At People Lab, we spend a lot of time exploring what it takes to build human-centered organisations—ones where people feel heard, engaged, and empowered to do great work. So we were excited to hear from innovation strategist and author Cris Beswick in a recent EX Space webinar.
In the session, Cris tackled one of the most overused and misunderstood concepts in modern business: innovation. Not the buzzword, but the actual capability—what it takes to create the conditions where new ideas can thrive, not just survive.
Here are three standout takeaways from the session:
1. Innovation is an outcome – not a department
Cris challenged the idea of “building a culture of innovation” and instead reframed it: what we actually need to do is build cultures for innovation. In other words, innovation doesn’t happen in a silo or a sprint. It’s the outcome of many interconnected things—strategy, leadership, systems, behaviours, and employee experience.
2. Middle managers are the missing link
Forget top-down or bottom-up innovation. According to Cris, the real action happens “from the middle out.” Middle managers are uniquely placed to translate vision into daily behaviours and to drive innovation in a way that feels real, credible, and grounded in the day-to-day. But many are stuck in what he calls the “frozen middle”—trapped by misaligned incentives and mixed messages.
3. Psychological Safety Looks Different at Every Level
It’s not enough to create a generic sense of “safety” across an organisation. What it means to speak up, take a risk, or challenge the status quo varies depending on your role, level, and context. One of the most overlooked challenges is designing the right kind of support for different groups—especially if we expect people to experiment, fail fast, and try again.
These three points just scratch the surface. Throughout the webinar, Cris shares practical frameworks, real-world examples, and sharp provocations on how to embed innovation into your organisation in a way that’s sustainable—and measurable.
If you’re working in employee experience, culture, leadership, or internal comms, and wondering how to create the conditions for innovation (not just talk about it), it’s well worth a watch.
👉 Watch the full webinar on YouTube
👉 Or join The EX Space for free to access the recording, slides, and a growing library of other expert-led sessions, masterclasses and resources.
Because when it comes to innovation, culture isn’t a backdrop—it’s the main event.
