Strategic Innovation: Embedding Innovation as a Core Competency in Your Organization

CHANGING THE CULTURE: INNOVATION BEHAVIORS FOR ALL LEADERS

In addition to accountabilities created for senior leaders, we established a more general set of accountabilities or behaviors required of all leaders. Whitwam and his Executive Committee believed that if all leaders at Whirlpool—from supervisors and directors to vice presidents and Executive Committee members—acted in concert, we could move innovation embedment more smoothly and quickly to the level of success we expected. If we were going to create a culture where innovation could thrive, we needed to address those cultural characteristics that might inhibit innovation.

We wanted to transform these characteristics:

• Decisions were made top down. We wanted a culture where there was co-creation ...