Assessing your workplace
culture for innovation
This is a self-assessment tool to explore your workplace culture and how different dimensions enable or
hinder innovation.
How to use this tool
 You and other team members rate your workplace against the following seven dimensions. These
dimensions have been identified as the key determiners of innovative practices. By rating your
workplace culture against each dimension, it is possible to identify those dimensions that require
attention to ensure conditions exist that encourage innovation, development and continuous
improvement.
 Each individual scores the workplace’s culture for innovation against each of the seven dimensions on
a scale between +5 and -5.
o +5 = we have outstandingly positive skills, systems and experiences on this dimension; supports
innovation
o 0 = our skills, systems and experiences on this dimension have no real impact; neither hamper
nor support innovation
o -5 = we have outstandingly negative skills, systems or recent experiences on this dimension;
hampers innovation
 Place a dot that represents your rating for each of the dimensions on the spider diagram to create a
visual representation (see example below).
Read each of the following and plot your score on the spider diagram on the next page.
1. Risk taking
The degree to which there is intellectual and emotional support for team members who want to try out
something new. Reasonable precautions should be taken to avoid harm or completely disastrous
disruptions in the work place.
2. Resources
The availability of information, money, protected time and authority to innovate in the workplace.
Creative ideas don’t necessarily need to cost a lot of money or consume a lot of time but unless both
of these are available creativity can be stifled.
3. Widely shared knowledge
The degree to which knowledge is widely gathered both from within and outside the workplace is
easily available, rapidly transmitted and honestly communicated through the workplace. This enables
team members to find out about the best practice within their own or a linked area and use this as a
springboard for ideas generation. A good and fast process for gathering feedback from team
members and stakeholders is vital, as is the process for sharing this information within the workplace.
4. Specific targets
The degree to which line managers make clear that innovation is highly desired in specific areas that
are strategically or operationally important to the work place.
5. Tools and techniques
The degree to which the work place supports a conscious process and method for innovation that is
not so restrictive as to stifle creativity, but not so open as to leave innovation entirely up to the innate
abilities of individuals and teams.
6. Reward and recognition system
The degree to which the organisation rewards and recognises the efforts of individuals and teams
through a process that gives these people things that they really want, For example, more protected
time for innovation, greater access to recognition amongst colleagues, and so on.
Reward and recognition systems that are too individually focused can reduce creativity by restricting
the sharing of new ideas while team reward and recognitions systems can often motivate team
members and promote more widespread dissemination of ideas.
Any feedback mechanism to team members should not focus on whether the ideas have been
successful in the traditional sense but should focus on the learning, which can be used to support the
next new idea.
7. Rapidly formed relationships
The degree to which your workplace easily forms high-performing teams and networks of selfmotivated individuals with: a good mix of skills and styles; who quickly accept, respect and trust each
other; and who display honest and open communication.
Compare your ratings with those of your team members to look for trends and anomalies.
Consider areas that require attention for innovation to be enabled and the actions that you will take
individually and as a team to bring about these changes.
Performance and development resource
2 of 3
Performance and development resource
3 of 3