Why is it becoming essential for organizations to build a culture of innovation?
Between drastically shortened development pipelines that can send R&D into a frenzy and consumer demands changing so fast they could give you whiplash, everyone demands the same solution.
More innovation.
While individual “Eureka!” moments that change the industry do happen, for most of us, inspiration doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
Rather, it flows freely when it’s intentionally woven into the fabric of a company’s culture.
But what exactly do we mean when we say “building a culture of innovation”? More importantly,
how do we foster an environment where this type of culture can thrive?
We sat down with Opal Abraham, Insert title here, to answer these questions and more.
What does it mean to “Build a culture of innovation”?
Abraham: I think explaining this needs to start with an expansion of how we view innovation.
Yes, it can mean developing cutting-edge technology or creating exciting, “magical” new solutions and product flavors, but that’s handled by specific departments.
So, what we really need to focus on is how we can foster a spirit of innovation across the whole team.
For me, this comes down to two things: how the company shaped and is shaped by its history, and the people who did the shaping.
At Ever Fresh, we’re deeply rooted in our history. When we were founded in 1968, we started as a fruit stand, then became a cannery, and now specialize in formulated ingredient systems.
This “farm” mentality of needing to predict and change with tides to stay alive helped push the organization’s evolution forward. This “innovation ethos” enables us to develop tailored solutions alongside our partners and get ahead of the competition.
How do people shape a company’s culture of innovation?
Abraham: Many of our employees are the same ones who started working here 35-40 years ago. They helped bring the “whatever it is, you make it work” mentality that built up this company.
This really drives our innovation. The actual people who are here every single day embody this attitude. We know it might be challenging for us to achieve, maybe even seem impossible, but we know everyone will work together to come up with a solution, right?
We also believe it doesn’t matter what your background is. In fact, we actively lean on these different experiences to grow the business.
It allows us to rely on each other, gain different perspectives, and actively involve members from across the organization.
This adds so much more than creativity, innovation, and nimbleness to offer unique solutions. It helps us cultivate relationships and build a deeper sense of community among us and with the food manufacturing partners.
Is this an inherent quality of Ever Fresh’s employees, or something they grow to embrace upon joining?
Abraham: I would say all of the above.
One of the things we emphasize in our interview process is agility, flexibility, and the ability to jump in and help whoever needs it.
It doesn’t matter which shift it is or what your job is. We all help one another.
More importantly, we all want to help. It’s not uncommon to find our salespeople or office folk out in the plant helping to pack out.
It’s important to stress that this isn’t something that comes from a forced expectation or sense of obligation. This is the result of a genuine sense of community and connectedness. It doesn’t matter whether you’re at the very top of the organizational ladder or the opposite; we’re all in it together. And this is something we actively work to live out day after day.
How do you get team members to buy into this culture?
Abraham: If we want to encourage this, leadership needs to practice what it preaches. Part of this is the ability to reflect, find ways to hold ourselves accountable, and improve.
For example, I said how we’ve had people with us for decades. We’ve had to ask ourselves,
“Why did they stay?” followed by, “How do we extrapolate that into the new people?”
How do we get them to share that same sense of ownership and pride in their positions and embrace our culture of innovation?
You’ll hear a lot of people talk about having a family atmosphere. I’m not a huge fan of that. Instead, as I mentioned earlier, we focus on fostering a sense of community. It’s about looking out for each other.
In one sense, it’s contagious. We’re all part of a team together, and we can’t accomplish any of our goals if we don’t work that way, right?
Something that goes a long way in getting buy-in is making a real effort to recognize and acknowledge when people do that.
That’s why we have a weekly newsletter where our leadership recognizes an employee who has actively demonstrated these values. Let’s say it’s someone who typically works in our formulated plant but was willing to help out at our apple plant when someone called in sick.
This type of callout may seem small, but when it’s authentic, people notice, and we notice the difference.
Innovation and change go hand in hand.
How does Ever Fresh help employees embrace these changes?
Abraham: Let’s face it, nowadays, so many people are turning and burning jobs after 18 months or two years. When there are major changes, it can be like pouring gasoline on that fire.
With so many folks that have been here for 15 years plus, embracing the change that comes with applying innovation could present a real challenge.
That’s why it’s really, really important that we have face-to-face conversations and meet people where they are.
I can’t stress enough that when making changes, whether good or bad, we stick to and honor the relationships we’ve built.
This means delivering messages personally, but also making it a dialogue. A place where we can explain the what, how, and why, and hear their thoughts and concerns.
Another part of meeting people where they are is letting them know they aren’t alone. This could come from breaking down language barriers with translators, or holding town halls where groups can share ideas and feelings openly and honestly.
Meeting people where they’re at isn’t forcing them to conform to an uncomfortable environment, especially when we have the ability to change it.
This is how we build trust, and then we follow through.
Why does having a culture of innovation matter?
Abraham: Oh, gosh, I think it is what sets us apart.
It’s why the people stay here.
We’re not just another business or corporation. We really try to take care of our people, invest in them.
Leadership knows each individual as a person. What they’re good at, what they have to offer each project, and what we can offer them.
These aren’t empty words. We have a lot of folks who started off working in sanitation and are now supervisors.
It’s about connecting with folks.
Does this make a difference for your customers?
Abraham: This absolutely carries over to our partners.
In fact, we apply the same approach we use in our business. When you’re going out to meet with new customers, you need to really understand not just our company, our people, and our processes, but also theirs.
Yes, we want to work together to innovate and create a new flavor or match an existing one. But
I need to be something that works for both of us.
It’s still all about relationship-building.
Our company may be small, but with the culture we’ve built, we’re able to think big and deliver even bigger results.
