Innovation is like a garden; you need to create an environment where it can flourish.
How innovation happens?
When you live and work in Silicon Valley and talk about it with people who don’t, you get used to a look in their eyes that begs, “What’s the secret sauce?” Usually, we think about Silicon Valley as the place where innovation happens, and many want to know how they can make it happen where they work, too.
Sometimes, we tend to think of the place where innovation happens as a celebrated hub of activity, where a strong network of trained professionals and creative people drive good ideas. We have the idea that technology is pushing traditional players everywhere to adapt and transform or risk being irrelevant.
The good news is that innovation is not rocket science. It is often about approaching an issue with the curiosity and open mind of a child. But the day-to-day grind of the modern work environment can zap that kind of creativity.
Innovation, like a garden, will not grow on its own. We need to plant seeds and treat them with care, to create not just a garden but an ecosystem. That is the kind of innovation that sustains and regenerates itself. Innovation is a mind-set, not a technology, or a product, or a solution. And it requires time, commitment, and investment.
There is no secret formula for great ideas, but what research and reality show is that there are numerous levers that organizations and people can pull. Here, some of the most powerful:
1. Place your customer at the center of innovation: The big question is “What value are you delivering?” It is not longer enough to target customers. To stay ahead, your need to be thinking about long term experience, the value you want to create for your chosen customers over time.
2. Flex to grow: Innovation does not necessarily happen between 9am to 5pm. Consider how flexibility can play a part in your organization’s strategy to tap into people’s best skills, no matter where and when they work.
3. Tap the power of pride: Innovation starts with people. Pride in your work and organization is a powerful motivating and creative force. Emotional energy drives employees to go above and beyond, regardless of external incentives such as compensation and benefits, creating a repeating cycle of energy and motivation.
4. Make failure an option: Preconceived ideas and solutions can block innovation and change. You must be willing to take risks and embrace the uncertainty and potential for failure inherent in those risks.
5. Rethink your company culture: Organizational culture is not the same thing as employee engagement. It is about empowerment to make decisions, freedom to innovate, and work life balance. The key to unlocking performance via your organizational culture is to align your company culture to business priorities.
Are you innovating and driving innovation?
