can only get the right behaviors if they address negative beliefs and support positive beliefs.

  1. My boss doesn’t care
  2. I’m too busy
  3. Innovation is just about technology
  4. I am not creative
  5. My opinions don’t count
  6. Innovation is not my job
  7. Ideas never go anywhere (into a black box)
  8. If I come up with an idea I am rewarded with more work
  9. It is risky for my career to innovate
  10. WE are the leaders WE cannot be disrupted (too high of an opinion)
  11. We are “just” a supplier/contractor/too small etc (too low of an opinion)
  12. We can innovate without collaborating with other groups