No-one likes change, well the majority of people don’t, but innovation and being willing to take (calculated!) chances is key to business success. It is simply not possible to sit back and do things ‘the way we’ve always done them’ in the modern business environment.
While innovation and risk taking can be scary, those that take the chance are often the individuals and businesses that excel. Experimentation is a good thing, and although not everything may work out as hoped or expected, it offers some amazing learning opportunities and can create moments of genuine brilliance.
But how do you actually encourage and nurture innovation in business?
Who is your company and what does it stand for? A business’s vision is key, it gets employees and customers on-board and sets out your stall, explaining the why of your business.
Live and breathe it. Committing to the culture you wish to portray for a / your business is a no-brainer. It is not enough to simply talk a certain way; it needs to be backed up by action and this in turn spurs others to do the same – ideas come from everywhere. This is something we are extremely passionate about and we like to think it shows in our CSR, awards and all round manner.
Complacency kills culture. Hire people that contribute to the culture of your business – an invested and suitably challenged team pays dividends.
Know your consumers and anticipate their needs. There is no way around this one, it has to happen. Data, insight, technology, trends – stay on top of it and evolve to offer THE best user experience and offering.
Just do it. Ensure what is said is what is being done, spend the required time and money to ensure it is happening and innovation will flourish.
Image sourced from Flickr.
