Innovation

INNOVATIVE CORPORATE CULTURE

Quality through reliability, order and precision - these were and are the strengths of some of the most successful German companies. Not least because of this, products that are ‘Made in Germany’ have enjoyed an excellent reputation worldwide for decades. Because Germany is not rich in raw materials, wage levels are high and market pressure is increasing due to globalization and digital networking, German companies will have to come up with something to assert themselves and their products in the future. But other nations are aware of these aspects as well: They are developing new and ever better products, are already at the top in certain areas and they are also creative, innovative and flexible – which seems to put the legend of ‘German thoroughness’ somewhat into question. The old German recipes for success no longer seem to offer a guarantee of success in global competition. At least not if companies concentrate entirely on the production and sale of their products.

WHICH FACTORS PROMOTE INNOVATIVE STRENGTH?

In order to take a genuine step forward and become more innovative, companies need to think about which factors currently support or hinder their innovative capacities. It can be helpful here to review the strategic orientation, processes and structures. In many cases, however, further development of the company’s own corporate culture can prove to be highly effective. Wherever new things are to be created, space must be made to promote creative thinking, inventiveness and commitment. Concrete approaches for such further development can be developed by means of a targeted cultural analysis, for example. This will help management to create the framework conditions for staying ahead in the innovative thinking race.

HOW COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION promotes AN INNOVATIVE CORPORATE CULTURE

An important component of an innovative and creative corporate culture is efficient and effective communication and cooperation. This allows for the knowledge that exists among employees and managers in different areas to be pooled. This is, however, easier said than done, because knowledge in companies is usually distributed decentrally - despite the organizational structures. For management, this means making the most of the available options in enabling and actively promoting cooperation across the company organization. Close networking of organizational units and the involvement of internal experts unleashes previously unused potential and contributes significantly to a company’s success. The same applies to the employment of and integration of external consultants, but also of consumers, for example via new platforms in Web 2.0.

MANAGERS AS ROLE MODELS FOR CROSS-OVER COOPERATION

However, the integration of new actors can only work if the responsible managers know how to establish and manage cross-functional cooperation in a meaningful way. They provide their employees with orientation through the definition of clear objectives, processes and interfaces - and at the same time they create the necessary mental space for new forms of cooperation such as Design Thinking, that in turn allow creativity and innovative power to unfold.