While organizations need an influx of fresh ideas, their efforts may be hindered as staff are often too busy juggling their day-to-day responsibilities and dealing with problems that arise, according to a new Robert Half International survey.
Nearly half (49%) of CFOs interviewed blamed being bogged down with daily tasks or putting out fires as the greatest barrier to their company being more innovative.
The survey was based on interviews with more than 270 CFOs from a stratified random sample of Canadian companies with 20 or more employees.
CFOs were asked the question: “What is the greatest barrier to your company being more innovative?” Other responses included: “Too much bureaucracy” (9%); “Lack of new ideas” (5%); and “Ineffective leadership” (2%).
Kathryn Bolt, president of Robert Half Canada, said, “All professionals deal with solving problems and handling daily tasks, but they also need to make setting aside time for generating new ideas a priority.
“Managers should regularly encourage their staff to break away from their routines and develop innovative programs that will benefit the business.
“To give staff time to accomplish this, managers can work with their teams to reprioritize projects and bring in additional support during peak activity periods.”
