Sparking

the Innovative

5
Flame: Technology is ever changing and,
with it, the structures and processes
that govern how we do business.
Adapting is essential for not just

Points surviving but thriving in the new

information society. Often, the best

for Building Your ideas and next big thing are right
under your roof but in need of some

Teams nurturing and direction.

Creativity
by Lydia Bundred
When employees understand the vison, goals and priorities of the organisation,
they will know how to align their function towards reaching the said objectives.
T
he forerunners in the business world are
those that embrace and make provision for
change and growth. In todays competitive
and fast-paced environment, it isnt enough
to have a good idea one needs to know
how to separate the good from the bad, the relevant
from the irrelevant, and the need from the want. Every
aspect of the business small and large needs to be
audited in order to evaluate current processes and their
relevance and place in the life of the business, and to
pinpoint gaps and weaknesses. By knowing where you
are lacking, you will know what to build towards and
which ideas to encourage and which to keep on the back
burner. To make the leap onto the innovation train, you
will first need to create the right environment.
1. Start from the top
Your leaders and managers are a great starting
point for boosting and building a creative environ-
ment. Your personnel are likely to imitate the values
that are modelled for them. To quote the late Steve
Jobs: Innovation distinguishes between a leader and
a follower. Motivating people to think for themselves
requires that they think like leaders. They must be pli-
able in their ways and thinking so that they are open
to change and take ownership of their work. The in-
novative spirit and philosophy must become one that
everyone embraces.
Department heads and managers should be the
forerunners in respect of innovation by presenting
ideas and motivating staff to do the same. Leaders
should be approachable and accessible to all levels
of the organisation. Google practises an open-access
policy where all top leaders and executives can be
reached directly by email. By breaking down the bar-
riers between the ranks, information can be requested
straight from the source, which will eliminate any
misinterpretations.
2. Embrace the diversity
Often, our offices are a melting pot of diversity that
is forced to conform to the office norm. By having rig-
id guidelines and small margins for mistakes, employ-
ees can feel confined and limited in their thinking and
processes. By easing your management style and em-
bracing the individuality of each member, you will allow
free thinking and optimise functionality. Encourage staff
to think outside of the daily routine and to find quicker,
easier ways of completing tasks so that they utilise their
time proficiently. Create an ethos among your team
which celebrates their differences and allows them to fol-
low their own rhythm. People from different walks of life
can view the same thing and yet all may have seen 100
different things the secret is harnessing these views.
3. Free information flow
When employees understand the vison, goals and
priorities of the organisation, they will know how to
align their function towards reaching the said objectives.
Make sure that all systems for creating, gathering,
retrieving, dispersing and storing information are up
to date and accessible to all the relevant personnel. No
one should have to experience any frustration when
trying to access a standard or essential work document
this will just waste time and energy. Irrelevant or
outdated information should be archived so that
prime space can be free of clutter. Include a monthly
newsletter in which all departments current affairs are
listed as well as any changes.
The minds of project managers, administrative
personnel, designers and engineers are filled with a
wealth of knowledge that often goes untapped. Knowl-
edge management is essential for the maturity of any
organisation and inspires innovation in different areas.
Build on existing ideas, technologies and systems to
maximise their output.
4. Brainstorming sessions
Members should feel that they have an opportunity
to speak their minds and to bring their ideas to the
table during brainstorming sessions. By scheduling a
weekly or monthly session with your group, employ-
ees can come together in their departments to present
ideas. This is one of the innovative methods practised
by Google, which holds weekly meetings with all em-
ployees where questions can be asked of the Google
leadership team. Encourage questions and research
in the different departments so as to boost creativity.

Keep these sessions to a predetermined time limit in
order to stop people from going off at a tangent and
cutting into working hours.
In any walk of life, there will be extroverts who en-
joy presenting their ideas, and then there will be those
introverts who will find a group intimidating. To al-
low ideas to flow from everyone, have a designated
day where staff can send their ideas via email or an
internal platform. Brilliant ideas can grow from within
an organisation, but they can also be introduced from
outside. External consultants can bring valuable input
and ideas, as a fresh set of eyes can see things that have
been overlooked internally.
5. Find the balance
Staff members should know that not every idea will
be implemented. Dont create false hope that all ideas
will be utilised, because, in reality, this is not possible.
There are limits to what are essential, secondary and
non-essential elements for functioning. For example, a
new, faster internal system is essential to operations,
whereas an idea such as Free Coke Friday, which boosts
worker satisfaction, is secondary because it supports
good morale but does not directly affect internal func-
tions of the business. Drive ideas towards your overall
aims and praise and reward those who do. When inno-
vative ideas have been presented, customise them and
Motivating people to think
for themselves requires that
they think like leaders.
make use of high-speed implementation. Idea produc-
ers will be encouraged by the use of their suggestions
and will be motivated to perform better.
To make sure you arent a one-hit wonder, systems
need to be in place that continually drive attention and
practices towards your main focus and goals. View the
products and services as your consumers do and try
to optimise their usage and make them user-friendly.
Track current and new ideas, their success and their
shortfalls, so adjustments can be made. Above all,
keep everyone informed of developments and chang-
es. Functioning innovatively is an ongoing process
that requires effort and teamwork.
Top five consistently innovative
companies, according to Forbes:
1. Salesforce.com
2. Alexion Pharmaceuticals
3. ARM Holdings
4. Unilever Indonesia
5. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Source: http://www.forbes.com/innovative-companies/list/
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