Leaders often say they want new ideas, but the first time someone questions how things have always been done, or a new effort falls flat, the room can go quiet. In this episode, Giselle Jenkins, Senior Consultant at Best Christian Workplaces, explains why that happens and what it takes to build a culture where people keep bringing their ideas forward.
Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube.
Leaders will learn how to tell whether tradition, a founding DNA, or a deep commitment to excellence is quietly working against the innovation they say they want. This matters because standing still can carry more risk than trying something new, and Employee Engagement Survey results, such as lower scores on effective strategy, can show where an organization has stopped adapting. Giselle offers a reframe: innovation is not one bright idea but a three-phase process, and it works best when disagreement and frontline voices are invited in while an idea is still being shaped. She brings more than 20 years of serving Christian nonprofits, including as VP of People Development at Prison Fellowship.
02:31: When tradition quietly replaces strategy — and what engagement survey scores on effective strategy can reveal
08:05: Do you want innovation or excellence? — why a creative hire may not stay when excellence is the value actually in charge
13:19: Conflict comes either way — why disagreement is easier to work through while an idea is being shaped than after it’s announced
15:56: What innovation looks like in practice — a church’s first round of staff ideas stalls, and a second attempt led by a new executive pastor moves forward
19:45: From creativity to innovation to implementation — a three-phase process that gives every kind of contributor a role
Giselle Jenkins is a Senior Consultant at Best Christian Workplaces, where she works with leaders on Employee Engagement Surveys, Leadership 360, and culture consulting. She has served Christian nonprofits for more than 20 years. Before joining BCW, she was VP of People Development at Prison Fellowship, leading Human Resources, Training and Learning, and Volunteer Services as part of the senior leadership team. She holds senior and executive HR certifications through HRCI, SHRM, and Cornell University, plus a certificate in Organizational Development. Her training in economics helps partners analyze and act on their results.
A full, word-for-word transcript of this episode is available here.
Listen to the full conversation, then ask your leadership team one honest question: when someone brings us a new idea, what do we actually respond to, the idea or the comfort of what already works?
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