Creating an Innovative Culture Will Help Your Company Succeed

Cathie Leimbach • November 30, 2021

When thinking about innovation, people often assume it is limited to brilliant people coming up with new products or disruptive ideas. While that is sometimes the case, creating a culture of innovation more frequently helps your organization adapt quickly to new challenges, thrive in unforeseen scenarios, and execute strategic objectives more effectively and efficiently.

 

Gallup reports that only 1 in 3 employees believe they are encouraged to bring forward ideas to improve their company’s products or services. Think about what that might mean for your company. Your employees who are doing the work aren’t encouraged to share how it can be done better. Not only does that lead to a loss of potential profit, but it also frustrates and disengages your most talented team members.

 

Creating an innovative culture requires a shift in thinking. Rather than creating a top-down approach, collaboration is encouraged and nurtured. Risk and failure are embraced as a part of the process. Your employees are provided opportunities to learn, contribute, and grow beyond their job description.  Everyone, from the CEO to the most junior staff person, is encouraged to contribute to your company’s success.  Even the most innovative employee is unlikely to contribute unless the culture supports innovation at every level.  This results in few robust solutions and approaches and diminishes engagement by your top talent.

 

Several years ago, the incoming CEO of Frito-Lay asked ALL the employees to think like a CEO. This motivated one of the janitors to learn more about the company and to develop a spicy snack food that his Hispanic friends would love. His home kitchen became a product innovation space as he and his wife developed and taste-tested spicy Cheetos.  The janitor shared his idea with the CEO. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos have generated 2 billion dollars of revenue for Frito-Lay and eventually Richard Montanez became the company’s product innovation leader.   

 

What would it mean if everyone on your team was clear about the long-term strategic objectives of your company? If they fully understood the goals of differentiating in the marketplace, providing the best product or service possible, and were infused with a sense of purpose? It would be a gamechanger in terms of productivity, profitability, and employee engagement.

 

Sounds good, but you are unsure how to start? Here are some beginning concepts:

 

  • Provide and reward collaboration.  Innovation occurs when every member of your company is involved in solving problems, overcoming challenges, and creating results. Great ideas come from anywhere. Reinforce the importance of collaboration and new ideas. Reward them. The more pronounced the support for collaboration and innovation from recognition to performance reviews, the more you will get.
  • Focus and communicate the big picture. President Kennedy’s space initiative was successful in part because of an inspirational goal. Apple has been successful because of its laser focus on customer experience.  Google’s approach to staff-driven innovation keeps its people engaged, happy, and motivated while helping the company achieve tremendous accomplishments. Zappos has grown, in part, because of its emphasis on every employee using innovative solutions to keep customers happy. Your employees will do more, and your company will be more profitable and productive if they have a sense of shared purpose.
  • Embrace risk and failure. An innovative culture encourages people to try new ideas, solutions, and approaches. Some will work. Some won’t.  And those “missteps” will show a better way to proceed. Let your employees know it is okay to fail. 

 

Consult your employees regularly and get their input in critical decisions geared towards your company’s success that directly impact their work. If their input isn’t accepted as the best path, let them know why in detail.

 

Remember that you win three ways when you foster innovation. 

  1. You get ideas, many of which are good. 
  2. Your employees are committed to executing ideas they have been involved in creating.
  3. You improve both engagement and feelings of inclusion.

 

 

 

Is Absenteeism a Pain in Your Pocket?

By Cathie Leimbach • August 10, 2026
Absenteeism is expensive. Every unexpected absence costs more than a day's wages. Someone else may need to work overtime. Priorities get reshuffled, service slows, projects fall behind, and customers notice. Before long, absenteeism starts taking money right out of your pocket. That's why many organizations turn to attendance policies, incentives, disciplinary action, or tighter oversight. But what if those approaches are addressing the symptom rather than what's really going on? Most people don't wake up one morning and suddenly decide they don't care about their work. Disengagement usually happens gradually. People stop sharing ideas. They stop feeling heard. They begin doing only what's required. Eventually, some stop showing up. By the time absenteeism is brought to your attention, the real issue may have been growing for weeks—or even months. If absenteeism has become a recurring challenge, don't just ask, "How do we reduce call-offs?" Instead, ask "What happened before people stopped wanting to show up?" That question may lead you somewhere an attendance report never will—and may ultimately save far more than overtime costs. Attendance problems. Accountability. Difficult conversations. Team conflict. Every leader faces workplace people challenges, and few have been taught exactly what to do when they arise.  Talking through your challenges with others can be helpful. Ask questions of your network. Get some ideas online. Sometimes another perspective is exactly what you need to see the situation differently. You Don't Need to Go It Alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic on August 17. Gain insights from Cathie Leimbach and other attendees as you explore practical ways to handle the situations you're facing. Register here for the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic

People Give More When They Know Why Their Work Matters

By Cathie Leimbach • August 4, 2026
Most employees know what they are expected to do each day. Far fewer fully understand why their work matters or how it contributes to the organization's success. Yet that understanding is one of the most powerful drivers of engagement, commitment, and performance. Gallup research consistently shows that employees who feel connected to their organization's mission and purpose are significantly more engaged, while highly engaged teams achieve stronger productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, and retention. When people understand how their individual responsibilities help customers, coworkers, and the organization succeed, their work becomes more than a list of tasks—it has meaning. Supervisors play the key role in creating that understanding. A job description explains what to do. Leadership conversations explain why it matters. They help employees see how quality, safety, customer service, teamwork, and continuous improvement all connect to the organization's goals. As work changes, priorities shift, or new challenges arise, supervisors who communicate openly help employees understand not only what is changing, but why those changes matter. Questions, discussion, and regular feedback replace assumptions with clarity and build trust. Employees who understand the purpose behind their work are more likely to make good decisions, solve problems, take initiative, and remain committed during difficult times. They also appreciate knowing that their organization is willing to invest in their future through learning and career development opportunities, even if promotion is not immediate. When supervisors consistently connect daily work to a larger purpose through meaningful conversations, employees gain direction, confidence, and motivation. They don't simply complete tasks—they understand the difference they make. And that understanding creates a workplace where engagement, performance, and retention naturally grow. Need Help with a Difficult Workplace Conversation? Great leadership doesn't happen by accident—it happens one conversation at a time. You Don't Need to Go It Alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic on August 17. Gain insights from Cathie Leimbach and other attendees as you explore practical ways to handle the situations you're facing. Register here for the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic Conversation is where leadership happens.