Are you leading an “echo-chamber” organization? (And what to do about it if you are)

I would guess that it’s a trap all professionals have fallen into at one time or another:

Playing the “yes” game.

Being an echo rather than a voice.

When you work in corporate everything just takes longer; you have to worry about the constant sign-offs, about getting buy-in from immediate stakeholders, about keeping the executives happy, about your next annual performance review…

With all of these complications, it’s hardly surprising that so many organizations are brimming with employees who’ve developed a tendency of suggesting “safe” ideas. The type of ideas you just know the boss will love and the head of department will approve without fuss or delay. Ideas that are barely more than an echo of existing strategy.

And, while this tendency to play it safe may well give employees plenty of “surface success” to talk about at their next performance review, is it really helping the organization on a deeper level?

Generally, no.

It doesn’t propel teams, companies, organizations towards innovation.

It doesn’t propel them towards becoming a strong, forward-thinking voice in their industry. In fact, more often than not, it’s the very thing keeping them stuck in a cycle of using the same techniques and programs, over and over, with limited or no results.

Are you stuck leading an echo-chamber organization?

If any of this resonates with you, whether you’re a corporate executive or an entrepreneur, you’ve taken the first step towards ending this echo-chamber tendency: recognition.

And, of course, this recognition is the jumping off point for a number of concrete strategies towards greater innovation, industry-leading ideas, and outstanding success.

Strategies such as:

Rewarding creative thinking.

Let employees, external partners, and stakeholders know that they will be valued rather than penalized for going against the grain and respectfully challenging the status quo. For employees in particular, knowing that they will be rewarded for their creative thinking at their next performance review could spark all kinds of genius!

Allowing and encouraging debate.

Make it clear that meetings are not intended as an exercise in executive butt-kissing but as a means to generate new ideas, new methods, and new programs. Welcome healthy debate and opposing viewpoints.

Leveraging an outside perspective.

Working with an external partner, one with outside data and experience spanning multiple industries and verticals, can help you identify your organization’s blind spots, introduce vital new perspectives, and up level your strategy.

Often this is the key to not only emerging from the echo chamber, but to unlocking innovation — and skyrocketing your success.

If your organization is stuck in an echo chamber, I’d love to give you the valuable outside perspective you need to take your business growth up a level (or several!). For a free marketing proposal, get in touch today.