An innovative company is one that challenges status quo and welcomes new ideas into its methods and processes. In the past few years, there has been an increase in training human capital in the topics of creativity, innovation and design in the hope of creating a new product. However, the failure to implement the outcome of the training can be traced to management who likes the idea of new but does not want to take risk in the implementation. Such company is in tug of war between change and tradition. It takes more than wanting the idea of change to drive change.

Creating an innovative company begins with the commitment to change and resources. Change carries more than the idea of shift. Creating paradigm shift requires plenty of energy because one is not only changing the culture of the company, it also changes the established habits of the people used to doing certain things previously. I know of a company who wishes to implement a simple after sales survey. All the necessary questions and survey were done, but even after 2 years, it is still in the upcoming project. This company is no small or medium company. This company employs hundreds of people. 

If you wonder why some learning programs do not work, it is not because the training is ineffective, it is the structure that has to be checked. There has to be a champion who needs to see to it that the desired outcome is coming to fruition.

Commitment and change requires a champion. Every company who wishes to drive change can only change its culture by changing its structure and having a champion committed to change is what is needed. This champion is someone who needs to have authority and solely focused on realizing change. That person may be a project manager but the key is that the person needs to be bestowed with authority and listened to by the management.

If you are thinking of bringing innovation to your company check if everyone is committed to change, there is ample resource to bring change and a champion the will drive the movement.