Gartner Research

Set Performance Objectives to Cultivate Innovative Behaviors in R&D Associates

Published: 25 May 2023

Summary

R&D leaders looking to foster innovation culture in their organizations should help their staff develop innovation competencies. R&D leaders can do this by setting performance objectives that promote the five behavioral markers predictive of employees’ innovation potential.

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Overview

Key Findings
  • R&D staff’s innovation potential is tied to corporate innovation performance. It is therefore important for R&D leaders to foster their staff’s innovation competencies alongside technical competencies.

  • Five sets of behavioral competencies are highly predictive of an employee’s innovation potential: result seeking, customer empathy, idea integration, influencing and risk taking.

  • By setting performance objectives designed to develop these natural innovation markers, R&D leaders can harness their employees’ innovation potential and improve performance.

Recommendations

To foster innovation in the workforce, R&D leaders responsible for R&D talent should:

  • Assess their workforce on behavioral competencies specific to innovation and set performance objectives to

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