The 3P Framework: Embedding Innovation Into People, Processes, and Philosophies
When Amazon’s Jeff Bezos hires, he asks every candidate to describe something they’ve invented, no matter how small. This expectation is not just for show—it signals a deep organizational philosophy that invention is everyone’s job, not just R&D’s. As a result, small, cross-functional teams iterate, experiment, and take ownership of big leaps (or failures), fueling Amazon’s consistently high 'innovation premium.'
Other leading organizations embed innovation into daily routines: at P&G, A.G. Lafley built customer observation into product development, while at Salesforce.com, Marc Benioff encouraged social collaboration tools that propel networking and idea-sharing. The DNA isn’t random; top firms systematically create processes that mirror the behavioral skills of their most innovative leaders, and they’re open about making risk-taking cultural, not accidental.
This approach, known as the 3P Framework—People, Processes, Philosophies—helps organizations avoid the fate of once-innovative firms that rest on past success. By deliberately hiring for curiosity, formalizing creative behaviors, and making innovation core to their values, teams and companies grow faster and outlast their competitors. Research shows companies with high innovation premium excel exactly where most firms lag: in refusing to relegate innovation to a select few.
Score your team’s creative culture honestly—are innovation skills celebrated, and are there real routines for discovery activities? Pinpoint where discovery skills lag, especially at the top. Choose a single, concrete process (like regular cross-departmental brainstorming or an open experiment policy) and make it institutional, not optional. Encourage everyone—students, staff, managers—to try and fail out loud, shifting from top-down authority to a learning, inventive mindset. Tackle just one upgrade this quarter, tracking participation and energy, and building from there.
What You'll Achieve
You’ll foster a culture where every team member feels empowered to contribute creative ideas, and create sustainable processes that keep innovation alive—leading to continuous improvement and higher morale.
Audit and Upgrade Your Team’s Innovation DNA
Evaluate your team or organization's creative strengths.
Use a simple survey or scorecard to rate existing people, processes, and attitudes based on observable behaviors.
Identify gaps in discovery skills among leadership and team members.
Are most people great at execution but weak in challenging the status quo or encouraging questions?
Institutionalize one discovery process at a time.
Choose behaviors like regular 'what if' brainstorming sessions, networking lunches, or trial experiments, and make them regular fixtures.
Champion a guiding philosophy that promotes risk-taking and democratizes innovation.
Frame failure as a learning tool, encourage all levels to contribute ideas, and celebrate curiosity and experimentation openly.
Reflection Questions
- Which processes or rituals does our team have that support (or stifle) new ideas?
- How safe do people feel questioning the status quo here?
- What’s one philosophy or mantra we can adopt that makes risk-taking and learning part of our DNA?
- What’s a small, regular process we could test to invite more diverse input?
Personalization Tips
- A school principal makes 'innovation rounds' each week, sitting in on classes and inviting student feedback.
- A product manager integrates mini-innovation sprints into the monthly workflow.
- A volunteer group rewards bold, unconventional ideas with visible recognition rather than just celebrating outcomes.
The Innovator's DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators
Ready to Take Action?
Get the Mentorist app and turn insights like these into daily habits.