Infusing Innovation into Corporate Culture

It’s very easy to talk innovation. Academics do it with the recitation of lengthy research results. Chief executive officers (CEOs) do it with the help of the corporate communications departments. Even politicians do it with the help of some muse unknown to most of us. But how do you walk the talk? It’s not easy. In January of last year Bill Ford, CEO of Ford Motor Company, gave a talk in which he announced that Ford would be known for its innovation. It would be known as ‘‘The Innovative Company.’’ He also announced the layoff of 30,000 people. We have become so immune to announcements of layoffs and innovation that the pathetic irony of those statements evoked little comment. Not quite 9 months later, Ford announced the hiring of an outside executive as CEO to engineer the company’s turnaround. Bill Ford was quoted in the media reports as having said to his board of directors: ‘‘I just can’t handle it all.’’