SECRETS OF INNOVATORS
Become Innovative
The people in an organization are vital to innovation. Ultimately, the people are responsible for creating the change necessary to lead the business to the next level. Innovation is defined as the act or process of inventing or introducing something new. However, innovation involves more than just newness or change. High performing organizations are those that involve their people in change, encourage innovation, and capture the intellectual capital of every employee. One of the key components of innovation is self-innovation, which is the act of asking oneself “How am I continuously growing and becoming more than I currently am?” When an individual is willing to accept the challenge of personal growth, to stretch outside of his/her comfort zone and take risks, the organization will benefit as well.
For many, creativity feels like an elusive task. You may look at yourselves, your relationships, and your existing challenges and see the same solutions. To challenge yourselves to be innovative you must look at problems in a different way. Remember, if you do not like your results, change your approach. As you change your approach, you will change your results. Typically, in problem solving the mind wants to think linearly, to make outlines and lists to solve the problem. While these methods are great as organizational tools, they do not inspire new ways of thinking and they use only a fraction of the brain’s innovative potential!
In order to change your results, you get to look at the situation in a different way. Part of being innovative is being willing to see what is not readily visible to the eye: to see beyond the surface. When you look at something differently, it inevitably causes you to take a different set of actions. For example, when you are faced with a challenge if you continually see the problem in the same way, you will continue thinking the same thoughts, acting and performing in the same way, and you will continue getting the same results as you have in the past. However, if you make the choice to see the situation as an opportunity to create different actions to reach a solution you will get new, innovative results.
The Business of Innovation
Great organizations remain great because they constantly innovate—particularly during challenging economic times. Now, more than ever, innovation is important to the continuous growth of your business. According to Maria Bartiromo of CNBC’s “The Business of Innovation,” “Innovation is one of the most important items on every business agenda today…a company’s success will ultimately be determined by how innovative they can be over the next five to ten years.” Companies that do not innovate lose their competitive edge, become stagnant, and do not survive. The first step to becoming innovative is to recognize that forward movement requires change.
Zappos.com, an online shoe store, is constantly evolving and it attributes its success to its culture. Zappos believes in inspiring its employees and infusing the organization with creativity, team spirit, comfort, and fun! Instead of having an office, CEO Tony Hsieh sits in a cubicle alongside his employees. Under Hsieh’s successful leadership, the company is on track to earn one billion dollars in its short ten-year history. Through Rapport’s training, graduates know that a creative and inspired culture is part of the winning formula for building and sustaining an innovative organization.
Similarly, Zappos knows that an environment conducive to inspiring creativity is essential. According to Roger von Oech, author, speaker, and inventor of “Creative Whack Pack,” a new product design team got into a whacky mood one day and made fun of their product. They were zany and off-the-wall. The meeting was a great success, and many new ideas emerged. The next week, everybody was in a serious mood and no new ideas occurred. The message is there is a close relationship between the “aha” of discovery and the “ha-ha” of humor, and being whacky often stimulates one’s creativity.
Important Takeaways
To be truly innovative one must not only have a plan of innovation, one must also have an execution strategy. Having a plan and not executing it is like having no plan at all. Remember to start by embracing change and being open to taking risks. Before every great success comes failure. Provide a fun and inspiring environment to generate ideas and stimulate creative thinking. Some of the most innovative ideas happen because the right environment exists. Offer rewards and incentives for innovative ideas.
Continuously look ahead while asking yourself “Where am I now? Where am I going? What will it take to get there?” and “How long will it take to succeed?” It is important to assess your technology and include your customers and staff in the idea sharing process. By mentoring, inspiring, trusting, and believing in others, you will give them the confidence they need to be innovative leaders. Innovation is not a monthly, quarterly, or an annual event; it is an everyday occurrence designed to grow your company now and for the long-term.
Sources:
CNBC: The Business of Innovation
Van Oech, Roger: Creative Whack Pack. www.creativethink.com
