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

FINDING THE PATH TO STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

At the same time that our senior leadership group (the members of the Chairman's Council) was developing its change management plans, the Executive Committee began putting a greater emphasis on innovation communications. Committee members were concerned that we needed to begin spreading the word about innovation throughout Whirlpool worldwide. Because communications could be focused at the individual level, we hoped that they might spark the greater emotional reaction to innovation that we desired. The Executive Committee also knew that communication was critical to change management, especially in initiating the first stage in our change model: acceptance. If people were not made aware of our innovation ...