Published on the 29/07/2015 | Written by Vendor - media release
Despite the vaunted importance of ‘innovation’ it’s perhaps one of the most overused words today. It’s also probably the key to a successful future…
Saying ‘innovation’ is easy, doing it can be hard. In its efforts to make sure ‘innovation’ isn’t just a business buzzword, in its Technology Landscape Report for 2020 Citrix offers ten tips to stimulate workplace innovation:
- Double your failure rate: Fail fast, fail often. It’s the simple fact that you learn more from mistakes than from successes. Increase success rates by doubling failure rates. Foster failure as a source of learning by asking big questions and encouraging lively debate.
- Embrace risk: Every day we encounter opportunities to take risks which can end up a total mess or a beautiful innovation.
- Stories, not ideas: Stories convey ideas in an easy to comprehend format. Storytelling is a powerful way to put ideas into action.
- Select the right people: The next big idea is not enough – you need a team to execute and contribute or the idea can prove worthless. Things to consider when team building include agreed and shared visions and goals; shared accountability; transparent communications and an environment which maintains respect while resolving conflict constructively.
- Think Bigger: Have big goals. True innovation can mean 95 percent of people think your idea will never work, while the other 5 percent think it’s brilliant. Stay true to the goal.
- Data-driven value creation: Focus on the value of the creation, its potential growth as well as adoption before considering revenue. Are you building something that people value? Engaging with customers and create to suit their needs and align with the market.
- Scr-happiness: This is all about teaching people to be ultra-efficient (scrappy) while enabling them to reach their goals (happy). To maximise the principals of scr-happiness, get comfortable with discomfort: 80 percent of the benefit comes from 20 percent of the effort, so focus that part. Don’t get stuck in fads, have fun with your customers and practice playful creation.
- Open innovation: Foster a ‘connect and develop’ philosophy by bringing in minds from around the organisation to develop ideas. Anyone can come up with a good idea.
- Zen innovation management: It’s not about having great ideas but rather fostering them. With the Zen management approach, creative teams are nurtured from the bottom up rather than having a vision pushed on them from the top down.
- Feedback culture: Encourage teams with constant feedback – the good, the bad and the ugly. Getting used to feedback will reshape the perception of failure.
By shifting the focus from buzzwords to workplace behaviour and culture, these practical steps can support a transition to an innovative mindset.
