Is your organization guilty of putting innovation at the bottom of the list? You’re not alone. Many executives spend their days in a transactional mode, putting out each day’s fires. That’s no way to lead. If you don’t keep the big picture in mind, who will? It’s essential to the future of your business to return your focus to the bigger picture if you are to stay ahead of the competition.
How can you remain on the cutting edge of your industry?
Make it a Priority
Innovation doesn’t just happen. Carve out time daily if possible or at least each week. Encourage employees to do the same. Schedule brainstorming days or spend a few hours away from the office. Block out some distraction free time and ask yourself some what-if questions.
Foster an Innovative Environment
You never know where a great idea will come from. Encourage your entire team to share ideas. Really listen to what they have to say. Investigate those that have potential and implement those with merit. Each person you employ comes with their own perspectives. If you tap into their creativity, you exponentially increase your innovation potential. Young new employees may have a new way of looking at things. Veteran workers may have a solid understanding of what doesn’t work and what to try next. People on the front lines see firsthand what pain points customers face. Colleagues at your peer level may be able to offer experience and a fresh perspective to issues that are vexing you.
Read about Other Innovators
Target your professional reading toward outside the box thinking. “Prime the pump” with blogs, books and articles from successful thought leaders whose ideas may be a little out there. Peter Diamandis, Tim Ferris and Richard Branson are a few examples. Incrementalism is the death of innovation. Look for examples of 10X thinking – the idea that instead of increasing your goals by 10%, you increase them by 10 times. Big goals lead to big results but it requires next level thinking to succeed.
Hire the Right People
When you make your next hire, look for people who don’t mind shaking things up. Ask questions that can demonstrate how they think. Get beyond typical behavioral questions by posing hypotheticals for them to ponder or problems to solve. Ask for past examples of when they were able to come up with outside the box solutions to difficult problems. Look for someone who can bring fresh insights into your organization.
Invest in the Right Technology
Don’t expect people to be on the cutting edge if your equipment is not. Refresh your systems regularly and ask your team what they need to perform their duties efficiently, freeing time for more creative pursuits. You and your entire team should constantly be watching for the newest innovations from AI to AR to continuing IoT.
The greatest success comes not from incremental thinking, it comes from explosive, exponential thinking. Don’t think that any idea is too crazy to pursue. Don’t be afraid to fail. If you’re going to take chances, you’re going to make mistakes. Accept that fact going in – don’t let it surprise you.
How can you hire innovators?
Work with a specialized recruiter. A recruiter who understands the latest market innovations and knows the IT talent market can deliver people who can keep your organization on the cutting edge.
At Software Management Consultants, we have years of experience connecting tech companies with the best in IT talent. If your organization is currently looking for a custom talent acquisition solution, please contact us today.
