Tired of innovation? Fed up with other people’s ‘good ideas?’ Here are 6 rules to stifle innovation from one of Americas most readable writers on management, Rosabeth M. Kanter. *
- Be suspicious of any new ideas from below.
- Make people go through several organizational levels before getting your approval.
- Give criticism at every opportunity.
- Keep people in the dark about what is going on in the firm.
- Manage tightly; control everything to the nth degree.
- Have the attitude that top management already knows everything there is to know.
Come to think of it, these sound quite a bit like the PPAP process.
I had the distinct pleasure of working in shops where these were the basis for how management managed.
They were great examples of how I did not want to manage when I got my chance.
How many of these ‘rules’ are alive and well in your shop?
How many would your employees say?
*Rosabeth M. Kanter wrote these in 1991. I found them in The Quest for Competitiveness: Lessons from America’s Productivity and Quality Leaders Y.K.Shetty Editor, Vernon M Buehler Editor. If you can find this book (try Amazon) buy it!
