Today was our last firm visit here in the United States. The companies we’ve visited so far have been fascinating places of interest. With innovation being a central focus of Managing in Complex Environments, it’s been interesting to analyze which companies embody the word “innovative” best.
I can make the assumption a company is innovative by the feeling I get when I walk through the door. If the atmosphere of the firm feels like a place where creativity is fostered and self-growth is welcomed, then I immediately feel the company is a place to innovate. Almost every site visit we’ve been on thus far, I’ve gotten a good feeling. This positive initial impression is established with the help of how welcoming our tour guides have been, but this was particularly amplified at Google. The energy there was unlike anything I’ve seen at another office setting. The creative space paired with the utmost regard for employees in combination with bond-boggling success was unlike anything I’ve seen before. Google truly champions innovation.
That being said, I see employee innovation as an extension of a company’s ability to be innovative. An employee’s ability to thrive in the professional work force stems directly from the freedom their employer grants them: the freedom to foster professional, creative, and self development. I see innovative employees as a product of their firm’s ability to grant them creative power.
Having visited these different companies and had the opportunity to reflect and contrast, I can only draw the conclusion that environmental factors paired with intrinsic creativity cultivate innovation. I can only hope to one day use the skills I’ve attained at Pitt, and in the business school, to push me in the direction to accomplish this in my professional career.