In one of my first innovation workshops at Disney, a senior executive shut down an idea within seconds: “We already tried that.” The room went quiet. The session—intended to spark fresh thinking—never recovered. The idea in question wasn’t revolutionary, but it might’ve led somewhere interesting. We’ll never know. What we do know is that early judgment killed the momentum before it began.

This is a daily occurrence at companies worldwide. It happens every day in companies around the world. Not because people don’t want innovation, but because they’ve never been taught how to protect it. Ideas, especially in their early stages, need protection.

A survey from DecisionWise found that 34% of employees hold back ideas at work for fear of retribution. In today’s climate of disruption, that kind of creative hesitation is something no company can afford.

To discover the 5 tactics to helping cultivate ideas and creativity at work, read the full article over on Fast Company.

Photo Credit: Fast Company/Getty Images