“My scientists and engineers aren’t innovative enough. They don’t go after high-risk, high-reward opportunities.” –constant complaints from senior management.
“Senior management doesn’t want innovation. They have a track record of punishing people who take risks and fail”.–constant complaints from scientists and engineers.
How do you resolve this conflict?
🎯Smart leaders unleash the creativity of their teams by creating a well-defined sandbox.
A sandbox is a set of rules under which it is SAFE to try and fail.
A well-defined sandbox includes the following:
🔷Topics that can be explored.
🔷Budget that can be expected.
🔷Who can participate?
🔷The process for deciding which projects will be selected for funding.
🔷The process for providing feedback to participants and other stakeholders.
🌟The keys to success are:
🔷Start very small.
🔷Solicit input from stakeholders on what should be included and how it is going.
🔷As the leader, you will have to be a vocal champion for the program, for the successes and the failures.
🌟Many organizations are sending mixed messages to their technical teams about under which conditions it is OK to take risks. Leaders can overcome this confusion by creating a well-defined sandbox, a set of rules that establish when it is safe to take bigger risks than normal.
Download Your Free Leadership Blueprint
Are you an advanced-degree scientist or engineer looking to maximize your influence and earning-potential?
Get my free 20-page Leadership Blueprint.