Bayer’s mission is “Science for a Better Life.” We want to enable discoveries to promote health and secure food supply. To achieve that goal, however, we must innovate not only in terms of science and R&D, but also in how we run our business. This means shifting the way we work so we’re able to match the pace of change happening in the wider world. With more than 100,000 employees and 150 years of history, there is only so much we can learn from the usual Silicon Valley exemplars. “We cannot be like Google, but neither do we want to be,” says Kemal Malik, the board member responsible for innovation, “We need to plot our own path.”
Fostering Employee Innovation at a 150-Year-Old Company
You don’t have to be a Silicon Valley startup to innovate like one.
December 17, 2018
Summary.
With more than 100,000 employees and 150 years of history, Bayer can’t structure its business to innovate in the same way that Silicon Valley start-ups do. But it has found a way to advance new ideas and encourage meaningful experimentation through its own solution, one transferable to other large organizations: an agile network of volunteer ambassadors and coaches spread throughout the company who have taken collective responsibility for making innovation happen and acting as the “carriers” of the company’s desired culture.
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New!
HBR Learning
Innovation and Creativity Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Innovation and Creativity. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Unlock your team's curiosity and willingness to take smart risks.