Creating a culture of innovation

At The A List, we wanted to find out what it takes for a technology leader to foster real innovation in an organization. So we spoke with Marianne Johnson, Senior Vice President for Global Technology, New Product Innovation at Equifax.

Marianne leads the team that drives all the technological aspects of new product innovation at Equifax. She explained that her team “gets to take an idea from inception all the way through to the marketplace.” According to Marianne, “It’s a very fun role.” Here’s what she had to say about it….

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

When I look at our technology team and think about what we’ve accomplished over the last two years, the first thing that jumps out is our culture of innovation. Today, employees across the organization are asking: How can I build something that can be leveraged? How can I create a value proposition? This is rare but critical for a technology team, and it has changed the way technology is viewed in our organization. Technology is not just a service anymore, but a growth enabler.

How do you build a culture of innovation?

You have to create a dialogue within your organization. You have to get people talking within their own teams and across the enterprise about customer needs and market demands. When this happens, growth and innovation become part of the company’s DNA…the way people think. They start asking themselves, “How can I be creative? What can I do to innovate a new product?” Yes, it’s a vision that is passed from the top, but it also comes from the grassroots – and it permeates the enterprise. Rather than thinking, “That’s someone else’s job to go and figure that out,” our people are taking ownership of problems and opportunities that arise. This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something that you have to continually work at.

So, everyone is responsible for innovation?

Everyone is. It doesn’t matter if your role is a QA analyst, a developer, an architect, a product manager, or a sales manager. Whatever your position, everyone should be thinking about how they can leverage their knowledge and assets to meet a need or solve a problem.

How do you get this innovation dialogue going?

First and foremost, you have to ask for the ideas, and then you have to act on them using formal and informal tactics. Informal activity generates good dialogue among team members and across business functions. But you also need a formal framework of disciplined, rapid processes for turning new ideas into new solutions. At Equifax, we call this our New Product Innovation (NPI) infrastructure. Another driver of innovation is the Equifax Growth Council. This is a team of leaders from different corners of the organization who are focused on identifying market opportunities and adopting strategies to drive greater momentum.

It’s also important to set performance metrics that reward people for their creativity and innovation. In 2008, we introduced Innovation Jam (iJam), a Web-based campaign to inspire Equifax employees to bring forward ideas for new products or initiatives. The campaign resulted in more than 800 submissions – with ideas contributed by every business in every geographic region where we operate. This kind of thing lets the workforce know that the company cares about their ideas and that their ideas will get traction.

As the team leader, how do you ensure results?

Our technology team has delivered 100% of the initiatives it has been asked to execute - on time, on budget and with the highest quality possible. In 2008, continued commitment to innovation enabled Equifax to introduce 64 new products for our customers. To achieve these sustainable results, technology leaders have to embrace a simple but powerful principle: the need to balance the “what” and “how” of leadership. This idea is explored in the book, Results-Driven Leadership, by Dave Ulrich, Jack Zenger and Norm Smallwood. The book is a tool I often reference – both personally and professionally. As they explain in the book, it’s really the combination of great leadership and a constant focus on results that fuels sustainable success. If the how is not right, the results won’t be sustainable.

In next month’s newsletter, we’ll continue the dialogue with Marianne and hear her thoughts on how to build the right team to drive innovation and growth.