To state the obvious, work is a very integral part of our lives. We do the same thing, day in and day out for most of our careers.
At the same time, there’s all the talk about new ideas and increasing productivity at the workplace. In this scenario, innovation is the buzz word all over the place. Innovate, companies say. Moreover, do it quick. How do we really go about value addition to our routine work, while dealing with our normal responsibilities at the same time?
1. Not an option
First of all, it should be clear in our heads that innovating is no longer an option. It has become a necessity – for the organization to thrive and survive, and also for the individual employee to make his presence felt at the workplace. We must make it a point to get started right away. It’s never too late to start thinking of new practices that can be implemented at work or looking at better methods to get certain tasks done.
2. Be sure, be real
We need to be completely certain when it comes to innovation. It may seem very tempting at first, to think of a plethora of thoughts, trying too hard to come up with ideas related to phases at work that we have nothing to do with. We must have a clear sense of purpose when we set upon the search for gathering data and finding new solutions. To begin with, our area of work is the best place to focus on.
3. Think new, think different
It is but obvious that the best way to innovate is to come up with a new strategy or a new methodology of going about activities, tasks or achieving targets, rather than trying to modify existing ones. Best case in point is the way Apple came up with the idea of touch-screen phones. We can clearly see how they have revolutionized the smartphone market today. Similarly, we must try and find areas that the organization can work on, but have been overlooked or have not been registered as areas of improvement or building upon.
4. Gather your thoughts
Innovating is quite like trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle. New ideas and thoughts come to us as fragments of our imagination as a whole, with the entire picture still hazy. This is when we need to gather our thoughts and make an effort to put the pieces in place. The bigger picture is always what matters in the end. Will each individual step make its desired successful contribution to the greater cause? We also need to work out the timing of each step in the process.
5. Implementation
The importance of a well planned and effective implementation strategy just cannot be undermined. Without a proper push from the management and the proper utilization of employees’ capabilities, the blue prints for any innovation will remain just that – a blue print. We need to be aware of any hiccups we may face during execution and we should be well-equipped to tackle and overcome any obstacles which we may face.
What really defines the innovation process is the burning desire to improve upon our past successes and the constant itch to leave a mark in our respective fields of work or study. We must be willing to experiment and face the unknown out there. Innovation is nothing without a longing for adventure and the willingness to think and do different.