4 Steps Toward Innovation

In a survey conducted by the American Management Association, 81% of the CEOs they interviewed, put forward the conclusion that innovation will be the key element that will insure the success of their business in the future. The survival of their organizations will most likely depend on the capacity to innovate and be creative. To advance and gain advantage in corporate concerns such as quality, employee relations, key products, customer loyalty, efficiency, profit, et cetera, will depend on the company’s ability to innovate.

How does one begin to participate in this train called innovation? Here are four concepts to start off with.

1 Culture- You must breathe it

An important building block would be to create the right atmosphere for ideas in the organization. As you make a decision to revolutionize your organization, ideas will flow from various departments in your company. It will be essential that we accept ideas from anyone or from any department. It used to be that only R&D would have authority to forward ideas regarding product modifications. The HR department would then monopolize developing new structures between employees and management. But today in the world of innovation, ideas may come from your security guard or janitor, in so far as new concepts on customer service is concerned. Someone from finance could put forward new thoughts on a new product line for the company. If we can send a message to our team that we are open to ideas no matter where they come from, then innovative ideas will begin to come in and prove profitable to the company.

2 Challenge the Norms

Another factor to move us up the innovation ladder is to be willing to test and abandon existing systems or products. Things that were needed or were working at one time may not be effective today. Take for example the use of our local law enforcers on the knee-high leather boots. One wonders how the use of these boots actually contribute to efficiency and comfort for the local police force. It is difficult to run with it and extremely uncomfortable in warm weather. Checking on its history it was found out that the boots were developed for the local constabulary in the early 1900’s when they sere still riding horses. It helped the rider from the usual discomfort of his thighs rubbing against the up and down motion of the horse thus the need for the knee-high boots. That was then and today we probably do not have any horse riding policemen or women who direct traffic in our streets. We are being asked to innovate for efficiency, cost and comfort and we should not be afraid to challenge the existing norms.

3 Build a Prototype

Prototyping is another dynamic that can move us up the innovation ladder. Oftentimes there is no shortage in the contribution of ideas from the organization. The atmosphere of respect has been established but we lag in developing prototypes. There is a need to establish rooms where our team can put their ideas together and develop a prototype and test it from there. The most precise medical tools have been developed from prototypes made of film canisters, masking tape and plastic tubes from writing pens. Continue to prototype, alter and improve till it comes out just right.

4 Ask those that you Serve

The fourth step for positioning your company along the innovation track is to continually ask your customers what they like. The customer world is bigger than the world that exists in your company. So if you are looking for ideas it does make sense to tap into the millions of minds that can give you ideas for free, than a mere hundred or so that are part of your organization, continue to ask the customer what they are looking for. It could be a service connected to your product and not the product itself that needs innovating and the key to learning that is by connecting with your customers.

Allow Human Capital Asia to work with you on developing an innovation mindset in your company. Call Dada at the numbers listed in our website.