I recently had the great honor of working with a brilliant client who is the head of R&D in an organization that develops and manufactures medical devices. I am supporting you in creating a culture of innovation in your company. So lately I’ve been spending a lot of time reading and thinking about innovation.
There are many thought leaders who will tell you that innovation has become more essential than ever to the survival of all organizations. All you have to do is watch the rate of change that occurs in virtually every field to know that if you are not riding the wave, you will be left behind. People’s needs are changing. Fast. And not only will your current competition work hard to outperform you on solutions, but new businesses will emerge with new ideas as well.
Change is the new status quo, and innovation is the vehicle that enables you to ride that change.
Now when most people talk about innovation, they mean changes to their products or services. Innovation can also refer to your methods of delivering that product or service. Or their ways of getting and keeping business. Or the way you address just about any aspect of your business model. And innovations can be suggested or inspired by anyone inside or outside your business … not just “creative” people.
So the first thing to do to make your innovation wheels turn is to open your mind, break down any limiting thoughts and broaden your description of what innovation could mean to you.
By the way, innovation is a relevant concept even if it is in transition right now. Because the old ways of looking for work no longer work. Those who are open to creating new approaches will prevail.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a leader in a global conglomerate that employs millions, the basic principles for fostering innovation are the same:
1. State your desire to innovate and your reasons. Don’t assume that anyone (including yourself) will automatically shift to a state of innovation without encouragement, reminders, or connection to the vision. Put it in writing. Speak it frequently.
2. Create space. Innovation does not like to be cluttered. Schedule empty time for yourself and your people to allow for the kind of thinking that leads to innovation.
3. Encourage failure. And then eliminate the word “failure” from your vocabulary. Failure = Learning. Learning leads to new approaches. New approaches lead to … you guessed it.
4. Reward new thinking, whether it advances or not. Don’t forget to reward yourself and others! Make new thinking synonymous with success and you will have many more new ideas to build on for success.
5. Encourage play. Play is essential for innovation. Relax the mind and foster new avenues for thought. Give yourself and your people the tools that encourage play. This can look like paper and markers, clay, building blocks. It can also feel like a field trip to an art museum or other places where you can be inspired by the ways others have thought outside of their boxes.
Try something new this week and feel free to tell me how it went.