Discomfort. Uncertainty. Failure. None of these things tend to top the list of attributes of a successful company-but they should. That's because creative ideas-the ones that generate new products and unique services that drive revenue-come from innovation. And the first step toward innovation is often discomfort and uncertainty.
When was the last time that you had a creative idea? Last week, last month, a year ago? Are you stuck in your comfort zone? Do you embrace change or dread it? If you are not challenging the system on a daily basis, you will not get world class results. Businesses must develop new products and services to stay competitive. And they must find creative solutions to existing problems.
Many highly educated, intelligent business executives know that fostering innovation is the one thing that will set them apart, and still they fail to innovate. Why? It could be that it takes time, energy and a sincere commitment. The problem with doing things the way they have always been done is that you keep getting the same results, a strategy that won't cut it in today's marketplace. Another reason people avoid being creative is because it isn't logical. It's easier and safer to be a logical, analytic thinker than to be creative. Don't get me wrong. Logic and analysis are important skills. But we need creative skills to discover innovative ideas. Here are some tips for encouraging innovative thinking.
Get Rid of Your Mental Blocks
Did you ever hear someone say any of these things?
I'm not creative.
We've done all right so far.
We don't have time to be creative.
It's not my job.
This stuff is silly.
Get rid of these excuses. Everyone was born with a brain that has two sides-a creative side and a logical, analytical side. We all asked a lot of questions as little kids. Unfortunately, when we entered the school system, we were taught to think logically and that there was one right answer. As adults we now know there are often many answers. Start asking why again.
Use Both Sides of Your Brain
Think of your brain as a muscle. When we use our muscles, they become stronger. Wouldn't you love to think better? You could read more efficiently, solve problems faster and improve your memory. Some people say that knowledge is power. Knowledge is powerful when it is used. There are many knowledgeable people that don't do anything with their knowledge. There are other knowledgeable people that have the creative ability to link random thoughts together to develop powerful ideas and solutions.
Brainstorm
There are a variety of creative thinking techniques to stimulate innovative thinking. The simplest is brainstorming. Brainstorming is widely used and abused. When a group decides to brainstorm, it must be timed. True brainstorming generates many ideas (quantity vs. quality) without any judging. People are encouraged to build on each other's ideas. Often, participants begin to analyze before brainstorming is done. A good facilitator can quickly end the analysis and get brainstorming back on track.
Expand Your Horizon
Most of us spend time with and hire people who are like us. At work, finance people have their own language, cops socialize together, and senior executives lunch with other executives. Different ideas come from people who think differently. Invite people from outside your area of expertise to join you in your creative problem solving. Read different magazines and journals to stimulate your thinking. Learn a lot about a variety of things and see if you can make any connections. Diverse teams will generate more creative ideas than homogeneous teams.
Avoid Classic Traps
In 2006, Harvard Business Review published an article called Innovation: The Classic Traps by Rosabeth Moss Kanter. In the article, case studies highlighted classic innovation traps. For example, some companies adopt the wrong strategy: investing only in ideas they think will become blockbusters while ignoring smaller ideas that might generate big profits. To remedy this, add flexibility to planning and select strong innovation leaders who can put strong teams together.
Allow Failures
Creative thinking and innovation are risky-but no big successes will come without them. Bad ideas cost businesses money, but even worse are good ideas that never get tried and could have been the next blockbuster. When Coca-Cola introduced New Coke in April 1985, they expected the new soft drink to replace Classic Coke.
Instead, the launch of New Coke was a disaster with overwhelming negative public reaction. Even global companies make mistakes; there is no such thing as being right all of the time. Coke probably spent money on focus groups and taste testing before the launch and still failed. You have to allow employees to fail in order to innovate.
Get Out of Your Way
We work our entire lives to develop skills and knowledge that serve us well. Sometimes we are so competent that we get in our own way. Get out of your own way, listen, and enter into situations with an open mind.
Finally, create an environment that supports innovative thinking. Google was recently named the best company to work for by Fortune magazine for the second time. According to Fortune, Google engineers are required to devote 20 percent of their time to pursuing projects they like because those may benefit the company. Google recruits employees with diverse interests, and they create an environment where employees are encouraged to think freely.
There are many ways to stimulate innovative thinking. The reality is that it's really up to you. Henry Ford once said, If you think you can do things or think you can't do a thing, you're right. The first step to being an innovative thinker is to make a sincere commitment to innovate.
Regina M. Clark, CSP is an author, business owner and the opening keynote speaker for the 2012 NH Society for Human Resource Management Conference. She works with organizations and associations that want to improve business results. She can be reached at 845-294-7089 or regina at reginaclark dot net. For more information, visit www.reginaclark.net.
Current Issue - April 2024