Answer the following statements true (T) or false (F)

Question

1. An organizational culture that celebrates failure helps foster innovation.
2. Innovation can be fostered by withholding raises or promotions from those whose attempts to innovate are not successful.
3. One step for fostering innovation is gaining allies by communicating your vision.
4. The most effective way to handle rewards for innovation is to provide them at the end of a successful project.

Answer 1

1. TRUE
An organizational culture that doesn't just allow but celebrates failure is vital toward fostering innovation. Most new ideas will fail. Only a few will be successful. But if an organization doesn't encourage this kind of risk taking, that organization won't become a superstar in innovation.
2. FALSE
People should not be punished when their attempts to innovate don't work out, or else they won't attempt new things in the future. By the nature of experimentation, the end result can't be foreseen. Only when people attempting an innovation are acting halfheartedly, sloppily, or otherwise incompetently should sanctions such as the withholding of raises and promotions be used.
3. TRUE
Among the four steps to foster innovation within an organization is to gain allies by communicating your vision.
4. FALSE
To encourage progress on innovation, you'll need to hand out periodic rewards like recognition, celebrations, and bonuses for tasks accomplished. And the rewards should not be withheld until the end of the project, which may be many months away, but given out for the successful accomplishment of short-term phases in order to provide constant encouragement.