The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that even the most comfortable organizations can be shaken to the core. Every organization has been affected in one way or another. Despite the negatives brought about by the pandemic, smart organizations are already taking lessons taught by the situation and running with them. Smart organizations have learned that they could always improve how they get things done by tweaking a few things within.
While we cannot prevent things beyond our control in the new normal, we can prepare our organizations to survive through such events. One such way is through innovation. The more we innovate on products, services, customers’ experiences, and such, the more organizations can withstand adversity.
Innovating on products will help reach out to wider customer segments and contribute to organizations’ growth. Innovating on services will place the organizations in better positions when it comes to efficiency and relationships with customers. Overall, innovation will always improve the business and put the organization in a better competing position.
With this in mind, as many ask how they could put their organizations in better positions during and after the Covid-19 era, let us look at how you can generate innovative ideas.
How can your organization get innovative ideas?
Empowering employees
When employees are empowered to speak up, express ideas and opinions, creative minds are created. Employees in any organization come face to face with customers and experience firsthand the challenges faced by customers. They, therefore, have practical solutions on how things can be done differently at their individual levels. By allowing them a sense of freedom to speak up or innovate at their level, the organization gets wonderful innovative ideas that can improve processes and services. On the other hand, stifling employees and not allowing them a sense of freedom only turns them into robot-like people who only do as told and don’t make any efforts to improve their situations.
Adjust your communication channels
When employees are taught communication only travels down the hierarchy, they learn to only receive orders and do as told. By adjusting the communication channels within the organization, you allow everyone to be a team player. You make everyone feel heard and encourage ideas.
Adjust your leadership style
Lead your people in such a way that employees are not afraid of being penalized for making mistakes. Give them a chance to fail and not to be afraid of creating and innovating. Develop an accommodating leadership style in which you are not the only one with answers, but you nurture others to help you in developing ideas. Be a leader that doesn’t hire people who follow your every order but people who complement your strengths and are good in areas you don’t excel in. Participative leadership will make innovation not only a leader’s initiative but everyone’s role.
Invest in the education and creative nourishment of your employees
Demonstrate to your employees that you appreciate their innovativeness. Telling your employees that they are free to come up with new ideas is one thing, demonstrating to them is another. Take time to invest in their education so that they become empowered. Enroll them in courses that can improve their thinking and perspective. Enroll them in coaching programs to help them learn how they can always learn to improve their place of work by coming up with great ideas.
Conclusively, a large part of innovation lies in the hands of employees. By empowering them, giving them the right education and coaching, and allowing them the freedom to create, you are supporting innovation and growth within your firm. Innovativeness lies not only in the hands of the leaders but in the hands of everyone within the firm who can improve their area of operations and therefore the whole organization.
The Destiny Team