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. *

  1. Be suspicious of any new ideas from below.
  2. Make people go through several organizational levels before getting your approval.
  3. Give criticism at every opportunity.
  4. Keep people in the dark about what is going on in the firm.
  5. Manage tightly; control everything to the nth degree.
  6. 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?

Kanter in book
Into innovation? Here's your book.

*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!
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