--- title: "Wednesday Buzz: Understand What Innovation Really Means" id: "22895" type: "post" slug: "wednesday-buzz-understand-what-innovation-really-means" published_at: "2014-04-30T17:45:41+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T18:23:40+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/04/30/wednesday-buzz-understand-what-innovation-really-means/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/04/30/wednesday-buzz-understand-what-innovation-really-means.md" excerpt: "A management consultant shares why associations should learn about innovation before promoting themselves as experts. Also: an analysis of the integral roles managers play in the lives of employees." taxonomy_category: - "Organizational Strategy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Innovation" - "Leadership" - "Organizational Structure" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Wednesday Buzz: Understand What Innovation Really Means All associations want to create unique and innovative content to share with their audiences. However, consultant [Meredith Low believes (opens in a new tab)](http://meredithlow.com/hey-really-innovation/) many organizations don’t even know where to begin, risking their reputations as credible, creative visionaries. For some, innovation may mean slight adjustments. For others, it might involve implementing a new strategy to make and promote a message. Yet to truly create something new, Low says associations should have three things: resources at the ready, permission to fail during the creative process, and autonomy among teams. “If you are saying you want to innovate, but aren’t doing these things, what’s wrong with this picture?” she writes. “Is the management and resource allocation wrong? Or is it that the stated aspiration to innovate is quite different from the actual aspiration?” ### Hands-Off Can Hurt > Can You Really Manage Engagement Without Managers? via @GallupJournal [http://t.co/yl52nxZ53T (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/yl52nxZ53T) > [#EmployeeEngagement (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmployeeEngagement?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [pic.twitter.com/sRPB3xUNcX (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/sRPB3xUNcX) > > — Gallup (@Gallup) [April 28, 2014 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Gallup/status/460815010889867264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Zappos [doesn’t need managers (opens in a new tab)](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2014/01/03/zappos-gets-rid-of-all-managers/) , apparently.** Do you? *Gallup Business Journal* compiled research that questions the online retailer’s recent change in the chain of command to something called a “holacracy.” The [research firm found (opens in a new tab)](http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/168614/really-manage-engagement-without-managers.aspx) that managers are responsible for 70 percent of the variance in employee engagement—and recommended that instead of getting rid of managers altogether, *more* authority figures might be a better idea. “Bridging from logistical concerns such as materials and equipment to professional development requires a manager’s support,” consultant Elizabeth Kampf explained in her blog post. “A team manager has the proximity, authority, and expertise about his or her employees to implement change in their immediate environment. While employees are responsible for voicing their opinions, the best companies hold managers accountable for listening and responding to those opinions and creating positive change.” ### Other Good Reads **[According to Velvet Chainsaw’s Jeff Hurt (opens in a new tab)](http://jeffhurtblog.com/2014/04/28/conference-execution-as-attendee-learning/) ,** there’s such a thing as being too efficient with content delivery during your education sessions. **“Growth doesn’t always beget growth”:** In a guest post for *Inc.*, leadership development expert [Samuel Bacharach offers (opens in a new tab)](http://www.inc.com/sam-bacharach/how-to-grow-without-killing-your-company-.html) four tips to help innovation flourish, even as you’re growing. **Over at Cvent’s*Event Planning*blog,** [Donna Kastner considers (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.cvent.com/blog/meeting-planning-innovation/spring-cleaning-time-for-your-event-sponsorship-menu) how you can spruce up event sponsorships. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Alexis Williams](https://associationsnow.com/author/alexis-williams/) Alexis Williams & Alexis Davis are contributors to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/alexis-williams/) Tags: [#Innovation](https://associationsnow.com/tag/innovation/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#Organizational Structure](https://associationsnow.com/tag/organizational-structure/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [ArticleEmpower Your Entire Organization Through Data ConversationsApril 29, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/29/empower-your-entire-organization-through-data-conversations/) - [ArticleWhat Enables Intentional Impact?February 26, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/02/26/what-enables-intentional-impact/) - [VideoChallenge Legacy Mindsets at MMC+TechApril 17, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/04/17/challenge-legacy-mindsets-at-mmctech/) - [ArticleKeys to Innovation at Long-Running AssociationsNovember 3, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/03/keys-to-innovation-at-long-running-associations/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2014%2F04%2F30%2Fwednesday-buzz-understand-what-innovation-really-means%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !