Creating a supportive culture: From the top down

Here are six steps designed to create a supportive culture that encourages and rewards innovative thinking:

Create a supportive culture from the top down.

Development programmes need to support entrepreneurial thinking from top-level executives to entry-level workers.

Define company values.
Organisations must stand for something by defining company values and empowering its workforce to define what they stand for.

Define competencies.
Managers must develop and present the entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for a particular job to advance the quality and confidence of new hires.

Enable self-assessments.
Organisations must empower employees to self-assess their own job performance skills.

Provide development tools.
Employees have to be given the tools to grow their skills and do their jobs effectively.

Reward and recognise.
Execute reward and recognition programmes that will enhance entrepreneurial behaviours.