During the last half of June, we are focusing on the characteristics of an innovative organization. Which of these attributes are already within your local command? Which of these elements is your organization promoting? Which of these traits should your team advance?
Innovation thrives on collective brainpower and cross-disciplinary thinking. Our ability to innovate in the future directly depends on leveraging ideas and executing them both vertically and horizontally across the organization. Awareness and accessibility to the vast amount of relevant information within the DON must be universally viewed as a strategic asset. As such, we must prioritize sharing and the removal of cultural barriers so that collaboration occurs freely and the right information enables data-driven decisions.
Historically, the DON has focused on protecting information from outside threats. This view often prohibits sharing knowledge across organizational boundaries. Broader individual awareness enables warfighting, business and technical comparative advantages.
We must evolve from the industrial age culture of “need-to-know” to one of “need-to-share.” Doing so will move us towards becoming a true learning organization.
- From the DON/SECNAV Innovation website. Share your ideas on the DON/SECNAV Innovation website: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/innovation/.