Make time for spontaneous, creative thought.
It’s difficult to come up with new ideas on the spur of the moment. When you have a designated time and place where you can experiment, you’re more likely to succeed. I advocate scheduling a brainstorming session once a month for the sole purpose of coming up with new ideas. Doing something does not necessitate a distinct location. In any case, it’s great if it has an air of “retreat,” free-flowing and unstructured as possible.
Make certain that someone is recording all of your thoughts. One thought can inspire others when it is written on a whiteboard that everyone can see. Make sure that you have a facilitator who can keep the momentum rolling during the meeting. It’s critical to start with the appropriate questions and then ask follow-ups that are relevant.
2. Don’t dismiss new ideas right away.
Think of your innovation sessions as brainstorming sessions. Even the most outlandish ideas are welcome. Of course, you can’t implement every idea you come up with. This is not the time to discuss realistic and logical ways to implement change. Instead, these sessions should focus on all the ideas you can imagine.
Consider the concept of vertical farming. The New York Times noted that LED light prices fell roughly 95% between 2008 and 2015, making this trend toward indoor, controlled-environment agriculture practical, which was first conceived in the 1970s. Although these farms face additional obstacles that will require further innovation, this one piece of the jigsaw was enough to potentially impact the future of food.
Think outside the box and you may come up with a new idea that seems impossible or ridiculous. Allow it to boil for a while if it fits this description. Discuss all of the possible outcomes and possibilities that may arise as a result of this.
As soon as everyone has had some time to reflect on what was discussed in the initial meeting, consider holding another one. Having a new concept might help you keep innovation at the top of your priority list.
If you don’t succeed, don’t worry about it.
The fear of failure is inescapable. There is a tendency for certain businesses to make choices based on the needs of their primary clients.
They don’t, however, allow these businesses to extend their wings and inspire new people beyond that. When you’re taking a risk and attempting something new, you’re putting yourself in a situation where you don’t know what’s going to happen. However, where failure may be lurking, there is also opportunity.
If you do your homework ahead of time, you can reduce your chances of failing. Even if you think that your innovation will take you into dangerous new area, you don’t have to go there blindly.
A product that isn’t being used for the reason for which you had intended it may turn out to be an important innovation down the road, even if it appears to be a failure in the short term.
Let’s grab the iPad. Since its inception, it has grown in functionality and use for its users. However, perhaps not the ones Apple envisioned would be particularly resonant for customers at the onset. A large part of how people use and market their iPhones is now centred on this feature.
With the Focus mode, one tech-savvy parent was able to lead his child away from the device’s tempting games and movies and toward utilising it to accomplish homework assignments…without accessing the other temptations that lurk within, according to a recent Forbes piece.
Bring in fresh perspectives.
You may believe that your ideas are just applicable to your own company. However, this is not the case. Frustration stems in part from a lack of understanding of how new technologies will perform in the real world. So, in order to maintain a focus on innovation, why not bring the actual world to you?
It’s possible to learn new things when you bring in folks who aren’t already familiar with your products or with the innovations that you’re bringing to those products.
Invite customers to come in and try out your goods. Using this method can help you identify areas for growth. You can look at how well your product works, as well as its user experience and visual design, as well as potential applications you haven’t thought of yet.
A recent Readwrite post emphasised the importance of making a good first impression. To paraphrase the article, “after the first use, most people will decide whether or not they want to keep the app.” This means that the app only has one shot at remaining on the user’s app list.”
Most people have between 10 and 30 apps installed on their phones at any given time. There is, however, a lot of competition for the attention of smartphone users.
Whether or whether an app is kept on a customer’s phone depends on a variety of factors, including how quickly it can be installed and how sensitive it is to gestures. The new users who are testing out your innovations can aid you with these variables if you’re launching a new app.
On a frequent basis, solicit input from your customers.
However, in order to keep innovation at the top of the priority list, the information collecting should not end with the launching of the product.
How your product is being used can serve as a springboard for future ideas. Show off everything they’ve learned and discovered thus far.
In addition to determining how delighted customers are with what you’ve done, client feedback will help you discover what new developments they’re eagerly awaiting—and that will turn the process into a meaningful discussion in which you’re creating a long-term customer relationship.
Never Lose Sight of the Goal: Innovation
At a tech company, it’s easy to put the innovation pedal down and coast for a time.
However, in today’s fast-paced tech-oriented world, a tech company that isn’t focused on innovation would swiftly fall behind. Using some of these principles, your organisation will strive to constantly innovate. It will be simpler to maintain a competitive edge while also prioritising new product development.
