How to Create an Innovation Culture

Whenever we teach Innovation Engineering, it is not long before someone says, “OK, I get it. How do I create an innovation culture in my (team, division, company, community)?” The starting place is always with your- self. You need to believe in your ability to innovate before you can engage others. The fastest way to do this is, to begin with creating ways to work smarter in your daily work. Kevin Cahill, grandson of Dr. Deming and executive director of the Deming Institute, taught me the concept of focusing your efforts first on your “sphere of influence.” To paraphrase from the interview with Kevin in the appendix:

I know my grandfather said quality starts in the boardroom, and I’ve heard so many people say, “Well unless you’re at the top, it’s not worth doing.” I disagree. I believe that every single person in every single organization has some sphere of influence; they can impact something. If they have some understanding of these ideas, some understanding of what the limitations of the system that they’re currently operating in are, then they can make a difference in what they’re doing.

So the best way to get started is to just begin. Here’s a four-step quick start.