by Jacqueline McClure, Genesis Background Screening Services
More and more companies are recognizing the necessity of attracting and retaining highly innovative employees in order to create a work culture that competes and performs well in their industry. However, recruiting and keeping these types of employees can be very difficult if your company does not foster the right work environment for these highly prized candidates.
Here are 3 dysfunctional practices that can damage innovation in your company:
- An oldie, but goodie – working by committee. You will NEVER satisfy everyone, you will waste inordinate amounts of time, create endless frustration, and in the end, your results will likely be less than stellar. Give your team a little power to make some decisions and move forward.
- Trying to reach perfection will just about guarantee that the project will never be executed, especially if you are trying to reach consensus. Many entrepreneurs have found the right formula for getting it “right enough” and adjusting on the fly when necessary. Customers are becoming more aware that products and services are developed this way and frequently will help you by giving feedback for improvement, especially if you make it easy for them with surveys.
- Making your team afraid to fail. If you want innovators on your team, it is important to understand that some ideas will fail and you must be okay with that. Progress requires learning, learning requires experimentation and sometimes what you learn is what doesn’t work. Leadership needs to understand and support this process. And don’t get mad at the people that can visualize what the challenges will be – they aren’t being negative – they just have the ability to see 3 steps ahead in the development process.
While you’re at it, maybe it’s time to rethink some of your rules and job descriptions. Having draconian workplace policies can thwart creativity. It gives people the idea that certain tasks “are not in my job description” instead of fostering ownership and accountability for a project. What you are hoping for is that employees get excited about the opportunity to think outside the box and the last thing you want to do is squelch them.
In addition to creating the best work environment, Genesis Background Screening always suggests a thorough pre-employment background screening to help you make an informed decision. For more information, contact Genesis Background Screening Services at 866 944-0041 ext 101, email getstarted@gbsspro.com or visit http://www.genesisbackgroundscreening.com
