Tech employees say innovation is unwelcome

By Emelie Rutherford

(IDG) -- IT workers want to be rapid innovators who apply their coding prowess to exciting new projects. Yet, according to a recent Quick Poll on CIO.com, their input is often stifled and they end up feeling like mere cogs in a wheel.

Almost two-thirds of respondents say management at their companies doesn't encourage and value the input of all employees.

Some observers say this is based in the inherent nature of IT departments, which for years have functioned as hierarchical systems -- all employees know their place.

"IT executives are too quick to punish any deviation from the norm and rarely, if ever, recognize and celebrate innovation," says Jose Campos, president of Rapid Innovation, a leadership consultancy based in West Linn, Oregon.

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"If an administrative assistant comes with input, they'll likely treat him like a low-level employee," Campos says, "and won't value his input as much as if it was from an engineer. So he's stifled and will never come again."

But now that IT is becoming more strategic, Campos says, IT departments are realizing they need to foster participation and empowerment, things their cohorts in marketing, engineering and finance learned years ago. "IT is just now becoming part of the mainstream and learning how to operate like it," he says.

But IT workers are unique, and the ideas they contribute may not always be in line with the company's larger goals or budget. "Passion, so much a part of the technical persona, sometimes leads to wishing and hoping for things to be different than they truly are," says Patricia Wallington, the president of CIO Associates based in Sarasota, Florida.

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As CIOs learn from other executives that they need to stay aligned with the company's mission and within its budget, they may dismiss even the best of ideas from the most senior workers below. "Too often they reply to an idea with, 'That won't work,' or, 'We tried that 10 years ago' without consideration," says Campos.

Some CIOs say that to stay innovative they need to hire people who don't work for a paycheck but for the love of the skills they're using and the work they're producing. And yet even these dream employees can become complacent and ultimately break morale if their grievances and feedback aren't heeded.

Campos warns that a popular solution -- incentive programs that reward employees' contributions with bonuses or a percentage of a project's ultimate revenue -- don't necessarily motivate employees any more than recognition does.

"Giving back to the employees certainly helps," he says, "but you get into trouble when they think such structured programs are the only way they can do something."

Value the input

Back-and-forth communication is a motivator, says David Hume, vice president of permanent placement for St. Louis-based Bradford & Galt. CIOs, he says, must keep their staffs informed of the company's larger mission and let them voice their concerns and grievances.

Even if the CIOs can't do anything about it, he says, listening will help build loyalty.

When CIOs receive input about a potential initiative, says Campos, they must show they value the input. "First and foremost it has to be a value set," he says. "It doesn't matter if you create a hundred input boxes. It has to be a value of the management team, executive staff, CIO and CEO."

And there's a lot to be said for good manners, says Campos. "It's amazing," he says, "how powerful saying, 'Thank you very much, we value it, please do more of it' can be."