Keeping innovation alive after the consultants leave

Leaders of R&D usually want consistently higher levels of innovative outcom es from their organizations than they normally experience. Attempts at "sho tgunning" the problem may produce sporadic improvements, but, more often, i nnovative outcomes diminish when the shotgun is put away. A better way to s ustain innovation is to make it as much a part of the organization's value system as, say, honesty and integrity. This, in turn, requires making value s "real" by taking action in the "support legs" of awards, taboos and repet itive reinforcement.