Innovation is the key that drives success. It’s what keeps old companies relevant, and gets new ones on the radar.
But as much as innovation is important in the workplace, some companies find it hard to incorporate it into their own office environment. Be it because of rigid company policies or the seemingly unattainable resources, these companies miss out on opportunities that are easy to acquire, yet commonly ignored.
So if you think you’re one of the people who find it hard to innovate, here are four ways to accelerate innovation in the company you work for:
1. Welcome change.
Change is natural and inevitable. It can actually bring something positive when brought into the workplace. This is especially true in this era where everything is connected. New technology comes around every day, and you should be ready to adapt to this cycle.
2. Listen to your customers.
Your customers are the center of your product or service and therefore you should design to make their experiences great. The best way to do that is to listen to them. Listen to what they want, what they think, what they say, watch how they act and find out how they feel. These will provide valuable insight as to how to create a better product or service for them.
3. Create a pro-creative environment.
Don’t be afraid to share ideas with your team. It’s an effective way to improve innovation as a team. Don’t label any idea as a bad one, but rather, build on each other’s ideas. Challenge each other, and find time to solve problems together. It’s a very effective breeding ground for creativity.
4. Attend classes.
There are communities everywhere that advocate various creative hobbies, practices, and frameworks. Many of these communities have classes and workshops that can really help you hone your skills in certain fields. Look for like-minded people who believe in usability or in customer experience, or simply a class where you could learn to be more creative, such as writing classes or painting 101. It may seem like small learnings, they’ll pile up eventually and become solid assets.