Innovation Spirals

The word ‘spiral’ grew out of the MindsPower belief that an idea is like a stone thrown into the still surface of the lake. The ripples spread across the lake. Just as the flutter of a butterfly wing in the rain forests in Brazil can cause an earthquake in Indonesia, or when New York Stock Exchange sneezes, the Asian economies catch pneumonia, every new idea changes the company. Innovation spirals are cross-functional teams, created to design and implement corporate strategies. Kanter writes of factors that inhibit the culture of innovation. • Dominance of restrictive vertical relationships • Poor lateral communications • Limited tools and resources • Top-down dictates • Formal, restricted vehicles for change • Reinforcing a culture of inferiority • Unfocused innovative activity Building an organizational culture supportive of creativity is not something which can be done in a hurry. It takes time to build trust between individuals and to reinforce the beliefs and norms we wish to encourage. Despite the obstacles, continuous efforts must be undertaken to ensure the development and maintenance of a creative culture in order to ensure systematic innovation.